A very energetic and kind Dad spun kids on the tire swing tirelessly (no pun, really!). But not as tirelessly as Gina, who was on that swing for well over an hour, and who never got scared and cried out "stop!" as Gabriel did. Mean Mom Me, I hate standing at swings and pushing, so with some help from an energetic and kind grandma, Gabriel got pumping on a swing himself.
Katrina took her nap today with the big kids, on a mat on the floor! She did pretty well for a new experience like this. I'm glad, because when we move out for remodelling, I'm thinking that's when the crib goes. And when Julian gets a real bed and Katrina inherits Julian's tiny toddler bed.
Also, when we travel back East in July, I sure as heck won't be lugging a pack'n'play around, so it'll be good if she's already used to a mat on the floor. She's pretty -- dary I say this about her? -- agreeable about changes like this. As long as she has her Mimi!
Gabriel and I went to Whole Foods after the park, then after we got home and I unpacked groceries and had a long-overdue lunch, I lay down (I take every chance to rest my back) while he played happily with Legos, singing to himself. I felt so nice having so much downtime with him; interestingly, it seemed like far higher-quality downtime for me than if I'd been alone. I guess because I was really making good use of my day off from work today, just by being with and enjoying my firstborn son.
It turns out that Julian's school has a 4-day-a-week option. I'm starting to seriously consider it for Katrina too. The appeal of having them in the same place, and such a close same place, is very high. But even though I always get a slight "ew" feeling whenever I walk in and see the place, there are many things about it that mitigate my misgivings about daycare centers. It's small. There aren't a lot of kids. There isn't much turnover of caretakers -- some of them there remember Gabriel. The outside play area is ample and shaded, and the kids seem happy entertained, and well-cared for.
One of my problems with Gabriel's experience at a center (a much brighter cheerier one) when he was a baby was that I could never predict who would be taking care of him. The continuity of caretakers at any center can't match that of family daycare, but it's better at Julian's school than most. There's one lady in charge of the 18-month-olds (the youngest they take), and she's there every day, and all day, though of course she has help.
And, of course, it's close, inexpensive, available, they provide lunch, and Julian and Katrina would be together (though not in the same room) -- good for them, good for me. I'm rationalizing, of course; it will be very hard to get through toddlerhood without Tonya or Melissa.
But just the idea of having Katrina closer has put new spring in my step and made my whole work/commute situation seem much more manageable. I searched through the fog for a long time trying to figure out what had to change, and I'm almost certain now that the biggest problem is being too tired from getting up too early and trying to beat traffic. This whole past week, I've been deliberately getting up later (thanks to Katrina happily playing in the crib, or not waking up herself), spending time with her in the morning, and getting to work later. It makes an astounding difference in my attitude the whole day -- I'm so much more relaxed, I feel like a normal grownup, I'm more productive and in a better mood, and even look forward to getting home with everyone. Partly, Katrina has been easier to deal with when we get home, and the later sunlight goes a long way toward mood improvement. But mostly, I'm not hating life from being desperate for sleep all day long.
Aunt Laura's visiting this weekend -- I think I hear Dave's car pulling up now with our ultra-special arrivee! Yay!
4/18/08
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