Another Sitter Rant

This will be my 3rd blog post whining about flaky babysitters. I just can't believe how hard it's been to find someone!

About a month ago, I went through Craigslist ads and responded to quite a few sitters who had included pictures of themselves, said they were experienced and CPR/first aid certified. One came to meet us and seemed great, but had to be reminded over and over to send me her references (none of whom called me back), and then she hasn't remembered to check her schedule and let me know if she's available on the nights I'd need her. She's in her early 20s and has a crappy mall job (I'd be paying her more per hour), so I don't know why she can't get it together.

A couple other sitters never replied to my emails, another who was supposed to meet us canceled at the last second, and others responded to one email but then fizzled after that.

I wonder if they just have really lousy work ethics? Is that why they can't keep another job and are posting on Craigslist looking for work?

Regardless, I find myself with at least 3 holiday events and no sitters at this point. I can ask my family, but I'd really prefer to pay someone to come to my house so I don't have to drive around and pick up a sleeping kid at 11 PM.

New Things

Felix's abilities to help and understand are really blossoming right now. He feeds the pets every night (I scoop it out, he pours) and can go through all the steps of putting a new garbage bag in the kitchen can and putting it back under the sink. He still loves to rotate the laundry and start the dryer, and loves closing the garage door when we get home. His chest really does puff a little when he's done with each task - he's so darn proud of himself! And I dream of the day that I don't have to do everything myself the second I walk in the door after work.

He also understood some instructions I totally wasn't expecting:
"Let's get a new shirt out of the dryer." (He got down from his chair and walked straight to the dryer.)
"Do you want milk? Get your cup out of the living room." (He waded through all his toys and returned a minute later with the exact cup he'd had earlier in the day.)
"Let's change your diaper first." (He left and came right back with a new diaper.)

He noticed me gathering stray dirty diapers and putting them in a plastic bag, and contributed a couple of dried out baby wipes. It was pretty cool he understood what we were throwing away, when a few months ago he would've been just as likely to hand me a block or shoe.

And our big win of the week has to do with the ride at the grocery store. He used to throw a fit when we walked by (on our way in AND out, even if he'd already ridden it), and when I let him ride it, he'd throw a fit when it was over. But this week when the ride stopped, he reached for the shopping cart and happily got back in! I couldn't believe it.

Extreme Makeover: Bathroom Edition

Before Felix was born, I refinished my bathroom counter tops. They were a hideous brown swirl pattern and the last thing that really gave away the age of my townhouse.

The process was fast and easy and the result looked great...for about a month. Then the stain-resistant guaranteed-not-to-yellow Polycrylic sealant picked up makeup stains and yellowed to a horrid urine color. Ugh. I emailed the company and got my $15 back, but what about all that work?

So this weekend I sanded off the nasty sealant layer, started to repaint the counter top, and decided to replace the large mirror and repaint the whole bathroom while I'm at it, considering I never did like the wall color I chose.

I've had a "how to" blog in draft mode for 19 months, so here are some pictures of the process.

Before

Brown swirl pattern.

Pretty proud of my caulk lines. Older laminate tops often start to separate at the seams, so paintable caulking helps them look new.

It took 4 coats of high-quality primer to cover the brown.

I taped off everything that wasn't counter and spray painted it with an off-white textured color by Rustoleum.

I'll have current before/afters soon, because I started this project knowing I'm hosting a holiday party in just under 3 weeks. I'm toilet training the cats downstairs (seriously) so guests will have to use the upstairs bath. I can tell the stress of transition has worn off because I'm back to projects!

Holiday Prep

Yesterday a friend shared a link to $5 potato head toys on Amazon. But they were only $5 if you bought a larger item, so I ended up buying a large item for Felix for Christmas. It wasn't exactly an impulse buy...I'd read reviews, thought about colors, compared prices and knew which features I wanted. I just hadn't planned on actually buying it any time soon. But consumer behavior is funny, and a $5 potato head pushed me over the edge. Amazon sure knows what it's doing.

