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whitewriterSo here we are and it's 2026.
It only took me 12 days to come and write.
In retrospective its exactly 1 month since my last post.
Once again, often I think to come here and somehow it becomes the last thing on the list of to do's. The least important, then it becomes overwhelming on the amount of things I'd like to say.. or how to organise which, and I probably will follow the same format as previous posts.
Childcare
So the Catholics moved in and changed management. They are very much playing the long game on $. They're down to about what I think is 8 or 9 children which makes it about 6 families who stayed. It used to be about 50 kids and 3 rooms and so due to the decreased number of kids - now 6-9 kids and 2 educators per shift - it's 1 room while the other 2 are being renovated.
Last week was the first week but because we changed days to Monday/Tuesday, and the first day back was Tuesday - we only had 1 day of childcare.
Pete had said he wanted to come with me on the first day but realistically he needn't had bothered. it was a whirl wind 5 min drop off where I was just relieved to have had the front door opened for me, and the old educator was there. And I had read the handbook properly the week before so had prepared hats and bottles for the kids as it was stated in there that we were supposed to (previously, it was supplied). The educator looked relieved when I presented her with bottles. I didn't even remember to sign the kids in because... i didn't see it- but it was a paper form for signing in. We were later than usual so they missed breakfast (poor dears) and I had no idea what they were going to eat that day. Or ... like. Anyways. and Pete was dreadfully late for his meeting because he had promised to come with me and he stuck with that.
But anyhow. So it was done and the 1st day was over. And then I realised - so Wendy is now the oldest in that center at almost 4 years old. And all her mates have left. And while, she plays well enough alone as she does with others or can do - that developmentally that's not what I envisioned for her preschool year.
Today (week 2 and technically day 2) I went in more or less on time because we drove. I have nightshift so there isn't a full rush but I still want them to eat over there rather than at home. Shock horror they had 3 different types of cerial options and I don't know if they're any healthier but there was no sultana bran! It was weetbix, cornflakes and cheerios. All junk in my opinion and at least weetbix is "Aussie" I suppose but anyways. They only get that at school and sometimes you just need something to look forward to. I hung around and talked to the educator more. She said the benefit of less children is there's no crying or arguing like before amongst the kids. It's just calm. And last year Wendy's room had a lot of boys, majority were male and maybe 3 or so girls so it was incredibly whirlwind of a place.
and I confirmed Wendy is the oldest of the day.
I went to visit my buddy Moe in the morning to drop something off to another buddy who lives further away (near SSH incidentally) because I forgot to bring her present to the lunch we had yesterday. -- and Moe was telling about the childcare on her street (which she is moving away from incidentally) and how she feels her kid is actually "learning something". It's a stem education center preschool. She was like me, attached to her old ladies center in Rhodes such that even though she moved to Lidcombe that she drove her kid over there each day for ages - until out of necessity she decided to just try the one down stairs from her building only to realise that a) the price is actually cheaper and b) shock horror - they're actually good. For an older child at least. And for her younger child the app is actually better. and now she doesn't have to drive all the way over to bloody Rhodes - since she works from home like what a dream. Childcare is literally 50 meters from the front door.
So she's got me thinking I should provided something similar for Wendy. Like - we're paying, that's fine but she's older now and going to school soon. And on Thursday and Friday at the public preschool I'm expecting a play based learning experience - which is fine, but its also free. I don't have to pay for it. and their playground looks rad. And one of Wendys actual friends is going so I'm fine with that. But for Monday and Tuesday, the days we are paying, maybe we should pay for something .... better for her. Something where she's more stimulated. I googled the center Moe pointed out thinking "how the hell would I make Homebush work" cause it's rather far and I couldn't ever rely on Pete to do that sort of drop off. To then find out they have just opened a brand new center in Redfern right opposite the train station, (which is theoretically on the way to Pete's work if we needed that) and after talking to someone on the phone they literally, just opened last week. They take babies also and have vacancies. Because lets be real, dropping off May may at a different childcare in a totally different area could be really hard. Although this may become a thing, when she goes to the new one I'm trying out for her (Stanmore kindy) but that is only 1 day a week and for her I booked Fridays.
The issue that makes finding a new childcare hard is also days.
I only need Monday/Tuesdays. Or I should think about putting her for Tuesday/Wednesday's because so many public holidays fall on Monday. Many places force you to choose either Monday or Friday however. but if say a center has like only Mondays available - but you already have Mondays... it can be a real pickle.
I am attached to the old childcare building, like Moe. But I should learn from her error... trying new places is not a bad thing and truely I do think somehow in such a short time Wendy has outgrown the place. May may not but she's just little. She's a funny thing. Very suspicious of new people. More so than Wendy I think. The new manager came in when I was chatting to the staff and she got all starry and stopped eating breakfast. Eyeing him over. When I came to pick them up last week she was fine, hanging out with him while he read her a book. I wonder if she remembers that.
So onwards we move. I love the old staff, probably a lot more than they love me. Work is work. Kids are kids, we all get replaced one day.
Random
I don't want to talk about work. There isn't much that is new going on there.
