January 3, 2012 - Handing My Daughter Over to Strangers

The good news is - my hubby got a job in our new hometown. The bad news is - Georgia has to go back to daycare.

Today was D-day - that's daycare day in our home.

I guess we've been a little spoiled for almost the last year. If anything good came out of my being laid off, it's that Georgia has had a stay at home parent since February 9, 2011. First is was me, and then starting in July, it was my hubby. She has flourished having one of us home, but sadly, our bank account has not. So we are now a two-income household once again.

We prepped her for this day - we told her all about the new friends she would make, the teachers she would meet, the new toys she could explore, the playground she could play on - she seemed pretty ready and a little excited. That is, until about 30 minutes before she and I needed to walk out the door. I can honestly say I think I witnessed her worst toddler tantrum... yet! She would not even let me put her shoes on (I was lucky to have dressed her much earlier) and forget brushing her hair. I had to carry a squirming, SCREAMING and kicking child to my car and buckle her in. She then SCREAMED the entire way to the daycare. When she saw the building, the tears and screams subsided a bit and I finally got those shoes on.

And she let me take a picture:

(so much for those cute shots of her getting ready and walking to the car with her backpack that I had imagined)

So how did she do? When I left her - after prying her death-locked arms from around my neck - she was crying those big, heaving, ugly sobs while all the other kids started at her. But when my hubby picked her up just three short hours later (yes, she only goes three hours a day), he said she was playing with the other kids and appeared happy. Thank goodness.

Let's just see if we make it out the door tomorrow with shoes on.