Life is Better, again

Thanks, everybody, for the thoughts and well-wishes. It was a close shave, but I think I kept my sanity. Our daycare provider decided to get a job in a daycare center. And provided us with a three day notice. But, never fear, she had a plan. And when the plan fell through, I hit the panic button. My husband and I have spent the week watching the little guy, rather than working. I had vacation time, so it wasn't unpaid, but trying to find a good provider at a rate that we can afford is stressful. Do you know that around here centers charge anywhere from $160 to $190 a week to watch your kid? That's $640 to $760 a month. I really want a Mini Cooper. I could pay it off in two years for those kind of payments. Heck, I could do double mortgage payments for those kind of rates. My reaction when I found this out was hyperventalation. I found somebody in-home who is licensed, accredited, qualified to be a group home director, but doesn't want to open her own center. She has back-ups for her vacation days. She's been doing it for 16 years. When we went over to visit, one of her ex-daycare kids was over visiting. He was in the "13-14" age range. My four-year-old was with us, and while he won't be going there, he didn't want to leave. The little one who will be going there was grabbing the provider's hand and leading her around the house, just like he does to me. I probably should have asked for some additional references, but I trust my kids. And the person who recommended her. Now I just need to call the center we were going to go with and cancel, get my money back, fill-out the paper work and I have a place to take the little guy on Monday. Pre-natal classes should include stuff like finding daycare providers. Heck, marriage classes should include stuff like this. And someone should have slapped me along side the head when I said that I wanted six kids. I'm insane. I'm having problems coping with just two of them some days. But then they look at you and grin with pure joy. Just because you are sitting on the floor, playing trains with them. And your heart melts. And then my husband says, "Wouldn't one more be nice?"