The end of an era

Today marked the end of an era in my life.

Most of you are aware that I am an at home mom that provides childcare for other children in my home. This began out of neccesity when Thing Two had a rediculously sickly winter. I was missing more and more work and it just wasnt good for her to be around so many germs as you find in a daycare center. When I left the childcare center I had been working at,a child I had been caring for who was just as sickly came home with me to escape the centers germs. This arrangement was more than satisfactory for both parties as it allowed him to have one on one attention at a reasonable price, and it supplemented my income.

Today the little man graduated.He is 2 1/2 and its time to go to preschool. We packed up his trucks and blocks and sent them home with him. He wont be back again on monday.

This has been comming on for a long time, and in many ways,I am ready for it. He needs more active activities than I can provide with my attention spread between two additional babies. He needs other boys to carouse with, he needs kids who can defend themselves to his rambunctious wrestling.He needs to grow up.

But I'll tell you. I did shed more than a few tears this week as today drew near. I held him a little longer each morning and played our games with deliberate care. As if taking a mental picture of each moment.I watched him sleep and indulged him with treats. I memorized his little boy smell and the feel of his soft hair against my cheek.

The pain that I feel at his departure emphasised to me the value of good childcare. The loss of private situations is to the detrement of our kids. Dont get me wrong. There are great daycare centers out there. Fantastic ones full of caregivers that are wonderful, educated people.But, the attatchment that I feel to him, and the good that being in my home did him is why I will continue to do what I do.. giving one little person at a time a safe nurturing place to be until they are old enough to move on to preschool

This evening The Little Man's parents came to pick him up and I kissed his little face and told his mom not to be a stranger. As they drove away he leaned out of the car and blew me a kiss.. screaming LUB YOU MEE MEE.


lub you too Dalty Ray.