Catching Up

Oh, how life has changed in just a couple of years.  Yes, I've been absent from my blog for quite some time.  So much has happened in that time.

My son, my oldest child, got married in June of 2013.  He married a wonderful woman who fits right into our family.  That was an adjustment for mom, here.  My baby got married.  As happy as I was for them, I spent the day after the wedding crying over photo albums of my baby boy.  Not a baby anymore - a man. A husband.  Okay.  Dried my tears and was three months into adjusting to my new normal of having a married son and......"we're expecting".  Yup, just about three weeks before their first wedding anniversary, my grandson was born.  And I melted.  

It is so true that you love your grandchild differently than your own child.  I think it's because the love feels deeper because we aren't so entrenched in the day to day worry of the care of the child.  And it is complete deja vu for me because my grandson looks *just like* my son.  In some ways I feel like I have my baby boy back.

Fast forward a year later.  I'd been working at a healthcare facility for a couple of years and had received two promotions.  I was working as a medical biller when, one Wednesday night, more changes were to come.  My grandson's day care provider made the decision to move away.  Like soon.  My son and his wife had just bought a house a few months before, and they both worked full-time.  What would they do?  Would I take care of the baby?  Could I take care of him? Please?! Of course! Yes! A thousand times, YES!

So......I quit my job.  Just like that.  I quit.  For the past 13 months I have been my grandson's day care provider Monday - Friday.  AND I LOVE IT!  It was an adjustment as far as mental stimulation.  Instead of having my mind busy with medical insurance billing and all of the duties I had as a full-time employee, I was spending my days on the floor reading books, playing with trains, and doing wooden puzzles with a toddler.

It was a big change.  A scary change (we are a one income family now).  I'm 23 years older than I was the last time I took care of a toddler.  I don't spring up from a sitting position like I used to.  I have to remember to bring my reading glasses for reading time.  And I think I take as many potty breaks as he does.

So that's what I'm doing now.  Playing.  Every day.  It's like recess for five hours a day.  

But that's not all.  I also started an online vintage shop.  If you click on the 'star' image that is titled EmmasHeritage, it will take you there.  I hope you like it.  

And I hope you like my new blog.  Thanks for catching up with me.