Last week, I received my first 'real' freelance check in the mail. This was a partner company I'd worked with in California. They asked me to refresh their logo. Simple, straightforward and not too creative. I sent a contract. They agreed. I did the work. I sent a bill. They paid within 30 days. It's how it's supposed to work, but I've rarely experienced a client relationship that works that smoothly.
As a result of that check, I've set up a DBA ("Doing Business As") and have a sole proprietorship in [My Name] Design. The name is nothing creative (though I like my idea for a logo), but it's simple and straightforward. I've reached out to people in the neighborhood and have a list of web coders I could work with to make my site. They're also potential collaborators if I do the freelance road and need web resources.
A couple months ago, I contacted a woman who is friends with our realtor. She got back to me last week and we met today for lunch. Here in Dallas she's one of the leading event planners for events in the 300-500 person range. She's got a few contacts if I'm interested. She works with a designer in the area and might connect me with her.
I've just finished creating the brand for a dear friend who is going into Executive Coaching. Along the way he's had various people ask if I'm available.
When I reached out to a former co-worker now freelancer extraordinaire for some ideas, one of her contacts then reached out to me.
I know that one of my former creative directors would like to work with me. I think my current company would be willing to work with me as a contractor.
So, the issue is, do I opt to make my life hellish for a while and go for the freelance gig until it takes off and I can quit my current job, or do I play it safe and keep plugging along as is?
I would like to be doing freelance by the time Brex is in kindergarten and it takes a couple years of hustle to get it moving along. On the other hand, I'm now 40 percent vested in my company and the money gets fairly big now each year I stay on as a full-time employee.
Paving stone by paving stone I keep laying the path, just in case. I set up a business account today thanks to that freelance check. I emailed those clients to thank them and tell them I'd happy to work with them in the future. They emailed back right away to say they may have more work later in June.
It just feels like those paving stones are leading to the edge of a cliff. I can get to the edge, jump and hope to fly, or risk crashing hard, or not risk anything and stay where I am. Yikes!
May 23, 2012
May 17, 2012
What wasn't there
After years of posts about Mothers' Day and countless conversations with friends about hoping to be a Mom someday, the obvious question of the week has been, "How was your first Mothers' Day?"
It should be an easy answer, right? Well, sure, it was a good day, but it didn't feel any better or worse than most days. We went out for brunch and had to wait half an hour for a table. By the time we sat down, we were into Brex's naptime so we didn't get to linger. We managed to keep him happy with bread shreds, but once those ran out, so did we! Home for naps for all three of us. After playing with Brex and then putting him to bed, Jrex made a lovely dinner of fresh halibut and tomatoes accompanied by roasted veggies from our Urban Farm basket. We chatted and then watched a movie.
All quite lovely, but not earth shattering or life changing.
Last night I shared with Jrex my struggle to put words on how Mothers' Day felt. I'd just had a conversation with a friend who adopted a sibling pair three years ago. Over the years we've bonded over emotionally supporting depressed husbands, being childless, and waiting and praying and waiting some more. Obviously she wanted to know what it was like now that I've borne a child. I tried to share that in a good way, I'm finally able to take Brex and motherhood for granted. That I'm very grateful to have such ordinary splendor. It didn't come out right.
After listening to me, Jrex said, "This Mothers' Day wasn't about what you felt, it was about what you didn't feel."
Click. Finally! He put words on my emotions for me.
For the fifteen years of our marriage, every Mothers' Day (except last year) has been sad. First because my Mom had cancer, and then because she was dead and then because I wasn't yet a mother. NO fun. Going to church became excruciating since they usually did something Mother-friendly.
This year? I felt contentment. Bone-deep and 'take it for granted' solid contentment. Despite the cliché I thought was propaganda by women trying to convince themselves, I DO love every minute of this gig. I miss the little guy when he's sleeping, I'm excited to pick him up from day care. So Mother's Day was just another good day in 7 months of good days (let it be acknowledged that a huge reason for all this is that Brex is one of the most mellow kids on the face of the earth; proof that it's not just me being a fond mother is that the nanny in California said he's the most mellow baby she's ever worked with. If I had a tempestuous, energy-draining kid I know I'd be grateful, but whining a lot).
