The end. For now.

So, remember when I talked about how Cooper is on a waiting list for daycare?  I have been waiting patiently to call and ask very nicely if they can possible give me some kind of tentative maybe possible date/month that he would get in.  It’s only been about 3-4 weeks, but I am impatient, we all know.  And, my dad has been asking :/

Then yesterday happened and I read KLaw’s post in which she was elated that her son finally got into their daycare of choice.  Almost a year and a half after he was put on the waiting list.  Immediately I thought “Yay!” Then, “Oh…shit…it can take over a year.  Must call daycare.” 

I know.  It can take over a year.  This is an obvious statement to anyone with a child.  WHY was I not thinking clearly about this?  I am fully aware of the ridiculous lists that daycares have and I know how hard it can be to get in.  I just was hoping for the best I guess.  I don’t know what I was doing.  Honestly, I don’t have half the brain that I had pre-Cooper.

Anyway, I called to ask if they could give me any kind of remotely approximate month that he would be able to get in.  I’m not asking for a specific date and time here.  It’s annoying that they won’t give me at least an idea.  She gives me the whole dance about how she really just can’t tell how long anyone will be on the wait list, blah, blah.  I mean, come on lady, I just want to know if it would be in the next couple of months.  Then she tells me there are 20 one year olds waiting on the class.  A class that holds like 10ish kids.  Yes, I knew the 20 kids thing, but for some unknown idiotic reason, I didn’t think it was 20 kids waiting on HIS class.  I thought overall, 20 kids.  I know, I am dumb.  FINALLY, that’s when I started to have a moment of clarity.  Then she tells me how they are going to have an expansion, and she would definitely be able to tell me more in JANUARY.  I think that’s when I blacked out.  January?  HOW could I have been thinking so stupidly?!  Duh!!  It’s not just some little list and he’s going to get in in September (when we were hoping for).  Clearly, we need to find something to do in the meantime.  I silently freaked out for the remainder of Wednesday afternoon, going over our limited options.

Basically we have two options.  Either put him on the other, shorter list for our 2^nd choice daycare.  Or, find someone to come to our house and watch him 3 days a week.  I (well, we) prefer the structure of an actual daycare, not to mention the possible risks and what-ifs and logistics of finding a person to come to our house and watch him. There are lots of unknowns there, even though I know it CAN work out great (I found a mutually awesome (meaning I was awesome and so was the family :) ) nanny job through the newspaper when I was in college), but I didn’t want to go through that process if I didn’t have to.

This morning I called 2^nd choice daycare, praying that no one else had been added to the list since we toured in July.  I cringed as I asked if she could possibly tell me what the chances are of getting him enrolled in September.  You know what?  Not only had no one been added to the list, but there was NOT a list!  She said she could enroll him over the phone!  For September!!  Yay!!! 

This is a huge weight lifted.  I’m not totally thrilled with having an interim daycare, since it’s just one more routine he will get in to only to have that disrupted as well, because we still ultimately want Cooper to go to the 1^st choice, and he is still on the list, but for now, this is what we have to do. 

And, let me say that this 2^nd daycare is very highly recommended (I’m surprised they have an opening) and we do love it.  To be completely honest, it’s only our 2^nd choice because it is about 30% more expensive than the 1^st choice, and we didn’t like it 30% more.

Once again, the chapter is only temporarily closed on daycare.  But at least now I won’t be constantly stressed out that we are wearing my dad out and overwhelmed with guilt that we are taking advantage of him.  I’m interested to see how Cooper does in daycare, with other kids.  He gets so excited to see other kids his age when we are out (it’s kind of embarrassing when he stares at them or goes up to strangers and pats them on the back, haha), so I think he will be excited about having friends to play with :)