The Price of Childcare = My Sanity

Going back to school this semester has been so beneficial for me. I feel like an actual adult person, not just a robot used to clean up spilled cottage cheese and change smelly diapers. My classes were actually fun and really interesting. So I decided that I'll keep on keepin' on and sign up for fall semester too. The catch is that the only classes they are offering in the fall that fit with my major require a prerequisite that I haven't taken yet. Which means that I need to take this one class in the summer to make it possible for me to continue being an actual adult person :) The OTHER catch is that the summer class that I need is during the day. They're not offering any evening classes in the summer. So I had to figure out a place for my kids to chill for a couple of hours each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (Wow, this story is kind of long and boring. Props to you for getting this far!)

Researching childcare options is not only stressful, it's rediculously frightening and panic-inducing as well! Bonus! First I checked out the University's daycare option (normally for low-income parents, but not in the summer) and freaked out because it is such a hole in the wall that there is no way that I would allow my children to be in a building that old and decrepit for ANY amount of time.

Second I looked into KinderCare which is a professional facility that Myles actually attended when he was a wee one. Well, um, I'd basically have to be a doctor or something with a similar pay scale to afford the place. The cost PER HALF-DAY, PER CHILD is $35. That is a grand total of $210 per week or $840 a month. I mean, really, what do they do with all the money? I've seen the place and it's no Disneyland, which you could justify using as your daycare instead of this place, financially speaking. I was absolutely blown away. I'll tell you what...it makes me feel a bit more valuable as a stay-at-home madre. That's for darn sure.

So my right eye has been twitching non-stop for about 4 days. I'm not even kidding - ask Joe.

But, praise be to heaven, I was talking with Gracie's preschool teacher about needing childcare to fix my eye twitch when she said, very graciously, that she would be more than happy to watch my babies for me during the summer school hours. I cannot even tell you what a relief that is. She is fantastic. Awesome. Amazing. Perfect. Wonderful!!! It is such a blessing that she is just down the street and already knows and loves my Gracie. She has two kids, the same ages as Grace and Jane, so they'll be able to play together and have a whole bunch of fun. (sighhhhhhhh...........)

My eye stopped twitching, thank heavens.