For a Mothers' Day that was quietly, deeply good, I'm more grateful than I can say. And for tempestuous emotions that I didn't have to endure, I'm grateful. For a husband who knows me well, obviously grateful.
For the fact that my blog has devolved into a Mommy blog? Slightly embarrassed, but still grateful.
It should be an easy answer, right? Well, sure, it was a good day, but it didn't feel any better or worse than most days. We went out for brunch and had to wait half an hour for a table. By the time we sat down, we were into Brex's naptime so we didn't get to linger. We managed to keep him happy with bread shreds, but once those ran out, so did we! Home for naps for all three of us. After playing with Brex and then putting him to bed, Jrex made a lovely dinner of fresh halibut and tomatoes accompanied by roasted veggies from our Urban Farm basket. We chatted and then watched a movie.
All quite lovely, but not earth shattering or life changing.
Last night I shared with Jrex my struggle to put words on how Mothers' Day felt. I'd just had a conversation with a friend who adopted a sibling pair three years ago. Over the years we've bonded over emotionally supporting depressed husbands, being childless, and waiting and praying and waiting some more. Obviously she wanted to know what it was like now that I've borne a child. I tried to share that in a good way, I'm finally able to take Brex and motherhood for granted. That I'm very grateful to have such ordinary splendor. It didn't come out right.
After listening to me, Jrex said, "This Mothers' Day wasn't about what you felt, it was about what you didn't feel."
Click. Finally! He put words on my emotions for me.
For the fifteen years of our marriage, every Mothers' Day (except last year) has been sad. First because my Mom had cancer, and then because she was dead and then because I wasn't yet a mother. NO fun. Going to church became excruciating since they usually did something Mother-friendly.
This year? I felt contentment. Bone-deep and 'take it for granted' solid contentment. Despite the cliché I thought was propaganda by women trying to convince themselves, I DO love every minute of this gig. I miss the little guy when he's sleeping, I'm excited to pick him up from day care. So Mother's Day was just another good day in 7 months of good days (let it be acknowledged that a huge reason for all this is that Brex is one of the most mellow kids on the face of the earth; proof that it's not just me being a fond mother is that the nanny in California said he's the most mellow baby she's ever worked with. If I had a tempestuous, energy-draining kid I know I'd be grateful, but whining a lot).
For a Mothers' Day that was quietly, deeply good, I'm more grateful than I can say. And for tempestuous emotions that I didn't have to endure, I'm grateful. For a husband who knows me well, obviously grateful.
 |
| Flowers from my Dad |
For the fact that my blog has devolved into a Mommy blog? Slightly embarrassed, but still grateful.
May 9, 2012
Geek land and Competitive Parenting
The hard part about returning somewhere you've left is the reminder of richness.
Not anything economic, rather relational wealth. In 4 1/2 years I made and deepened wonderful friendships. For many of them, we happened to also be working through fertility issues and getting pregnant around the same time. It's hard to make new friends as a parent. There just aren't as many hours in the day as when I was 'single' (Jrex works long enough hours that I could get together with people for lunch, dinner, coffee, weekend walks, etc). Therefore, being back with good friends where we could maintain our contact while chasing kids around the room works. Building new friends while doing the same? Creates tenuous bonds that just take more time to deepen.
We stayed with Lovey and Dovey and their little girl Spark. After a wonderfully empty plane with a row to ourselves, Brex did a great job staying up 2-hours past his bedtime and doing his normal routine there. Spark has had a nanny and few play dates, so she was FASCINATED with Brex. In particular, she really, really wanted to grab his helmet (which, now painted, looks like a really BIG toy). Since she can crawl faster than I can move, we had an interesting time trying to keep Brex on a higher plane so she couldn't reach for his face. If he was sitting on the floor (with no ability to crawl yet), he learned to cry when he saw her coming. If we had him in our laps and she popped up to stand next to him, he was fine.
The sad thing is that long-distance, Lovey and I talk on the phone, but Dovey and I don't get to chat much. It's somehow strange for a wife and husband of other people to call each other to catch up. Anyway, he and I enjoy discussing design, home decor, counseling and many other topics, so it was fun to get time to catch up with both of them together.