It only took me 12 days to come and write.
In retrospective its exactly 1 month since my last post.
Once again, often I think to come here and somehow it becomes the last thing on the list of to do's. The least important, then it becomes overwhelming on the amount of things I'd like to say.. or how to organise which, and I probably will follow the same format as previous posts.
Childcare
So the Catholics moved in and changed management. They are very much playing the long game on $. They're down to about what I think is 8 or 9 children which makes it about 6 families who stayed. It used to be about 50 kids and 3 rooms and so due to the decreased number of kids - now 6-9 kids and 2 educators per shift - it's 1 room while the other 2 are being renovated.
Last week was the first week but because we changed days to Monday/Tuesday, and the first day back was Tuesday - we only had 1 day of childcare.
Pete had said he wanted to come with me on the first day but realistically he needn't had bothered. it was a whirl wind 5 min drop off where I was just relieved to have had the front door opened for me, and the old educator was there. And I had read the handbook properly the week before so had prepared hats and bottles for the kids as it was stated in there that we were supposed to (previously, it was supplied). The educator looked relieved when I presented her with bottles. I didn't even remember to sign the kids in because... i didn't see it- but it was a paper form for signing in. We were later than usual so they missed breakfast (poor dears) and I had no idea what they were going to eat that day. Or ... like. Anyways. and Pete was dreadfully late for his meeting because he had promised to come with me and he stuck with that.
But anyhow. So it was done and the 1st day was over. And then I realised - so Wendy is now the oldest in that center at almost 4 years old. And all her mates have left. And while, she plays well enough alone as she does with others or can do - that developmentally that's not what I envisioned for her preschool year.
Today (week 2 and technically day 2) I went in more or less on time because we drove. I have nightshift so there isn't a full rush but I still want them to eat over there rather than at home. Shock horror they had 3 different types of cerial options and I don't know if they're any healthier but there was no sultana bran! It was weetbix, cornflakes and cheerios. All junk in my opinion and at least weetbix is "Aussie" I suppose but anyways. They only get that at school and sometimes you just need something to look forward to. I hung around and talked to the educator more. She said the benefit of less children is there's no crying or arguing like before amongst the kids. It's just calm. And last year Wendy's room had a lot of boys, majority were male and maybe 3 or so girls so it was incredibly whirlwind of a place.
and I confirmed Wendy is the oldest of the day.
I went to visit my buddy Moe in the morning to drop something off to another buddy who lives further away (near SSH incidentally) because I forgot to bring her present to the lunch we had yesterday. -- and Moe was telling about the childcare on her street (which she is moving away from incidentally) and how she feels her kid is actually "learning something". It's a stem education center preschool. She was like me, attached to her old ladies center in Rhodes such that even though she moved to Lidcombe that she drove her kid over there each day for ages - until out of necessity she decided to just try the one down stairs from her building only to realise that a) the price is actually cheaper and b) shock horror - they're actually good. For an older child at least. And for her younger child the app is actually better. and now she doesn't have to drive all the way over to bloody Rhodes - since she works from home like what a dream. Childcare is literally 50 meters from the front door.
So she's got me thinking I should provided something similar for Wendy. Like - we're paying, that's fine but she's older now and going to school soon. And on Thursday and Friday at the public preschool I'm expecting a play based learning experience - which is fine, but its also free. I don't have to pay for it. and their playground looks rad. And one of Wendys actual friends is going so I'm fine with that. But for Monday and Tuesday, the days we are paying, maybe we should pay for something .... better for her. Something where she's more stimulated. I googled the center Moe pointed out thinking "how the hell would I make Homebush work" cause it's rather far and I couldn't ever rely on Pete to do that sort of drop off. To then find out they have just opened a brand new center in Redfern right opposite the train station, (which is theoretically on the way to Pete's work if we needed that) and after talking to someone on the phone they literally, just opened last week. They take babies also and have vacancies. Because lets be real, dropping off May may at a different childcare in a totally different area could be really hard. Although this may become a thing, when she goes to the new one I'm trying out for her (Stanmore kindy) but that is only 1 day a week and for her I booked Fridays.
The issue that makes finding a new childcare hard is also days.
I only need Monday/Tuesdays. Or I should think about putting her for Tuesday/Wednesday's because so many public holidays fall on Monday. Many places force you to choose either Monday or Friday however. but if say a center has like only Mondays available - but you already have Mondays... it can be a real pickle.
I am attached to the old childcare building, like Moe. But I should learn from her error... trying new places is not a bad thing and truely I do think somehow in such a short time Wendy has outgrown the place. May may not but she's just little. She's a funny thing. Very suspicious of new people. More so than Wendy I think. The new manager came in when I was chatting to the staff and she got all starry and stopped eating breakfast. Eyeing him over. When I came to pick them up last week she was fine, hanging out with him while he read her a book. I wonder if she remembers that.
So onwards we move. I love the old staff, probably a lot more than they love me. Work is work. Kids are kids, we all get replaced one day.
Random
I don't want to talk about work. There isn't much that is new going on there.
