FINALLY: Daycare center for Mathias

We finally got Mathias admitted to a daycare center. This place is a daycare center and preschool combined. This is a very nice feature as we don´t have to transfer him to another place when he turns 3 years old. A private daycarer has taken care of him for about one year. She is extreemly good and has 22 years of experience - not old-fashioned at all. But even she suggests that Mathias would be better of in a daycare center with much more room, tons of toys and a lot other children around him. She has 4 children incl. mathias, and that is just not enough for him. Mathias needs more stimuly. There is only one child his age in her daycare. the other two are 9 months younger. He gets bored quickly when the other child his age isn´t around. he gets bored anyway, just not as much when she is around.

I got the "lovely" task - telling his daycarer the news, and I HATE IT, because I know how much she wants him to stay, and we really like this daycarer. The daycare center is going to cost more. But we have to do it for Mathias´s sake.

Today has been a rough day. Michael went to the mall with Sarah and got a flatscreen TV for her. I don´t like the idea of a 5 year-old having her own television set. Mathias and I took a walk up to the daycare center just to have a look at it from outside U(weekend: so closed). mathias liked it and tried to get through the door - obviously unsuccesfully. he got to see the entire playground too. the downside of this little walk wa that Mathias was too eager to go down for his nap. he has been awake all day and making a lot of trouble.

What is one to do?

Mathias our 21 month old son wants to play wild with his toy cars on the coffee table. He is not allowed to, but does it anyway with a big grin on his face. As soon as he gets his "no, put the car on the floor" he just hands it to one of us, gets another one and starts all over again with a big grin on his face.

A couple of weeks ago, Sarah and I went horseback riding, Michael was in Germany that weekend to play Magic. So aunt aggreed to watch Mathias for a couple of hours. When Sarah and I came to get him, he was busy putting toys on the table, and aunt was busy telling "no". Suddenly, he started removing ALL of her things from the table and put them on the floor saying "floor... floor....floor" after which he put all his toy cars up on the table......with a huge grin on his face.

For now, this is quite charming and smiling is really hard not to do. he knows exactly what buttons to push if he wants to annoy his sister too.

Anyway, right after horseback riding Sarah and I went home for a bath and change of clothes. We agreed to bring dinner, cola and a cake with us as we had plenty of food at home. We had a really nice time at aunt´s house