I firmly believe in avoiding guilt WRT things like this.

There is plenty of opportunity for guilt over pre-school choices, discipline choices, and all the other child rearing choices we make. You just do the best you can, and if later you find a better plan change your mind without guilt.

I'm trying to stress less about the boys. I may not be world's best mom, but I'm not so rotten that they'll end up being serial killers. The big problem is having adequate time to spend with them. I'm hiring several more people now to try and reduce our work burden.

I'll have to try it.

Do Plei. It always bugged me that all that milk was going to waste, or I'd have to try and exert lots of pressure on the unused breast to stop the gushing. Filling the bags worked out.

Question for the hivemind:

I've accepted, reluctantly, that if we're ever going to get our debt paid down and generally become responsible adult homeowner types, one of three things needs to happen, preferably by the end of the year: 1) DH gets a new job that pays substantially better; 2) I at least double and preferably triple my monthly freelance income; or 3) I go back to work, either in some kind of part-time work-from-home deal (preferred, but hard to find), or to a regular job.

None of this is urgent, must-fix-now, because we're treading water pretty ably. It's just that our present income doesn't allow us to actually pay down the credit cards as soon as we need to. #1 would be nice, but it's beyond my control. I intend to do my best to make #2 a reality, but I'm increasingly accepting that #3 may need to happen, at least until we've paid the debt down. But since it's not urgent, DH and I agreed (and he was the one who pushed for this, I was all in a panic that we had to have more money NOW) that I should be selective, and only apply for jobs that I was fairly confident wouldn't be soulsucking. Because if I end up soul-diminished and miserable, then I wouldn't have anything left for my novels (continuing to work on my novels, we both agreed, is a non-negotiable), nor for him, Annabel, or my friends.

All that long-winded wind-up is to say that I might find a new job in August, or in December, or not at all if #1 or #2 works out. And I was wondering how that works for daycare, since my understanding is that any day care that's fit to have has a long waiting list. What do people do in those situations? Is it possible to get daycare on short notice if I don't have family in the area that could fill in? Should I just assume I'll be able to figure something out for the short-term--pay one of my sahm friends, go in on a nanny-share, etc.--and not let that affect how I manage my possible job search?

I would be SO tempted to do this, but I don't have an eye-patch, or the time to make an appropriate one before the show tonight.

I think we need to find Jilli an eyepatch that's shaped like a bat. I will need to look around Salem and see if one exists.

Springtime in Utah is a bit schizoid.

My brain wants to read this to the tune of "Springtime for Hitler". It's not quite working.

I don't know how the daycare options are in your area Susan, but large companies sometimes have in house daycare. Nanny-sharing is a nice option. It's hard to plan this in advance. After you accept a position you could ask the employer if there is a nearby day care that is used by their employees.

I may not be world's best mom, but I'm not so rotten that they'll end up being serial killers.

At worst, they'll just duct tape people. No big. I've seen worse.

Susan, I would call around and tour some facilities and even put Annabel on a few waiting lists. Even if you don't use/need them, she has a potential place. Hell, I think Em's still on a couple, now that I think about it.

My heart broke a little this morning. Em pouted and then cried a little when I left her at school. Poor baby. :(

Didn't even relaize that was a serial. Heh.

The daycare I had the boys at had monitors in the office where you could go and see your child at play. MANY children sobbed until their parent was out of sight and by the time they got to the office they could see the child was over it and playing happily.

I don't even know where to begin evaluating daycare options. (Well, other than the obvious of talking to my local working mom friends, asking how they made their choices, and seeing if they'll give me ballpark cost figures.) I'm so not ready for this.

And on a more immediate note, Annabel's sore throat has turned into your basic cold, with coughing and sneezing. I'm not going to hurt her by taking her to Costco with me this afternoon, am I? I wouldn't take her anywhere where she'd be interacting with other children, but it won't hurt her just to go out and about with a cold any more than it does an adult at this point, does it?

My sister cried so hard my dad almost took her home (and she was 18! Har! Okay, kidding). I told my parents to go home and leave me alone.