Mams & Gig

Weird Title, huh? You'll understand by the end.

So, childcare is something that I've worried about from the beginning. I mean, who doesn't?!? Daycare vs. home care, the cost, the philosophy, etc. So, I just prayed about it and I waited until I was 12 weeks along and then I went into action/plan mode. I wanted to figure it out and quickly. Here was my thing. My cousin, who is four, goes to the same daycare at a church that she has gone to since she was 8 weeks old. Her parents love it, they've never said anything bad about it, she's made friends, her parents have made friends, she goes to preschool there and she's even going to go to kindergarten there. So, I knew that if all else failed I had this place. For some reason, though, I have been hung up on trying to find someone that does child care in their home. I, myself, went to a ladies house. She was awesome. I idolized that woman. I just deep down wanted the same thing for our child. Plus, The OP had some bad day care experiences with D and C so he really wanted to avoid daycare if at all possible. Well, in home child care ladies are hard.to.find. around here. People covet them like gold and you rarely get a name out of anyone. So, basically I knew no one. So, I got on my state licensed provider site, wrote down names and addresses that were convenient to me and went on a mission to drive past everyone of their houses. I did it, but it turns out that I didn't need to. I also went to several other daycares just so that I could objectively weigh my options. I disliked the feel of them all. One place was $190 per week. I about had a heart attack. (I do know that this is normal in some places, but not my place)

So, anyway unknown to me my aunt tells me that one of my cousin's little best friends went to an in home lady before she went to the church day care and she will ask her mom about it. Well, her mom emails me and tells me about this too good to be true woman that keep 4 children at a time in her home, only keeps them until the age of 2 to 2 1/2, and is the wife of a minister. I about lost it for all of the hope that was brimming up in me. So, the mom called the lady for me and put in a good word, apparantly because when I called her to set up a meeting time she was the nicest lady ever and she was excited to hear from me. Shut up, just shut up. I just couldn't believe it.

So, I went to her house and I wish that I had taken someone with me so that someone else could have been witness to how fabulous this woman was. She's a dream that I hope doesn't end. So, we are going with her and of course, there are a few things that are drawbacks, but we decided that the good definitely outweighs the bad. The bad things are that she takes 3 to 4 weeks of vacation per year and we have to pay during two of those weeks, the price is $15 higher than the church daycare, and to reserve our spot we have to pay half the weekly price every week from the time the baby is born until the time the baby starts. You see, she actually has an opening in August, but because we were referred by a past client she's holding our spot until December/January. That's why we have to pay.

Her house is immaculate, each baby has their own room with their own pack n' play and sound machine to nap in, she has an 8' privacy fence around her yard which is equipped with many outdoor toddler toys, when they eat they all eat at the same time with no TV, she loves to read to the babies, her husband often comes home in the afternoons and plays the piano and sings with the babies, and the babies learn to call her Mams and her husband Gig. Mams & Gig. Here's to a fabulous relationship over the next 2 1/2 years. Cheers!