These Are the Days

These are the days I hope I can cherish, and look back on as positives. These are the days that I LOVE, and the days that make me grateful for my husband and his encouragement to start this career.

My first daycare baby showed up this morning in need of snuggles. I was exhausted, so we were a perfect match. I laid on the couch with her and we snuggled up, cooing at each other and getting ready for the day.

Around 8, my next clients arrived (brothers W&W), and joined the mix. The boys ran downstairs with C to watch cartoons, but the littler of the brothers ran over, wrapped his arms around me and baby H, and whispered, "I WUV you, Miss Sa-wah!"

I reheated pancakes for the kids (I'm seriously glad that I'm smart enough to make a ginormous batch every few weeks and freeze them) and 2 more babies arrived around 9:15 with mama M and Grandpa in tow.

Around 9:30, the last baby of the day arrived, and we (gently) separated him from his mama (he's new, and the transition from being-with-mama-all-the-time-for-two-years to daycare-twice-a-week is a teensy bit rough on him) and headed to the park.

An hour and a half later, we headed home. I put lunch in the oven, and we spent another hour and a half on the porch playing. When the kids came inside for lunch (spaghetti squash with italian sausage, homemade spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, mozzarella, and parmesan), they were FILTHY. Filthy is good. I LOVE using an entire pack of wipes on the kids. It means they're being KIDS, and ensures that their immune systems are getting a workout.

Naps lasted almost 2.5 hours, across the board. My baby and my youngest daycare baby didn't nap. My exhausted self did not deal with that well, but I apologized to my baby for being cranky.

This afternoon was more outdoor time. Several hours in the yard, playing soccer and football.

Since today is Friday, it was Mommy Wine Night. We try and rotate, so someone brings the wine and someone else brings dinner for the kids.

I'm eternally grateful for my clients. M and L (mothers to P&R and W&W, respectively) have become my best friends. They've comforted me, praised me, and kept me in check. They're my first line of defense when I'm being a jerkface.They're also my loudest cheerleaders. Without them, E, and K...I would be lost here. Northern Virginia is a really hard place to live and raise a family if you're not used to competitive living. They keep me grounded and help me find the good. I'm so desperately grateful.