My husband and I have lots to talk about over the next few weeks. With my pending layoff, decisions have to be made about our financial spending.
Two of the questions at hand directly involve my kids.
With mommy not working, I don’t need my daughter to be in daycare. But she’s entering kindergarten in the fall, and she’s gaining a lot from her preschool time now. I really don’t want to rip her out of her class and away from her friends and teacher. I feel there is great value to this time.
I’ve already made a mental committment to keep her in preschool. If we knock off the fees for early- and after-care (assuming I don’t land a job right away), that just leaves the monthly preschool fee.
That’s doable until summer.
The second question involves my son’s after-school care. He LOVES LOVES LOVES his after-school program. It’s what he looks forward to most. It is his down time. It is his play time.
But this is definitely something we won’t need after my job ends. And the expense isn’t cheap.
My husband and I will talk about it with the kids, they are 4 and 7, but I know they’ll be disappointed.
Since my job ends during their holiday break, perhaps that “routine” being changed anyway will ease the additional changes we make to it. But still, I can already hear the sadness in my son’s voice when I tell him he won’t be going to the after-care program.
And that breaks my heart.
 Archive for the 'Being a mom' TagMy layoff: Decisions to be madeNovember 19th, 2009, 2:07 pm by Michelle ReeseThank you, Santa ClausNovember 11th, 2009, 1:09 pm by Michelle Reese
Babies bounce to the Beyonce beatNovember 9th, 2009, 12:42 pm by Michelle Reese
It’s adorable and if you need a good chuckle - and who doesn’t now a days - check it out. I may have to put the video up on our TV and turn the video camera on my kids tonight. My layoff: Seasons come, seasons goNovember 3rd, 2009, 5:33 pm by Michelle ReeseAs a working mom, I’ve come full circle. When my son was born, I returned to work six weeks later, full time. Eight months later, I left to freelance. I became a part-time, working-at-home mom. I about pulled my hair out. I’ve never felt so stressed in my life. Before that year was over, I returned to work - one day in the office and one day at home. My son was in preschool. My daughter was in my belly. And so the cycle went after my daughter’s birth: I worked in the office a few days. I worked from home a few days. I eventually returned to full-time employment. And now, in a few months, the cycle will start again. As many of you have read here, the Tribune will close its doors Dec. 31. Many people have asked about my plans: I don’t know. But seasons come and go, and apparently this season in my life is coming to a close. I would like to devote more time to my son’s school, which doesn’t have classroom aides this year. I would like to write a children’s book. I plan to blog - I’ll let you know when I can where that blog will be found - because I am a writer. It’s who I am. It’s what I do. And I love it - whether or not anyone is reading. But for the next two months, I’ll continue to share my mommyhood with you. And I hope you find a little smile in reading it each day. The flu never looks the sameOctober 29th, 2009, 4:23 pm by Michelle ReeseWith the flu wrecking havoc across Valley hospitals and schools, it’s inevitable we will all know someone who gets sick. Count the Reese household as a likely candidate: We have two children in school. Two young children who put their hands in their mouths and noses and eyes and ears. Two children who love each other dearly, hug each other and everyone around them. Two children who are among the most likely to get the H1N1 virus. And with one at home with a fever yesterday, count us as likely victims of this bug, too. My son has been a solid rock health-wise since March when he got his tonsils out. But Wednesday he didn’t want breakfast. And when we got to school, he went and sat on the sidewalk instead of going to play. In class, he just put his head down on the desk. So after I took his sister to school Wednesday, I went back to his school, picked him up, took him home and put him in bed. He slept most of the day. His fever went up to 101 then back down to nothing all night. Then back up again this morning before I left him at home with daddy. I just called there, and my son is sleeping again. I’ve heard from different parents that their kids were sick for two days, then fine, then sick again. I’ve heard from others that kids are missing two days from school, but are then back to normal. I’ve heard from a preschool director that only 3 kindergartners showed today in her small class because the rest are out with flu-like symptoms. It’s taking all shapes and forms. There’s no magic formula this bug is following. My son may be fine tonight with no fever and ready to rock ‘n’ roll tomorrow. Or he may sleep again all day. I have no idea. But I’m heading home, armed with a family-friendly DVD for the night and plans to read books and to down fluids. Disney offers refunds for Baby Einstein flicksOctober 25th, 2009, 11:11 am by Michelle ReeseI ran across this story today while looking for news for another blog. Apparently Disney has agreed to refund $15.99 for each “Baby Einstein” video returned to it by consumers. Households can return up to four of these movies, without a receipt. Letting the kids run loose on vacationOctober 23rd, 2009, 4:35 pm by Michelle Reese
