I start my story at the beginning: becoming a mom and how I started my daycare life. It was 2007 when I found out I was pregnant with our oldest son, Max. It was not planned, totally unexpected, and at the worst time. Matt and I had just gotten engaged and I was on the brink of a wonderful career opportunity with the doctor's office I was working at. Like everything else in life, everything worked out, except one thing. I could never find that "perfect fit" for daycare. I went back to work part time, working hours that grandparents could help or that Matt was home to watch Max. It wasn't perfect and it really cut down on our family time. After I had Harrison (our second son and middle child), the realization came that I wasn't bringing home enough money to even afford a good daycare for two kids, so it was then that I opted for a total 180 career change and started my in home daycare business.
I started my new "job" March 1, 2009 with two cute girls who right away became my kid's best friends. I started slow, starting with two kids, adding one kid at a time. I can confidently say this was the best decision of my life! Not only did it provide financial security for our family but I get more out of everyday life than I could have ever hoped for. Children bring about a sense of wonder, keep me young (while at the same time giving me gray hair...go figure), teach me patience, force me to think outside the box, keep me busy, provide friendships and relationships for my kids, and gives me the opportunity to really think about the decisions I make and how I handle situations. Every day comes with new challenges, laughter, and sometimes tears. No, this "job" isn't all fun and wonderful. There are many days I don't even get the chance to sit down until after my kids are in bed for the night. Believe me, my long days takes its toll, but just when I'm ready to break, something wonderful happens with one of the kids and it's all worth it.