This trip made me realize that I'm opting into a game I'll call Competitive Parenting. It's not something I'm doing with other parents, just trying to buck the system and compete with Jrex. Knowing that most baby's first words are a variant of a hard sound (Dada, Baba, Tata), I've been working hard with Brex to get him to say Mama first. Every time I change him, I look at him and do a long exaggerated "MmmmmmaaA" sound. After watching me in fascination, he'll often try to do it, "Na Na Ba Na Blah" (really, he says Blah Blah Blah, cracks me up!). Well, after a couple days in Lovey and Dovey's house, I had to tell Dovey that his daughter was a bad influence. He looked horrified, "What is she doing?!"
"As you are gleefully aware, Spark loves to say 'da da' and after only two days here, Brex is mostly doing hard sounds! All my effort down the drain..."
Jrex was delighted. I told him it wasn't personal since we call him "Appa" and the baby wasn't making any P-uh sounds.
Do you think this makes me a Western version of a Tiger Mom? Forcing the child to do something they wouldn't normally do for reasons of my own? (Laughing an evil scientist laugh) I'll manipulate him anyway!!!
The other thing I realized on the trip is that Silicon Valley is full of geeks. Which is why I fit right in. When I told people there that I should have painted the helmet silver so Brex could look like Magneto, they all laughed. When I say that here, I usually get blank stares. Maybe it's not that I'm strong meat (though I am that, I think), maybe it's lady culture vs geek culture? In either case, it's hard to be back where I'm at the early stages of building potential friendships rather than immersed among people who know me well.
All I can do is keep pressing further up and further in. It may take longer, but we're likely going to be here longer, so we'll get there.
Not anything economic, rather relational wealth. In 4 1/2 years I made and deepened wonderful friendships. For many of them, we happened to also be working through fertility issues and getting pregnant around the same time. It's hard to make new friends as a parent. There just aren't as many hours in the day as when I was 'single' (Jrex works long enough hours that I could get together with people for lunch, dinner, coffee, weekend walks, etc). Therefore, being back with good friends where we could maintain our contact while chasing kids around the room works. Building new friends while doing the same? Creates tenuous bonds that just take more time to deepen.
We stayed with Lovey and Dovey and their little girl Spark. After a wonderfully empty plane with a row to ourselves, Brex did a great job staying up 2-hours past his bedtime and doing his normal routine there. Spark has had a nanny and few play dates, so she was FASCINATED with Brex. In particular, she really, really wanted to grab his helmet (which, now painted, looks like a really BIG toy). Since she can crawl faster than I can move, we had an interesting time trying to keep Brex on a higher plane so she couldn't reach for his face. If he was sitting on the floor (with no ability to crawl yet), he learned to cry when he saw her coming. If we had him in our laps and she popped up to stand next to him, he was fine.
The sad thing is that long-distance, Lovey and I talk on the phone, but Dovey and I don't get to chat much. It's somehow strange for a wife and husband of other people to call each other to catch up. Anyway, he and I enjoy discussing design, home decor, counseling and many other topics, so it was fun to get time to catch up with both of them together.
This trip made me realize that I'm opting into a game I'll call Competitive Parenting. It's not something I'm doing with other parents, just trying to buck the system and compete with Jrex. Knowing that most baby's first words are a variant of a hard sound (Dada, Baba, Tata), I've been working hard with Brex to get him to say Mama first. Every time I change him, I look at him and do a long exaggerated "MmmmmmaaA" sound. After watching me in fascination, he'll often try to do it, "Na Na Ba Na Blah" (really, he says Blah Blah Blah, cracks me up!). Well, after a couple days in Lovey and Dovey's house, I had to tell Dovey that his daughter was a bad influence. He looked horrified, "What is she doing?!"
"As you are gleefully aware, Spark loves to say 'da da' and after only two days here, Brex is mostly doing hard sounds! All my effort down the drain..."
Jrex was delighted. I told him it wasn't personal since we call him "Appa" and the baby wasn't making any P-uh sounds.
Do you think this makes me a Western version of a Tiger Mom? Forcing the child to do something they wouldn't normally do for reasons of my own? (Laughing an evil scientist laugh) I'll manipulate him anyway!!!
