I have decided to close my home daycare. I have decided to take a position as a full time Lead Teacher at a local daycare center.
Recently, I was contacted regarding a full time teaching position via an ad I had posted. At first, I disregarded it completely. I wasn't looking for a new job. I was happy with my business. I had some really great kids and parents. I left the email in my inbox for the weekend, before mentioning it to my husband. He replied, "You should contact her. Maybe this is a sign." A sign of a door opening. A sign of a path to take to help us get to where we want to go. So, I responded and began an email conversation. The position turned out to fit EXACTLY into my experience, my favorite age-group, everything. So, I set up a meeting with her. We met, she described the position and we chatted. I loved her immediately. I liked the center and I felt at home there. She called me later that week and offered me the position.
It was a hard decision to make. There are myriad reasons why I am choosing this path. One includes a recent former daycare parent who chose to take our 2 1/2 year relationship and completely disrespect it, my daycare, the other children and parents, my home, my husband, and me. It's hard to know you put your entire self into a relationship, care for a child and her family and at the end of the day, it means nothing if you aren't able to give a yes to EVERY single request they make no matter if it's appropriate, small or large.
There are some other considerations that have gone into this decision...not the least of which is that
*I will go from working 55-65 hours per week to a 40 hour work week.
*My pay will be consistent. It's not determined by how many kids I do or do not have enrolled. I won't have to worry about having enough kids enrolled or having a restructuring year again. I will be able to rely on my pay and be able to look forward to the future with some financial confidence.
*I will have to someone to go to and ask for help with a problematic behavior problem or disrespectful parent.
The dissolution of my business is hard to think about. I have very mixed emotions regarding all aspects. Telling the parents, saying good-bye to the children, having a commute and having to dress a certain way for work, dealing with a co-worker (who I don't know...will we get along?), these are all on the "cons" side of the list. I think this will take some time to get used to...but I am hopeful for the future!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Weekend Planning
I went to bed last night determined to sleep in late and do nothing today. This past week I have had a really hard time sleeping. I'd wake up at 4 AM and it was like my body REFUSED to go back to sleep. This resulted, of course in extremely tired days after and early an early bed time...only to wake again at 4 AM. Luckily by the end of the week I was able to sleep normally although I was still feeling more tired than usual.
So, I went to bed last night fully determined to sleep in late and do nothing!
But, oh no, not today! 6:45 AM they were quite insistent to go out for their morning constitutional! UGH!
I created a list of what I would like to get done this weekend and that list includes:
Have a great weekend y'all!!
So, I went to bed last night fully determined to sleep in late and do nothing!
My dogs, on the other hand, had other plans. I had given my hubby strict instructions to not wake me as he went to work this morning, but I guess I forgot to mention to him that it would be his responsibility to let the dogs out and feed them before he left. On typical mornings I do this whenever I get up for the day, and usually on the weekends, the dogs will be kind and let me sleep in until 8 or so.
But, oh no, not today! 6:45 AM they were quite insistent to go out for their morning constitutional! UGH!
Well, so ok, no sleeping in for me. I did get to enjoy my luxury of relaxing in bed with my cuppa joe and watch the weekend news. The longer I sat, the more I felt anxious to get up and DO something. *SIGH* I guess it's a good thing to feel motivated.
I created a list of what I would like to get done this weekend and that list includes:
- Clean litter box (not just scoop...but really clean it)
- Clean laundry room
- Vacuum living room, bar/dining room & stairs
- Vacuum kitchen, daycare, hallway & master bathroom
- Mop kitchen, hallway, bath, laundry room, living room & bar/dining room
- Wash sheets, daycare laundry, towels & take personal laundry to laundry room to sort
- Empty dehumidifiers (2 downstairs)
- Vacuum breezeway & wash dog bed covers
- Clean out Jeep & vacuum back
- Drive to Mom's and get table & chairs
- Put table & chairs together
- Go for a 4-6 mile run
- Clean upstairs & downstairs bath
- Make menu for coming week(s)
- Grocery shop for needed items
- Trip to Michael's or AC Moore for craft supplies (stay tuned for that project)
- Trip to Home Depot to get a new seal for downstairs shower drain (that might be another post) & price out plywood/mdf for DIY shelves for laundry room & office (also might be another post -- if they ever get done!)
So I think that is all on the list. I will try to update Monday morning with a re-cap and a "Did I do it" list.
Have a great weekend y'all!!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
On the road to baby H...update
It's been quite awhile since I've updated about our TTC. I was getting pretty discouraged and in trying to maintain my composure, it seemed too difficult to really talk about it.
As an update, I'll condense the past few weeks into this post and try to keep it short.
