Oh, my Dears,What a week. Chris’ dad is down staying with us and I cannot wait to show you the amazing amount of work they’ve done to our wee house in four days. As I type, all the window trims on the first floor are getting a shiny new coat of paint. Plus, Ben has been in absolute heaven - this kid loves his grandparents.
Thank you, Bob! We love having you visit [and your cheap labor is great too! :)]
It’s also been a nice excuse to hang out with Megan and Eric. Now that summer is over, I feel like we’ll have the opportunity to settle back into our weekly dinner routine. That’s the hope, at least. Also, Eric just got back from a trip to Mongolia(!) and brought back a camel- and yak-hair vest. It is so freakin' cool. I’ll take a picture on of these days of our little yak herder sporting his fancy duds.
We’ve been enjoying these last few weeks of summer with some outings to a few local haunts. The kiddo is flying around; we have a tyke that refuses to be immobile. Unfortunately he is so eager to trot round the next corner that he often ends up bum over teakettle. Last week at Discovery park he managed to roll off a (small) bridge, wade through a patch of stinging nettles, and narrowly avoided an [unexpected] swim in Puget Sound.
Our plucky little guy is a solid mass of scrapes and bruises. He’s a trooper.
What else do we have to report ‘round here?
Not much.
Ben and I are resuming our once-a-week cooperative preschool. We are looking forward to meeting both moms and babies. I’m also doing a little open gym class with a friend - basically the kids run around and do their best to fall off of the play equipment. Well, perhaps that’s only Ben.
We are also in the hunt for a daycare, preschool or nanny-sharing arrangement. Just for a few hours a week (which is tough to find in our neck of the woods). I’m finding that as Ben becomes more adventuresome, high-engergy, and mobile, I am needing a few hours a week to myself. For my sanity. :) A bit of time to re-charge my batteries, run errands, and schedule appointments would be so greatly appreciated. This may or may not have coincided with his decision to drastically cut back on his nap times.
So we’ll see how that shakes out. Ben has spent a few days this last year at a local preschool as part of a back-up care arrangement through Chris’ work (when I was sick last year). I tentatively inquired as to how much it cost for two days a week at this same preschool.
Any guesses peeps? Answer at the bottom.
In news from around the blog-o-sphere:
I thought this was a really sweet tribute to a friend lost on 9/11.
How amazing is this story of survival? My father-in-law knows someone that managed to stay afloat by tucking himself into a giant portable cooler. Probably a miserable night but better than the alternative.
On a slightly lighter note:
How cool are these pools? Chris and I have been to one: The Devil’s pool at the edge of Victoria Falls in Africa and the other is on our life list: The Homestead resort in Utah.
How amazing is this dollhouse? Definitely not your ordinary plastic micro-abode.
Are you guys plotting out Halloween costumes yet? I like the fact that Ben doesn’t have much say in his final outfit yet, which mean that I have a free rein. We considered an owl and a balloon-guy, but eventually settled on something else. I’m crafting it in the basement as we speak. Sorry Peeps, it’ll have to wait until at least October before I let the cat out of the bag on that one. This baby costume from the movie Up is probably one of my very favorites!
xxoo,
Sonja
So, what was your childcare estimate?
At our local place it was slightly less than $1,000/month for two days a week.
Ouch-a-rama.
Kiddos are not exactly cheap, my dears! At least in Seattle.