The other thing I realized on the trip is that Silicon Valley is full of geeks. Which is why I fit right in. When I told people there that I should have painted the helmet silver so Brex could look like Magneto, they all laughed. When I say that here, I usually get blank stares. Maybe it's not that I'm strong meat (though I am that, I think), maybe it's lady culture vs geek culture? In either case, it's hard to be back where I'm at the early stages of building potential friendships rather than immersed among people who know me well.
All I can do is keep pressing further up and further in. It may take longer, but we're likely going to be here longer, so we'll get there.
April 26, 2012
My favorite heirloom
With my father being an only child, we three kids were the only grandchildren on his side. Right after Jrex and I married, my grandfather, who lived in a retirement community, moved from his two room suite down to the health center. Of the three grandchildren, I was the only one in a house at the time, so he shipped me all his furniture with instructions to pass stuff along to OTRbro and sis when appropriate. (They've never wanted what he left for them...)
Amidst the desk, dresser, side tables and file cabinet was the "Dog's Head Chair". As a little girl visiting them in Florida, I was fascinated by the chair with it's carved hound heads for hand rests. I used to pet the dog foreheads and feel their carved ears and lips.
When my Dad came to visit us after the furniture arrival, he sat in the chair and sighed, "I always thought this would come to me, but now it's passed me by." Of course I told him to take it home with him! He laughed and said, "No, I'll enjoy it when I come to visit you."
For the past fifteen years it's continued to reign in our various living rooms. The upholstery from my Grandmother's era tattered and the seat began to sag. Since moving it here to Dallas, I've become more and more nervous that anyone heavier than Mom K might fall through the seat. I'd hoped to wait to reupholster it until we got our kid (kids?) past the toddler phase, but it became obvious that it couldn't make it.
After finding an upholsterer, I dove into a local fabric store. What a fun excursion that was! Row after row of gorgeous fabrics. Jrex was home with the baby so I sent text messages with pictures so he could help me decide. When he left it up to me to pick between two options, I grabbed an older woman who worked in the store. She shook her head and pointed to a burly guy, "He's the one who knows what goes with what, ask him." With his help, I made a decision. It's really scary to pick a fabric that should last for the next 20-30 years!
Today the woman from the upholster called to say the chair was ready. She then added, "That is a beautiful chair! Wherever did you find it?!"
"My Grandfather was a small town newspaper publisher and ended up visiting many people's houses in the course of his job. He happened to see the chair frame in someone's attic and bought it for $20 bucks. My Grandmother had it upholstered and we've had it ever since."
Anyway, the chair came back today. What do you think?
Amidst the desk, dresser, side tables and file cabinet was the "Dog's Head Chair". As a little girl visiting them in Florida, I was fascinated by the chair with it's carved hound heads for hand rests. I used to pet the dog foreheads and feel their carved ears and lips.
When my Dad came to visit us after the furniture arrival, he sat in the chair and sighed, "I always thought this would come to me, but now it's passed me by." Of course I told him to take it home with him! He laughed and said, "No, I'll enjoy it when I come to visit you." 
For the past fifteen years it's continued to reign in our various living rooms. The upholstery from my Grandmother's era tattered and the seat began to sag. Since moving it here to Dallas, I've become more and more nervous that anyone heavier than Mom K might fall through the seat. I'd hoped to wait to reupholster it until we got our kid (kids?) past the toddler phase, but it became obvious that it couldn't make it.
After finding an upholsterer, I dove into a local fabric store. What a fun excursion that was! Row after row of gorgeous fabrics. Jrex was home with the baby so I sent text messages with pictures so he could help me decide. When he left it up to me to pick between two options, I grabbed an older woman who worked in the store. She shook her head and pointed to a burly guy, "He's the one who knows what goes with what, ask him." With his help, I made a decision. It's really scary to pick a fabric that should last for the next 20-30 years!
Today the woman from the upholster called to say the chair was ready. She then added, "That is a beautiful chair! Wherever did you find it?!"
"My Grandfather was a small town newspaper publisher and ended up visiting many people's houses in the course of his job. He happened to see the chair frame in someone's attic and bought it for $20 bucks. My Grandmother had it upholstered and we've had it ever since."
