A Day in the Life...

The beginning of this week was epic and I thought I would share its secrets with you.

This is just a short overview and not every gory detail. Just the extra juicy parts.

Monday: My mother-in-law Paula and her friend Jesse were overdue for a visit. They were due to arrive in the evening after I got off work but they thought better of it and came around noon.

Noon comes and goes I grew worried. Turns out they drove to my mothers house!

Now this is funny because my mother only lives a couple blocks away so the directions from her house to our house was only the difference of a couple of minutes.

They arrived and we had a great visit.

(Here is a picture of our dogs loving on Paula when she first arrived. That is my hubbins [her son] next to her.)

While I was at work (here is a link to a post about where I work) all the babies were picked up before 5pm so with an hour to kill I relieved a different teacher in the 4 year old room. One of the kids (a favorite of mine) was running a temperature of 103°! We'll call her "Braid."

Braid: "Can you pick me up? I don't feel good."

Me: Yes, I can pick you up.

(I picked her up and was holding her on my hip while talking to another teacher)

Braid: *sniffs* "Mmmm yum. You smell like broccoli."

Me: "Well.. that's not good. I haven't HAD any broccoli."

O_o you never want a child to think you smell like broccoli. Not a good feeling.

Anyway we had left umpteen messages on several different phone numbers for them and they didn't show up to get her until the normal time. Kind of frustrating. Afterward I drove home.

I really wanted to take Paula and Jesse to one of my favorite little local places.

Mac n' more. Gourmet macaroni and cheese. OMG. Its amazing. Chalkboard tables and delicious inexpensive macaroni cheese? Heaven.

(Here is my food. Loaded Potato Mac n' Cheese)

(Here is a drawing Paula drew on the table while we were waiting for our food. Isn't it pretty?)

When they dropped us off at home to go back to their hotel I realized that I had left my PURSE at the restaurant. Yeah. The WHOLE bleedin' thing was sitting on the floor behind my chair. ARGH. I'm such a dunderhead. I blame school, work, and small table space.

Luckily the waiter found it right after we left and saved it. Thank goodness. I adore this purse! Here is my review on it!

Tuesday: Ugh. So, I got up and checked my classes to see what I would have to do for the rest of the week. I like to sit down and write everything down for each day so I know exactly what I have to do at a glance. When I finish an item or task I just mark it off with pink highlighter.

(The outside of my wonderful Downton Abbey planner given to me for Xmas.)

(The inside has full sheet photos across two pages and a large picture with each set of 7 days)

My English teacher assigned another 5 page paper (I turned the last one in the Monday morning) without teaching us anything in-between. Literally the day after the last one was due he assigned another and instead of two weeks to do the last I had FOUR days to do this one. It is due (if you are reading this the day I publish it Friday the 31st of January 2014) today. Read a 10 page paper and chose the five main points of it and write a FIVE page paper on it. That is a bunch of hooey goulash.

So, after a little mini freak out session I made my way to work.

Where.. I found out that there has been 2 confirmed cases of Mouth, Hand, and Foot Disease. Where you ask? THE BABY ROOM. My room. I went in... with trepidation. What was this "DISEASE"? Could I catch it? I knew very little. The poor little babies. :( Smiley (read this post about my work to find out who Smiley is) is one of the babies to have been confirmed. That poor thing can't catch a break.

I didn't find out that if adults get it it is usually very mild (even so much so that it goes unnoticed) until I got home. I felt bad though. I felt like I hadn't sanitized ENOUGH every day. I mean.. I did what I was supposed to (and told to) every day. I still went a little BLEACHCRAYCRAY though. I hope that my efforts can halt the spread at least.

Thankfully, the end of my week was less hectic and unusual.
Thank you so much for following along!

My Sweet Day Care Job

I'm currently a full-time student in college. I also have a part-time job working at a daycare. It is a rather expensive day care to take your children to. We cater to children from 4 weeks-10 years old.

Unfortunately, I can't show you any pictures of the building. Even the inside would be creepy and especially not the kids. I wish that I could. I wish we lived in a world and there was an internet that existed where I could.

So instead here are some pictures of ME when I was a wee wittle chil'

(My mother is 5 1/2 months pregnant with me. This was in February/March 1985)

I work short little shifts Mon-Fri.

I work primarily in the infant room! The best room ever.

