The childcare crisis at home

Last night, just when everything was going so well in our lives, I got some crushing news. The woman who is looking after Melly has to go to Florida to look after her dying father. He has been given a prognosis of between three months and three years. And let me tell you how many ways this sucks. It's awful because he is dying. It's terrible because she doesn't want to go. It's crappy for Melly since they have bonded. And it's just about the end of the world for me and Mr. C as we are about to have a huge mortgage and our disposable income (how we were paying for childcare) is very small now.

And what are we going to do about it? Well last night I managed to completely fall apart. Crying and blubbering. And after a while I realized that no matter how much crying we did, that was not going to solve the problem. (Unfortunately once you start down the feeling sorry for yourself path it's hard to come back up and be rational) Then Mr. C and I brainstormed ideas of what to do. All of the places I looked at on the internet were over $1000 a month and had waiting lists. (Too much and we need someone in a month and a half.) Then we thought about all the people we know who don't work and we would trust with our baby. (Unfortunately, the list of that is extremely small, being only one person in the area: Polarmouse. Fortunately you are off the hook, keep reading.) Then I remembered the childcare switchboard which is located one cube over from me at work.

This morning, after setting my stuff down, I walked over to talk with them. Within twenty minutes I had a list of eleven people (well ten people if you don't count the woman who only speaks Spanish) who were all within two miles of our new house and whose rates we can probably afford and who have openings for a four month old baby. Now we need to talk with them, find out who we like best and figure out how we are going to find an extra 200 bucks a month to pay her.

Still in minor crisis mode, but no where near where I managed to get last night.