Anyway, the chair came back today. What do you think?
April 24, 2012
Anticipation
I'm rehearsing. Running scenarios in my mind. Trying to anticipate the worst case/best case possibilities. Writing lists of what we'll need.
Brex and I are flying to California on Saturday.
One of my climbing partners, Petite Slovakian is getting married the following Saturday. We're staying with Lovey and Dovey (and their baby girl!!!). On Monday and Tuesday I'll go into the office while Lovey's nanny watches Brex. Wednesday I get to go back to my beloved hairdresser (though I don't yet have a plan for what to do with the baby during the hair appointment...uh oh...), then take the baby into the office to show him off, then pick up Jrex at the airport. Thursday is the bridal shower with Petite Slovakian's family from Europe. Friday we get to head over to the east Bay for the rehearsal and wedding on Saturday. It's going to be busy! I'm also packing in lots of time with friends.
The issue is that it's my first time traveling with a baby. I was all set to just use the Beco baby carrier and keep everything streamlined, but a few days ago I noticed a lump in my stomach. I think my hernia is back! Ugh. So now I think I have to bring the stroller cause it will be painful to have him resting on the hernia all day. Our stroller is wonderful, but it's not small. I've heard I can just roll it up to the gate and check it there and then pick it up after the flight. Is that true? It'll allow me to put my laptop bag and his diaper bag in the stroller cargo hold and make airport life SO much easier.
After reading various advice for traveling with a baby I bought two new books and a new chew blanket for him to explore on the plane. We're sitting on the aisle. I have a nursing cover. As far as I can tell, the bases are covered, but it's just too easy to slip into fretting.
My biggest worry? Getting from the luggage pickup to the car rental place. Given stroller and suitcase management, I've thought about taking a cab to the rental place. If I did that, we wouldn't have a car seat so I don't think it's legal? Anyone have suggestions?
The other fun dynamic is that I get to be the person I used to dread. We've all done it: looked around the gate area and prayed we wouldn't be sitting next to the baby. Now the baby part will be my fault. AND he's teething so he's just not his best version of himself these days. I'm hoping he'll be a cute, laughing chunky monkey, but am trying to be ok if he's not. I'm also not sure how to handle his nap on the plane. I guess I can ask if there are empty seats and maybe switch my seat so I have an empty one where I could put him to sleep? If not, he's never fallen asleep in my arms so that could be interesting.
The third dread is sound effects. Not the ones that come from normal bodily functions. Those are to be expected. No, my crazy kid has two lovely sounds that I'm afraid to hear on the plane. Sometimes when he's nursing he'll start to do a rhythmic sigh that sounds very 'happy'. It'll certainly make it seem like we're working the Oedipal angle! Then, just last week he figured out how to GASP and make a really loud sound that apparently is hysterically funny to him. He likes to do it over and over, which is cute when you can see the big grin on his face, but sounds a lot like crying when you're two rows away from it. Watch, with my luck I'll be getting the stink eye for having a cheerful baby!
In honor of the trip, I finally got around to decorating his helmet. Of course, I didn't prep the plastic properly, so much of this first round rubbed off within 48 hours. I had to sand it, apply plastic primer, repaint it and then do three layers of topcoat to make it durable. It's still off-gassing a little, but hopefully the brain damage will be minimal.
Brex and I are flying to California on Saturday.
One of my climbing partners, Petite Slovakian is getting married the following Saturday. We're staying with Lovey and Dovey (and their baby girl!!!). On Monday and Tuesday I'll go into the office while Lovey's nanny watches Brex. Wednesday I get to go back to my beloved hairdresser (though I don't yet have a plan for what to do with the baby during the hair appointment...uh oh...), then take the baby into the office to show him off, then pick up Jrex at the airport. Thursday is the bridal shower with Petite Slovakian's family from Europe. Friday we get to head over to the east Bay for the rehearsal and wedding on Saturday. It's going to be busy! I'm also packing in lots of time with friends.
The issue is that it's my first time traveling with a baby. I was all set to just use the Beco baby carrier and keep everything streamlined, but a few days ago I noticed a lump in my stomach. I think my hernia is back! Ugh. So now I think I have to bring the stroller cause it will be painful to have him resting on the hernia all day. Our stroller is wonderful, but it's not small. I've heard I can just roll it up to the gate and check it there and then pick it up after the flight. Is that true? It'll allow me to put my laptop bag and his diaper bag in the stroller cargo hold and make airport life SO much easier.
