I have real issues with waiting to do anything–including waiting until the weekend to talk about this topic, so I’m going to do it.  Here goes:

We took J out of the last daycare situation.  Not that the old daycare actually will know that until about 6:30 this morning, but we did it.  He’s been in the care of a neighbor who has a young son and used to work in a daycare center in town, and he really seems to like it.  So does she, as a matter of fact.  And when I said neighbor, you have to realize that although I’m talking neighbor in country terms, she’s less than a quarter mile away, so the amount of hours he’s spending in a car being exposed to questionable roads before sunrise have been decreased immensely–so much that it crosses my mind to not buckle him in the car seat.

I do buckle him in, mind you…but the thought has flitted through the empty space between my ears much like one of those cute little yellow butterflies that are attracted to animal feces.  Great picture, huh?  You’re welcome :)

His current sitter is taking us on as a temporary situation until the end of the school year and then he’ll be moving on up to the center in town that takes kids starting at 2.  I love that I’ve been up front with her about that and that she’s been truthful with me about not necessarily wanting to tie herself down with him for the rest of his natural life–the last sitter kept talking about the future with him and how rosy it would be.  It was always a bit awkward because I never intended to drive that far for the rest of his daycare years.  NO WAY.

And, I feel better about getting out of an environment where prejudice was so common.  She was of the type that thought all little children regardless of color were angels, but once they hit some magical non-little-child age, children of color became “those people.”  I hated giving her money knowing what I was supporting, and I have no idea when kids start picking up that crap.  I hope there’s been no damage done to this point.  Grr.

So, that’s it.  That’s what I think was causing the bottleneck.

It’s not fair that now that I’ve been back at school for only one day, and I’m already hopelessly behind on my Bloglines subscriptions. When I could read avidly, not many posts were made. Now that I can’t (because I’m monitored at work, so I avoid blogland completely), EVERYONE is posting.

It’s not fair that there’s so little light! Project365 is still on track, but taking shots at home is not nearly as fun without natural light.

It’s not fair that poor J cried for an hour when I left him at daycare until his playmate showed up. I almost cried myself when he gave me his best shattered look today as I walked out the door.

Notice how this all has to do with going back to work? Yeah, I’m a wimp. I can’t wait for the weekend, though :)

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By the way, speaking of work–if you’re looking for a unique valentine card, stop by Bohtieque, read how it works and then drop me an email. I’m scheduling for valentine designs right now, and I’ve got a small special going right now. Hey, I’ll even do this–let me know you came from this blog, and I’ll give you a better deal–$5 off the a custom design.

Finally, finally, finally. That essay about my experience with unregulated daycare is finished, and I have to say…it amazes me that my students are so awestruck when I tell them they have to write a 1,000 words per issue of the paper. Sure, I didn’t have to do research, but I sat down, watched TV, did a little blog surfing and typed a few words here and there and an hour later, I check and amazingly enough, I’d finished with a little over a thousand words.

Of course, for professional writers, that’s definitely something to sneeze at, but I’m pleased with my little effort. We’ll see if it actually does go anywhere. I was careful to not name any names and be pretty generous to the daycare providers mentioned, but I’ll probably be blacklisted from any daycares in the area and in trouble should I need new care.

Oh, well. I’m not terribly worried.

So, what else do you do to raise awareness? I’m going to talk with our county certifier again and see if he’d like some actual articles written that he could use, but I’d like to stay out of the letters to the editor section of the paper, since lately the prominent letter-writers in are famous for their pot-smoking and the big issue is Amish rights. I’m serious, by the way. Completely.

Whatever it is I do, I want it to make a difference locally. I’d love to see four or five more regulated providers available in a year or so.

 …after school today, I called the local social services office, the office that oversees daycare certification.  I told J’s peanuty-daycare story and then said…”I know what it’s like to have too many responsibilities and not enough time.  I’d like to help.  How can I help to get more people certified and licensed?”

And, amazingly, instead of complete silence as the certifier tried to figure out how to get me–the nutjob on the other end of the line–to go away, he accepted my offer.

I’m starting with a quick personal story about my experience with daycare that will be paired with an informational article that runs every few years to encourage parents to choose certified or licensed daycare.

Now, how do I make myself so interesting that everyone within two yards of a the local weekly newspaper is magically drawn to it, compelled to read my spectacular prose?

Yeah, a little hopeless.  I’m sure it will be too long and edited down to nothing.  I also am concerned with what I’m going to call DumbAss.  I don’t think that’ll fly.

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On another daycare note, the certifier is paying DumbAss a visit.  He was a little perturbed about what happened.  Like EVERYONE aside from DumbAss is.

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As of this p.m., we FINALLY have a birth certificate!  I know, to be PC, right now I’d mention how odd it seems to be listed as mom on his certificate, but no, it doesn’t seem odd.  Not that I wouldn’t like to see his birthmom on there somewhere, but being listed as mom is awfully right, somehow.

Remember, if you want to see the pic in full size, click on it :)