I got all weirdly emotional and grateful when I was able to just add it to my cart and buy it. And now I can't wait for Christmas morning when he gets to see it! I didn't spend an insane amount, but it's definitely the most I've ever spent on a gift for him, or maybe anyone.

I also ordered our holiday cards yesterday
and hope they turn out as cute as they looked online. Groupon has a super $20 deal for Zazzle right now, so check it out if you want to order cards.

And, I may have found another evening and weekend sitter so I can enjoy a few holiday parties. She's really nice and down to earth, and has daycare experience. I just need to follow up with her references, then it's time to bust out the ugly sweaters.

Toddlerrific Tuesday

Felix was in one heck of a mood tonight. It started with not being able to wear Amaya's purple velvet boots home from daycare (she clung to the baby gate and sobbed while he tried to put them on), and the fussiness continued all the way home. Crying, frustrated outbursts, emphatic "NoooOOs" even when I hadn't asked a question, pointing and wanting things and never being satisfied.

At home, he refused to get into his high chair for dinner, then refused to let me take his shirt off. So he ate on his own terms and after a couple of bites, decided it was time to fling food and throw himself from his high chair. Exhausted, I looked at the clock at it was only 5:50. Ugh.

So I pulled out my mommy tricks - ibuprofen, fruit pouch, bath. Almost instantly he was calm and happy. He even offered me a "Cheers!" from the tub.

Nice save, mom!

He was really needy the rest of the evening, so I sat on the living room floor while he played with toys on my lap, and around 7:30 he went to bed without a peep. The books tell me being a toddler is exhausting, and I believe it.

Babble

I started keeping a list of Felix's words around 15 1/2 months, and he has lots. But I noticed a few weeks ago he doesn't use most of them very often. Instead, he's started speaking long "sentences" of total babble that don't have any identifiable words in them. He has different intonations when he's reading a book, upset about something, or asking me a question, so he clearly thinks he's communicating. It's pretty cute.

I posted a question in my online birth club and lots of other moms said they've noticed the same thing, so I'm not worried. He's also started signing "please", shaking his head no, and he figured out how to blow bubbles and roll his tongue, so those have to be good signs for speech development.

A few of the words he does use regularly are hi, bye, Jayda (dog), truck, dog, and as of yesterday, no. The dreaded no! He doesn't say his own name yet, but he pats his own belly and then points to it when I ask "Where is Felix?" He also recognizes himself in the month-by-month photo frame on his dresser and on my picture coffee cup. He gets a really sweet, huge grin when he looks at pictures of "baby Felix".

Practicing the tongue roll.

Endings and Beginnings (and Endings)

Last Friday afternoon I wrapped up at my old job, packed my car and drove straight to my new job. I surprised myself by getting a little emotional when I said goodbye, but I figure that's proof it was a great company and great group of people, and I wouldn't have left for just any old offer.

Things are going great at the new job. Lots to do, interesting stuff, fun people, and I have pretty much total autonomy (no 10-step process to fix a website typo). I'm excited to get through the little things and start thinking bigger picture by the beginning of next year.

Felix also started his new bilingual preschool Friday. Thankfully he was excited to go inside and play, so I didn't worry about him for one moment. I didn't get a lot of details when I picked him up because a Dia de los Muertos party was in full swing,  but one lady said he only slept for an hour during naptime and then woke everyone else up. Sounds about right! He is not used to napping on mats.

Firetruck!

The invoice I received for November was higher than I was expecting, but I chalked that up to an erroneous holiday charge and waited to hear back before paying it. Turns out, the pricing I had been planning on for the past 6 months was incorrect. Their website was out of date and wrong in two places, and the actual daily rate is significantly higher than I was expecting. Ugh! It's also more than double what I pay at his home daycare.

Technically I could afford to pay the higher rate for just one day per week (the initial plan), but transitioning him to full time would be out of the question. And I'm not sure it's worth it. His age group only has 2 1/2 structured hours, and the rest is free play, naps and meals like any other daycare. So, I've decided not to continue with the school at this time. Disappointed doesn't begin to describe how I feel! There are no other bilingual options in town, so I'm going to have to get serious about learning at home and with family.

Helping me sweep leaves off the balcony. He loves to participate.