After reading various advice for traveling with a baby I bought two new books and a new chew blanket for him to explore on the plane. We're sitting on the aisle. I have a nursing cover. As far as I can tell, the bases are covered, but it's just too easy to slip into fretting.
My biggest worry? Getting from the luggage pickup to the car rental place. Given stroller and suitcase management, I've thought about taking a cab to the rental place. If I did that, we wouldn't have a car seat so I don't think it's legal? Anyone have suggestions?
The other fun dynamic is that I get to be the person I used to dread. We've all done it: looked around the gate area and prayed we wouldn't be sitting next to the baby. Now the baby part will be my fault. AND he's teething so he's just not his best version of himself these days. I'm hoping he'll be a cute, laughing chunky monkey, but am trying to be ok if he's not. I'm also not sure how to handle his nap on the plane. I guess I can ask if there are empty seats and maybe switch my seat so I have an empty one where I could put him to sleep? If not, he's never fallen asleep in my arms so that could be interesting.
The third dread is sound effects. Not the ones that come from normal bodily functions. Those are to be expected. No, my crazy kid has two lovely sounds that I'm afraid to hear on the plane. Sometimes when he's nursing he'll start to do a rhythmic sigh that sounds very 'happy'. It'll certainly make it seem like we're working the Oedipal angle! Then, just last week he figured out how to GASP and make a really loud sound that apparently is hysterically funny to him. He likes to do it over and over, which is cute when you can see the big grin on his face, but sounds a lot like crying when you're two rows away from it. Watch, with my luck I'll be getting the stink eye for having a cheerful baby!
In honor of the trip, I finally got around to decorating his helmet. Of course, I didn't prep the plastic properly, so much of this first round rubbed off within 48 hours. I had to sand it, apply plastic primer, repaint it and then do three layers of topcoat to make it durable. It's still off-gassing a little, but hopefully the brain damage will be minimal.
April 17, 2012
We're going to make it...
When I went to pick up Brex yesterday, she wasn't talking to me. I couldn't tell if there was just a lot going on with the other Moms and kids as she kept turning to one of them to talk. I watched the kids and joined in the general conversation, but after a while I jokingly asked, "Are you not talking to me now?"She sighed, "I guess I will. I can't believe you're going to take him away from us! He better get that helmet off before he goes so we can love on him." I assured her he would and then explained the situation to the other Moms.
It is a tough decision, but it feels like the right one.
On a different topic, this weekend we did a double date with Two Mommies from daycare. They brought their little boy over and we had Baby Whisperer from daycare take care of them while we went to see The Hunger Games. I was the only one who'd read the book. When the credits were rolling, Ops Mom said, "Is the book this tense?" I laughed, "It's worse because it's all so mental and you're in their heads."
On the way back to the house, we stopped at a local market and each couple bought a dinner for two. Then we came back and ate dinner while the boys slept upstairs. They are a fun couple. At one point Ops Mom asked, "OTRgirl, is your husband always this quiet?" I laughed and said, "Definitely. In a group setting he is usually quiet and then we leave and he has all these insights and I'm like, 'why didn't you SAY that?'." Jrex also laughed and was ready to answer questions when Ops Mom asked him about his work.
We found out from Ops Mom that there's a PUBLIC Montessori elementary/middle school in our neighborhood. It's one of the top ranked schools in the state. Having gone to a public Montessori myself, I'm ecstatic! I believe deeply in it as a way to allow school to remain fun, engaging, non-boring and self-directed, especially for smart kids. She said it's a bit of a lottery to get in, but given Brex's Asian heritage, we'd likely be guaranteed a spot in the name of diversity. It looks like they have mostly Black and Hispanic kids with 12% Caucasian and 2% Asian. It's pretty cool that we now have two wonderful elementary/middle school options. His neighborhood school has a bilingual immersion program that's supposed to be amazing, and now a public Montessori. My parents made the leap to move to the inner city and trust that God would provide educational options for their kids. Two years before I started elementary school, a public Montessori was founded, so He came through in the nick of time! We also took a leap into this neighborhood not knowing if the schools were very good. (Do I sound excited? Just a bit...)