A teacher can only be responsible for 4 babies at a time. If there are 5 there are two teachers. If there are 9 babies there are 3 teachers.

We currently have 9 babies enrolled. We'll call them:
La'biter
S'taker
Smiley
Scardy
Lil Pewp
Wittle
Le'twin
Stwin
Lonely
(a new baby who has yet to have a nickname will be starting soon because La'biter and S'taker are moving up to the 1 year old room in February)

(Awwww look at me! That's me as a baby.)

On a regular basis I have Scardy every single day until we close. The other three usually leave around an hour before we close. They are Smiley, Lil Pewp, and La'biter.

Maybe I should explain their names? La'biter likes to bite. S'taker likes to take other babies binks. Smiley smiles no matter WHAT. Even if she is in the middle of a cry and you look at her to see why she is crying. She'll start smiling. Scardy has a fear of strangers/anyone new. Lil Pewp constantly has blowouts*. Wittle is the youngest and is too small to even turn over. Le'twin and Stwin are twins. Lonely cries a lot because he is held constantly at home.

(The hair! That curl.. still happens if I try to get bangs. Cowlicks... ugh.)

Anyway I think Smiley and Scardy are my favorites. That doesn't mean that I give the babies any less attention. I just talk about them more while I'm out of work. Scardy is not 100% okay with me yet. I've had the job for two months now. She lets me hold her now and I can feed her but she doesn't like me to rock her to sleep. She FREAKS out if I try and change her diaper. I'm not sure why. I think she just hates it and the fact that it is me (the newer person) she freaks out every time. It is the saddest thing ever. Like I said earlier she is one of my favorites regardless. She isn't the cutest.. in fact (nothing against the hair cut) she has a little mullet. It is just an unusual baby hair cut.

Most of the babies are adopted (probably due to the high prices we attract wealthier couples and adoption is EXPENSIVE.)

The babies who are adopted:
S'taker
Scardy
Lil Pewp
Le'twin
Stwin


(Notice the curl... yeah. My mom wouldn't give up on the bangs idea.)

The adopting parents are my favorite. They are so much more caring and attentive than real parents. I'm SORRY. I don't mean to offend but it is true. Adopting parents come in on their lunch breaks to visit. Adopting parents ask 10,000 questions about their babies day. Adopting parents want to know about any accomplishments or failings. They are attentive and interested. The real parents of:
La'biter
Smiley
Wittle
Lonely

Come in grab their kid and leave. Every single one. For example.. Smiley's mom came in and picked her up signed her out and left without even putting a coat on her. Scardy's mom (one of them) came in and sat Scardy down. Put her coat and shoes one. She talked about her habits. I showed her a little game we were playing (knock over the rain stick) and that she seems to enjoy the songs "Twinkle Twinkle" and "I like to Eat Eat Eat" most...

Maybe I'm being judgmental but I ADORE these babies. If I had one of my own.. I'm not sure I where I would pull the strength from if I had to do daycare. Leaving them.... ugh. I know it is possible. I mean well all have to work!

(I love this picture... crazy '80's bedroom curls with my random pink hair clip and frills!)

So, I got this job on the referral of a friend who also works there. I got it thinking that it would be just an easy thing. I'm hooked. I got really sick for a week. I missed going to work. I frequently forget to clock in, I don't check my hours, and I don't know when I get paid. I'm NOT there for the money (well.. kind of. lol I do NOTICE the teeny bit extra but it isn't life or death need)

What am I going to do when I get out of school? What am I going to do if I have to quit because my schedule interferes?!?!? I'll die. I know I don't want to take care of the babies as a full time career for the rest of my life. I just can't. Min. wage... just wouldn't cut it for my future.

(I was in tap dancing! So much fun. I still remember some of the songs.)

There are parts of the job that I just can't stand too. La'biter hasn't been in for the passed week because of a horrible rash. The worst rash.. I've ever seen. It was dime sized open wounds. Horrifying. I just wanted to cry every time I had to change her diaper. Smiley right now has a really bad rash and it breaks my heart when that little smiling angel cries.

Not sure why I had to tell you all about my job but there will be update posts I'm sure in the future about frustrations or joys that come along with the position.

Thank you so much for following along!

*Blowouts: When they go potty in their diapers and it comes out and gets all over EVERYTHING. Their onesie, pants, top... etc. Even if they had just been changed. Lil Pewp has one EVERY DAY.