In alignment

It's so refreshing to work with parents with whom I agree. Eli is in cloth diapers; he feeds himself; he has some awesome wooden toys. (And some plastic ones. I'm not some sort of purist.) I texted his parents a picture of him sitting on the ground at the tot lot, pinecones piled in his lap and sandy dirt on his legs. His mom's response was "Yay dirt!"

There are little things I'd do differently, of course, but they're minor. After working with Patrick and Lilly's mom until our differences were so exaggerated (I felt like she kept treating them like they were 2, even after their 4th birthday, most notably), being around Eli and his parents is a breath of fresh air.

I don't feel like I have to explain every action I take, or justify it. It's wonderful. It's just me and the baby, hanging out, buying bagels and sippin' along.

No kids today

I love just having Eli. He's so happy, I get along with his parents so well, and my stress level has decreased significantly, at least in regards to work.

V is starting in her classroom this week, which is exciting and overwhelming and unbelievable. It's crazy to watch the past two years come to fruition, as she anticipates twenty preschoolers running around the room that we've carefully set up. She's so ready, though; I worry a little that she'll get overwhelmed, but I know she's going to do amazingly.

Photography has (of course) fallen by the wayside, but hopefully it will resume in the next few months, or at least by next summer. I still dream of coordinating weddings, but have yet to put in the research to get that off the ground.

We bought an adorable used Honda Fit, the cutest little orange car ever, for her to take to work. While the school is only 4 or 5 miles away, doing that by bike or scooter all through the bitter winter would add stress that she doesn't need on top of handling her first classroom. And we're both in love with Clementine - which is what V named her before we even saw her.

Summer has been beautiful here, unseasonably cool, which I'll never complain about. Unfortunately, that makes this hot week feel even worse, but it shouldn't last too long. My allergies have started protesting something or another, and I've been suffering from a pretty bad headache since yesterday - which makes me thankful again that I don't have to worry about Mia. The money was good, but not worth it.

Today I have no children, and a long to-do list of phone calls and research and dishes and entertaining these damn cats (it's harder than it sounds). I miss weekends!

An ending

A week ago, I called Mia's mom, and told her I was putting in my notice. We weren't a good fit, as I explained; Mia wants someone to play with her at all times, and my specialty lies more in the keeping kids clothed and fed department.

Really, it was both her and her mom who were frustrating me. Additionally, I'd been incredibly stressed and depressed (off and on) since moving, and after giving up this job, it's disappeared: that led me to the realization that I started working with her only a few days after moving up, and that it was the job, not the move, that was causing me such problems.

Now, I'm working with Eli some more, and potentially looking for part-time employment in an office setting. And I feel better about everything. I'm so glad it's over.

A moment of negativity

My ten month old should not be able to play alone better than my four and a half year old.

I've been having some frustrations with Mia and her mom, compounded by the fact that she's out of camp and so I'm watching her more hours. Being me, what I want to do is shut down: shut down my emotions, shut down my involvement, close that door and not look back. Given that that's not fair to anyone, though, I'm waiting it out until we settle more into the preschool schedule.

I'm also trying to adapt to commuting by bicycle, with Mia pulled behind in a trailer. Thankfully the summer has been mild, but I'm not sure it's something I'm cut out for. I feel like a terrible city girl, a terrible green girl, and an all-around wasteful person, but I really just wish they had an extra car.

In short, Eli and I are best buddies for life. Mia and that whole situation makes me want to tear my hair out.