Daycare

So Tuesday was a milestone for us: Kiki's first day at daycare.

I was nervous. I must have repacked her diaper bag like 15 times. I had it all done finally before I went to bed, and of course checked and repacked it again six times in the morning.

There was no reason for me to be nervous. A good friend of mine has re-opened her inhouse daycare. I know her; I know her kids. She's watched Kiki numerous times before, and even had her overnight.

But I don't know. This is daycare a whole new word in our world over here. Plus Kiki has not been greatl socalized. She tends to get slightly aggressive, and she has a temper, and she bites and hits and pinches and scratches and pokes eyes.

And she's far too attached to her mommy.

I thought I would feel guiltier than I do about this daycare thing. I mean I'm home all day; yes, working, but here. I can do both! Why not?

The reality is that Kiki plays alone most of the day, or watches tv alone. She doesn't get any interaction with people outside me and Kipp on the 3 days a week he has off and the older siblings the four days a month we see them and the occasional stranger in a store who coos at her.

I don't work with her during the day like I need to. She doesn't know how to color. She doesn't point at things in a book except randomly. She still doesn't do puzzles well. The only thing she's excelling at is using utensils to eat and that's because three times a day, I'm right there teaching her.

So honestly, I truly feel guilty that I haven't given her what she truly needs, and honestly? That would be -- someone else in some other place with other kids and a routine of educational exercises. Because clearly, I am not that person with those attributes.

And it gives me free days to work, which makes me productive, which makes my boss and pocketbook happy.

Anyway, enough of my self-pity. Back to the point!!

She did GREAT! She didn't cry, not even once, and she played with the other kids very well, and made herself happily at home over there. She even took her nap like a good little girl.


Heather has an entire schedule set up each day, complete with planned times for craft time, outdoor time, reading time, alphabet and numbers. It's awesome! And also? She sends me pics of Kiki being happy. (By the way, this is not the first or only evidence I have that Kiki is going to be a professional drummer when she grows up. In a girl band of course that will be wildly popular and she will be an icon and I will be on every tour with her to make sure those groupies keep their dirty distance from her with their drugs and booze and wild parties and such.)

(Or a tap dancer.)

And when she came home, she was so calm and sweet and I just stayed glued to her side until it was bedtime (well, I had to step away to make her dinner.) We sat together on the couch and watched some shows, and every so often, she'd look over at me, and lean over to hug me. Awwwwww!!!

She even followed Sugar around, and instead of pulling on her ears or tail, she thew her arms around Sugar's neck and hugged her over and over and over again.


However, despite her sudden affectionate nature, she still insists on holding her doll baby thusly as she watches Moose A. Moose dance and sing.

So it's official. Daycare is good. Kiki is thriving.

Now if only her mama would just let her go and take her to daycare two days a week like she's supposed to.