April 16, 2012
Today's email exchange
Hey Ms G,
We just found out that Brex has been given a spot at Call1er Center starting August 1st. I think I mentioned that we were on the waiting list when you and I first talked about Brex coming to [Daycare Name]. It was a tough decision whether to accept or not because we've loved the personal attention and love he's received from you, B, My Belle and Baby Whisperer. The main factors are that Call1er will continue until he goes to kindergarten and it allows Jrex to be more involved in Brex's weekday world. They also only do this one major admission; if we refused it, there's no guarantee there'd be spots for him in the preschool segment.
Like I said, it's been a really difficult decision. It sounds funny, but thank you for making it so tough! Before knowing [Daycare Name], I'd assumed it would be an easy yes if he got into Call1er. Instead we've been so happy with his day care that it was hard to decide to move him. You've given so much attention, love, concern, wisdom and baby savvy that you've made it very easy to go back to work and not feel worried or guilty. On a personal level, I'll miss the easy walk down to your house and the 'hen fests' at the end of the day. We'll have to swing by some Fridays just to say hello!
OTRgirl
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Ms G
I guess if you were here I'd stick my tongue out at you because it isn't happy news for those of us who are really attached to him. Crum. I suppose it's too late to offer to keep him until he's ready for college? I better go outside and pout while pulling weeds. I do remember you had mentioned being on the waiting list, but hoped it wouldn't be any time soon.
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OTRgirl
Yeah, it's such a mixed bag emotionally. You are completely free to stick out your tongue at me! We were far enough down the list that I thought it was a long shot to get in.
Sigh.
===============================
So, the decision is made. Now I just have to endure snide remarks for a few months. It will definitely be hard to take him away from the other kids and the nurture he's received. Personally, I'll most miss Baby Whisperer trimming his nails. I haven't had to cut his nails since January 1st and he never scratches himself because she is able to cut them so close. Such a small yet important service.
Thank you all for your advice and feedback, it helped a lot. I liked the suggestion to get a nice gift for her before leaving. I'll give it to her at the end of July.
We just found out that Brex has been given a spot at Call1er Center starting August 1st. I think I mentioned that we were on the waiting list when you and I first talked about Brex coming to [Daycare Name]. It was a tough decision whether to accept or not because we've loved the personal attention and love he's received from you, B, My Belle and Baby Whisperer. The main factors are that Call1er will continue until he goes to kindergarten and it allows Jrex to be more involved in Brex's weekday world. They also only do this one major admission; if we refused it, there's no guarantee there'd be spots for him in the preschool segment.
Like I said, it's been a really difficult decision. It sounds funny, but thank you for making it so tough! Before knowing [Daycare Name], I'd assumed it would be an easy yes if he got into Call1er. Instead we've been so happy with his day care that it was hard to decide to move him. You've given so much attention, love, concern, wisdom and baby savvy that you've made it very easy to go back to work and not feel worried or guilty. On a personal level, I'll miss the easy walk down to your house and the 'hen fests' at the end of the day. We'll have to swing by some Fridays just to say hello!
OTRgirl
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Ms G
I guess if you were here I'd stick my tongue out at you because it isn't happy news for those of us who are really attached to him. Crum. I suppose it's too late to offer to keep him until he's ready for college? I better go outside and pout while pulling weeds. I do remember you had mentioned being on the waiting list, but hoped it wouldn't be any time soon.
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OTRgirl
Yeah, it's such a mixed bag emotionally. You are completely free to stick out your tongue at me! We were far enough down the list that I thought it was a long shot to get in.
Sigh.
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So, the decision is made. Now I just have to endure snide remarks for a few months. It will definitely be hard to take him away from the other kids and the nurture he's received. Personally, I'll most miss Baby Whisperer trimming his nails. I haven't had to cut his nails since January 1st and he never scratches himself because she is able to cut them so close. Such a small yet important service.
Thank you all for your advice and feedback, it helped a lot. I liked the suggestion to get a nice gift for her before leaving. I'll give it to her at the end of July.
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