June 21, we went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. I chose a clinic about 1 1/2 hours away from us. They have an AMAZING reputation, put an emphasis on patient care and education and really their statistics are a huge selling point. One of their best attributes is that they offer financing and discount options as well as a "Shared Risk" program for IVF. Basically, if you need IVF and qualify, you are guaranteed one of two options: 1) you take home a baby or 2) after 6 fresh IVF cycles and no success (ie a baby to take home) you get your money back. No catches. Anyway, I went into the visit with the RE armed with copies of my gyno history as well as Dh's SA results and some questions. I handed over my packet of copies and answered the doc's initial questions. You know the normal patient history questions. Then while he was looking at my printed history, I outlined our TTC journey. Almost immediately, the doc noticed DH's SA results and stopped me to ask about them. Then he went on to say that although we were told that Dh's numbers were "fine," a "little low, but fine" they really aren't.
That SA was done back in October. We've been marching along trying on our own with the assumption that things looked ok on my end and things were "fine" on Dh's end. I was a tad PO'd. Granted Dr. M is NOT a fertility specialist, but he's done enough preliminary fertility workups with patients to know what are and are not good SA results. Needless to say, the SA was to be repeated.
The Doc went on to explain that based on my history, our answers to his questions and Dh's SA, that he would most likely be recommending IVF for us. Of course we need to pass pre-screening and he wanted Dh to see a urologist and to repeat the SA, but that with the numbers we are showing, IUI wouldn't work and he didn't want to waste our time or money traveling any further down a dead-end road.
July 13, we went back down for pre-screening tests. Specifically, CD3 bloodwork and ultrasound for me, and Dh's SA. While we were down there we both had blood drawn for infectious disease panels (specifically Hep B, Hep C, HIV and for me a CBC panel and something else I can't remember at the moment.)
Next week, I return for a Mock Embryo Transfer and to meet with the IVF coordinator to go over our bloodwork, SA and MET, as well as talk about next steps.
To be honest, I am not completely sure how I feel about it. I'm not emotional about it. I didn't cry, I'm not bemoaning the fact that we may need IVF, I'm not even overly numb about it.
On one hand, I am excited to have a path to travel. On the other, it now becomes a financial discussion.
Dh is with me on this "not sure how we feel" boat. On one hand he is upset because he now feels that it's "his fault" we haven't been successful, but on the other he's glad to maybe have a diagnosis. He feels that a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" is unacceptable and would not be comfortable moving forward with IVF unless there is a definitive reason to.
So, one more test for me and a conversation next week and I'll have more of an answer as to what we're thinking about doing.
As an update, I'll condense the past few weeks into this post and try to keep it short.
June 21, we went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. I chose a clinic about 1 1/2 hours away from us. They have an AMAZING reputation, put an emphasis on patient care and education and really their statistics are a huge selling point. One of their best attributes is that they offer financing and discount options as well as a "Shared Risk" program for IVF. Basically, if you need IVF and qualify, you are guaranteed one of two options: 1) you take home a baby or 2) after 6 fresh IVF cycles and no success (ie a baby to take home) you get your money back. No catches. Anyway, I went into the visit with the RE armed with copies of my gyno history as well as Dh's SA results and some questions. I handed over my packet of copies and answered the doc's initial questions. You know the normal patient history questions. Then while he was looking at my printed history, I outlined our TTC journey. Almost immediately, the doc noticed DH's SA results and stopped me to ask about them. Then he went on to say that although we were told that Dh's numbers were "fine," a "little low, but fine" they really aren't.
That SA was done back in October. We've been marching along trying on our own with the assumption that things looked ok on my end and things were "fine" on Dh's end. I was a tad PO'd. Granted Dr. M is NOT a fertility specialist, but he's done enough preliminary fertility workups with patients to know what are and are not good SA results. Needless to say, the SA was to be repeated.
The Doc went on to explain that based on my history, our answers to his questions and Dh's SA, that he would most likely be recommending IVF for us. Of course we need to pass pre-screening and he wanted Dh to see a urologist and to repeat the SA, but that with the numbers we are showing, IUI wouldn't work and he didn't want to waste our time or money traveling any further down a dead-end road.
July 13, we went back down for pre-screening tests. Specifically, CD3 bloodwork and ultrasound for me, and Dh's SA. While we were down there we both had blood drawn for infectious disease panels (specifically Hep B, Hep C, HIV and for me a CBC panel and something else I can't remember at the moment.)
Next week, I return for a Mock Embryo Transfer and to meet with the IVF coordinator to go over our bloodwork, SA and MET, as well as talk about next steps.
To be honest, I am not completely sure how I feel about it. I'm not emotional about it. I didn't cry, I'm not bemoaning the fact that we may need IVF, I'm not even overly numb about it.
On one hand, I am excited to have a path to travel. On the other, it now becomes a financial discussion.
Dh is with me on this "not sure how we feel" boat. On one hand he is upset because he now feels that it's "his fault" we haven't been successful, but on the other he's glad to maybe have a diagnosis. He feels that a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" is unacceptable and would not be comfortable moving forward with IVF unless there is a definitive reason to.
So, one more test for me and a conversation next week and I'll have more of an answer as to what we're thinking about doing.
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