What a Difference a Grandpa Makes

Today, I went straight home from work. Both girls were already home, courtesy of grandpa, who picked Ella up from school. Good thing, too, because with the rain we had today, it would have been 5:45 before I got both girls home had we still been doing the daycare/After Care combo. Why is it that people can't drive in the rain?

Sadie was smiling when I walked in the door. I asked her what she did today, and she gave me a sly smile and said, "I cried." She thinks she's very funny. Grandpa reported that Sadie did not shed a single tear the entire day. And boy could you tell the difference all evening long. She flittered here and there. She was happy and playful. She was Sadie again. At one point I said to her, "Look! You got the twinkle back in your eye!" And she looked back at me and said "Where?!"

Funny stuff.

Being with grandpa does Sadie a world of good. And maybe some day soon she'll get over the whole daycare trauma and stop insisting on shutting herself in the bathroom with me when I get ready in the morning (this is a new thing and definitely a byproduct of daycare). She is suddenly incredibly clingy with me. She has been waking up at 4:30 in the morning and asking if she can sleep on the couch with me. (I'm telling you, it only takes one sleepy time where you're not thinking straight to put ideas in their heads.) And she is also suddenly afraid to go to sleep at night. Since this started at the exact time as daycare, I am guessing the two are somehow linked. Hopefully I'll be able to take her back to the Y daycare some time soon. Otherwise, I don't know how Dean and I are going to make it through the winter.

For Ella's part, a whole new slew of kids from her class are now attending After Care. But Ella reports that she still prefers to come straight home after school.

Sweet, sweet relief. Two happy girls = one happy mom. And the more I think about it, the more I think that I did the right thing. Daycare was taking a toll on Sadie. Sure, we could have tried it longer. And maybe it would have clicked at some point. But I don't think the center was a good one. It seemed nice and new, but I didn't get a very loving or warm feeling from the teachers. Chalk it up to a lesson learned.