Reality

This is 'reality' in my little corner of the world:

 We (me and my little daycare family) have had an extreme case of cabin fever over the course of the past six+ months as we endured the longest winter I can remember (please ignore the fact that I tend to forget things-such-as-this, but trust me - it has been a very, very long winter).

We built snowmen when the weather was mild. We went for walks as long as sidewalk conditions allowed. We played in the front yard when the sidewalks and roads became impassable with the stroller. We did the best we could do with the weather conditions that we were given. We tried. We honestly tried to make the most of the endless snow, cold, ice and dreary winter conditions. 

It is April 20th and this is what our yard looks like this morning. I'm just plain tired of winter. So is the rest of the country ...

But this week was a banner week. I took my daycare family out for a walk five out of five days. Most days, we were outside twice throughout the day. The addition of fresh air and sunshine has been most welcome.

It was also a very quiet week. Quiet in daycare language translates into more-adult-intervention-required. When there are more kids, they make their own fun within a group. My job is to oversee and guide them but it isn't one-on-one labor intensive. I get to stand back and breathe a little. The fewer the children, the harder my job becomes.

So I took this chance to relook at strategies and I found a few work-arounds that I think will bring 'world peace' back into our home. Little things.

It was a week that started out challenging ... but got better each and every day. I write a daily blog for my parents so that they can check in and see/hear what our day looked and felt like. I try so hard to focus on the positive and try to include fun pictures, videos and cute things-kids-say ... but this endless winter has been tough. Reality has seeped into my daily daycare musings.

I was talking to one of my parents yesterday morning as I was commiserating about the little things that were bringing me down at that particular moment. I was having one of those days where I questioned my abilities as a daycare provider. When you don't get a lot of feedback in a job, you tend to start to take silence personally. One of my parents is particularly quiet...

Anyway, the mom I was talking to assured me that she was very happy in all regards. She said reading our blog is the highlight of her day. I lowered my head and shamefully admitted that 'it isn't all positive'. She replied that she wouldn't want it any other way. She feels like she knows exactly what is going on in her daughter's day when I write honestly.

With these assurances under my belt, I was armed and ready to take on the day. It was an easy/hard day. Because I only had one child to tend. One child = excessive one-on-one expectations. But we did good. We walked for hours. I let her watch an extra episode of 'Bubble Guppies'. We just went where ever the day took us.

The next thing you know, the day was done. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? The mom that I had spoken with in the morning came in the house bearing these:

                                                  

My reality is actually pretty wonderful. It may still be winter outside, but spring has sprung within my heart and home. And I am ready to take on the world (please world, do not take that statement too literally).