Thank you, YouTube

I think I’ve mentioned before that we don’t have cable.  Not that I’m against TV (I religiously keep up with Grey’s and Modern Family on hulu) or don’t let my kids watch it at all (Netflix + Word World = lifesaver!).  Mostly, I’m just too cheap to pay Charter their crazy monthly fees, and I got sick of having to fight my bill every single month.  Cancelling cable gave me back at least an hour a month that was longer spend arguing with someone who most certainly wasn’t on the same continent as me.

But I digress. 

Sometimes, we need just a few minutes of mindless distraction.  Not an entire show, but something to distract Austin or buy us a few minutes for whatever reason…and we’ve discovered the wonders and joys of YouTube.

KidsTV123 has great 2-3 minute videos on the ABC’s, Numbers, phonics, animals…

Austin is loving the chance to watch farm equipment in action.  Combine harvesters, forage harvesters, tractors…you name it, he’s completely glued to the screen.  His current favorite?

Obviously, our preschooler holds a higher standard of learning than his parents.  My current favorite?

And Lyndon’s?

I don’t get it either. 

Home is now my Happy Place

Imagine coming home to diner, homemade, piping hot, and ready to eat.  The house picked up, the kids tired from playing hard all day, but happy.  The cloth diapers in the wash.

Two days a week, that is now my reality. I am the luckiest woman alive.

We hired a nanny to come to the house two days a week, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Ever. 

Our previous routine was to schlog the kids off to daycare MWF, hauling them sleepy-eyed out of bed and cranky, and still in their jammies, into a cold car.  On T&Th, the same thing happened, but we split the kids up, taking Austin to preschool, where he would spend the entire day, and Wes to daycare.  The two places were about 20 minutes apart, meaning we both had to be on duty. Every day, come 5 p.m., we had to race out of work in order to pick the boys up by the 5:30 daycare close time.  The evenings were a mash of rushed dinners, tears, and frantic packing for the next day.  Austin was exhausted by his full days at preschool, where he didn’t really settle in or nap.  Wes was exhausted by being woke up so early – he would happily sleep till 8:30 or so if left to his own devices!

Lyndon and I were both at our breaking point, and decided we needed to make a change.

On the days we have the nanny, Austin now goes, for just a few hours, to the local school preschool.  Sure, it isn’t as fancy as the previous place we were hauling him to.  There is no toddler yoga or dehydrated veggies with humus for snacks. They eat goldfish, and probably drink juice that has *gasp* added sugar.  He doesn’t get to play the ukulele.  He loves it.  When I ask him why he likes it so much better, his response was “my other school was exhausting.” Can’t argue with that, buddy!

The other three days, they are at daycare.  But somehow, the early mornings aren’t so bad – it is only three days a week! 

Our only regret (interesting, the same regret I have about switching to cloth nappies) is that we didn’t make this change earlier.

Technorati Tags: nanny,daycare,life is so much better,changes worth making

Overheard

I was in the shower this morning.  More specifically, I was frantically scrubbing my hair while counting – I kid you not – as I was told I had exactly two minutes until Lyndon needed to be out the door…I was on “45” when the door opened and all three boys piled in – Lyndon to brush his teeth, and the boys to make certain the door stayed wide open are let out any buffer of warm air the shower had created in the room.  

I had instructed Lyndon to convince Austin that he would love his new school.  We’ve shifted – again – our daycare/preschool situation, and I spent the better part of the morning talking up the new joint.  He was understandably nervous, and really just wanted to stay home.  My efforts to convince him he would have fun were futile, and it was time for Daddy to step in. 

I was prepared for shady methods – promises of candy or extra TV time – but I’m fairly certain nothing would have prepared me for this:

Austin: “I don’t want to go to school!”

Daddy: “You have to go to school.  How else will you meet new friends and ever have a shot at getting laid?”

Needless to say, I didn’t make it out of the shower when my two minutes were up.  I was laughing too hard to wash soap out of my hair.

The Dark Side

Per usual, I was spoiled at Christmas.  When you grow up in a family where money really does grow on trees – Christmas Trees – December 25 was the time of plenty.  Santa didn’t hold back.  We existed on “Austerity Budget” for the other 11 months of the year, being forced to decide between “a drink or dessert” on the rare (2x/year?  Maybe?) occasion that we did go out to eat, and only getting to eat the coveted individually-wrapped string cheese when we were packing meals – individually wrapped items were a luxury reserved for travels outside the house.  But come Christmas morning, we were lavished with gifts, more than making up for the frugality of the rest of the year.

Of course, my parents have inadvertently created a Christmas monster, and now in adulthood none of us hold back.  ‘Tis the season! 

So I’m celebrating a rockin’ new fancy-schmancy camera that I have no idea how to use, but have resolved NEVER to use the “auto” setting, forcing myself to figure it out.  I have a lot of blurry Christmas shots, but a few gems:

We is a lot easier to photograph than Austin – he doesn’t move quite as fast.  Yet.

Now, if you think about it, a [toy] chainsaw is a much more functional/practical toy than a gun.  And at least he is wearing his goggles.  Safety first!

I consider this the greatest casualty of my stubborn decision not to ever use auto.  Imagine with me that this shot is clear, and adorable.  And, believe it or not, that is my mom with the boys. Not me.  Even I get confused.

As if the camera weren’t enough, we have officially crossed over to the dark side.  I now drive a mom van:

(not my photo)

It is sort of cool looking, right?  And, as predicted, I love it.  If I ignore what exactly the “it” is.  Functional and spacey…and who can argue with sliding doors when you have a tight garage?

You’re jealous, admit it…