Friday Focus: Kanga

Around the start of 2009 I began looking for help.  Basically I had two reasons- a) it can get a little lonely only talking to toddlers all day and b) I was only getting infant calls.  I LOVE infants and love starting when they're so little and I can watch them grow up.  However, the type of license I have is weird- I can keep 10 kids all alone if they're over 18 months.  If I have more than two infants, the total I can keep drops to five, and that includes my two school age kids.  It makes no sense.  But with a second adult here, I could keep up to 12 of any age.  I thought about just switching license types, but my rep recommended I hire help instead.


It only makes sense to hire the most capable help you can find, right?  With no previous child care experience, she still became a pro wicked fast.  It's what makes her good at everything she tries- she gives it all she's got.  Love her.

I went to high school with Kanga, and so through Facebook I kept up with her pregnancy with Roo, her layoff from work, Roo's birth, and her subsequent job hunt.  It seemed to be a perfect match to have her come work with me- she got to be with Roo and oversee her therapy, I got some help so I could keep more babies, and we got to reconnect and have fun every day.  Then Tigger came along and we've all been a big happy family for almost four years.  I've loved it.



She loves it too.  And she humors my kids and lets them take her picture long after I'm saying, "stop that!  go away!  no more pictures!"

There are so many great things about this job.  One of the big downsides of being your own boss is the healthcare situation.  Obviously I can't offer it to Kanga.  Her needs have changed, and so today is her last day with me.  She's going back to the corporate world because she needs those benefits.  I'm happy for her because she gets them.  This will make her life easier and less stressful.  I'm sad because I'm losing my daily buddy.  I can do this job alone.  I did for four years before she came along, and it's still a fun gig.  But I will miss her and her babies so very much, and so will the other kids. I know Alice will be asking for her every day for weeks.

She's gotten to spend some awesome quality time with her kids in their formative years, and help shape many others too.  She's brought Thai culture and Songkran festivals into my house.  She cooks and cleans, she sings and dances.  We talk each other off the ledge and enjoy the good times.  Every Friday is a celebration of another great week.  She's become more important to me than I ever imagined when I said, "hey, why don't you bring your daughter and come work with me?"  Her kids call me auntie.

Eat some.  Quit making that face.  It's good, I promise.

And here we go.  It's time to take that ride.  What are you waiting for?

And now I'm very sad.  Good luck, my fabulous, awesome partner in crime and poop.  We will miss you lots, but I know you're going to kick butt and take names no matter where you go or what you do.

And just so you know- it'll be less acceptable to pass gas in the next job.  On the other hand, they're much less likely to call you out publicly if you do it.  I'm not sure if that's a plus or a minus.  Just some friendly advice so you're laughing at the end of the post.  :)  Love you, friend!!