And I wasn’t within arms’ reach of them. In fact, there were a few times I couldn’t even see them. But their voices carried far and I knew they were just out the back door of the patio at the beach home we were visiting. They laughed. They screamed “AHHH! We’re getting soaked.” They chased down the tennis balls dogs dropped for them to throw. For the most part, I was up on the patio reading my book. But I didn’t have them in sight all the time. I ran inside to get water bottles and towels. I put the dishes in the dishwasher. I grabbed another soda from the refridgerator. “We want to go the beach!” they yelled after breakfast each morning. “So go!” I said, shuffling them out the door. There was really only one place to go - the sand and water right in front of us. And when the tide was high, I joined them in the water (years of visiting California beaches, I know what a strong current can do). I don’t know why I felt a little freer to let them go during our vacation than I would, say, in our own neighborhood. But I did. Sometimes at home I will let them run across the street to the park with friends. But I usually have an eye on them from the upstairs window and I don’t leave them alone for long - I’m there within a few minutes. So I surprised myself with my actions last week. From the porch I could see my son watch over his little sister. They knew exactly how far they were allowed to go into the water (”Don’t stand in water above your ankles. Make sure you can see the house.”) Mostly they chased the waves and let the waves chase them. It was nice to let them have that freedom. And it was nice to have that freedom for myself. Free stuff alertOctober 19th, 2009, 1:42 pm by Michelle ReeseI got an e-mail alerting me to a “free” DVD giveaway from Brainy Baby. It’s not entirely free - you have to pay shipping and handling that’s $6.95 - but still, with holidays around the corner, this may be a nice, inexpensive gift for a child in your life. Trip planning sometimes includes post-trip choresOctober 9th, 2009, 12:06 pm by Michelle Reese
Mommy’s backOctober 8th, 2009, 11:53 am by Michelle Reese
OK, so I didn’t have it planned out perfectly. My husband said our friends showed up and our children weren’t home yet from their grandparents. After a few phone calls, I was told, every one was home and the kids broke out the hundreds of Legos onto the loft/playroom floor. I missed them, absolutely. And it was a bit surreal to realize that for three days I didn’t have to cook, gather up backpacks, plan lunches or even pick up a single toy. And while it was work - a very good conference held by the Education Writers Association - it was also a break for me. I got up each morning with only myself to care for. I saw a cousin who lives in D.C. I even got to go see Smithsonian museums - the way only I would do it (quick tours in and out of a couple museums plus the National Archives). If I’d had kids with me, it would have been a much slower pace. But for me - it was perfect. The house is a wreck (four kids and a Lego playdate will do that). We ordered take out last night for dinner. And I probably won’t get laundry started until… well, I don’t know when it’s going to get done. But it’s very nice to be home. Still ringing in my ears is my daughter’s call of ”Mommy!” after she crawled in bed and found me there. And my son’s long embrace will keep me going throughout today I have no doubt. |
Santa has my thanks.
I just saw the Time.Com article on 
Last week, I let the kids run loose on the beach in Southern California. They ran to the sand, frolicked in the waves and talked to strangers.
Va-ca-tion!
I spent the last few days at a conference in Washington, D.C. Not only did I plan my trip, I confess I also put in place events for my husband and kids in my absence. Example: Sunday a good friend came over with his two kids for our weekly “football watching/playdate.” And with my husband coaching football, one night I arranged a babysitter and the other night his mom picked up the kids from school.