Happy Birthday Mom! You are 92 today!

Heading Back to the Coal Mine

 Tomorrow, I return to work after a seven-week hiatus. To say I have "mixed feelings" would be an understatement. On one hand, I’ve genuinely missed my staff. On the other hand, the thought of dealing with DHS again makes my inner voice scream "NO!" at a volume that is frankly unprofessional.

I have a mountain of work waiting for me, and I’m still undecided on whether I’m dreading it or looking forward to the distraction. I’ve only done the bare minimum while recovering from surgery—which is still an ongoing process, by the way—so the "to-do" list is intimidating. Naturally, I am currently managing that anxiety by procrastinating and writing this blog post instead.

I usually love to work, but I'm questioning if this is still the work I love. Running a daycare should be fun, but the bureaucracy is sucking the joy right out of the room.

However, my house is clean and the holiday chaos is packed away, so I have run out of valid excuses. It’s time to write a list and get moving. Hopefully, after a couple of weeks of catching up, I’ll have a clearer perspective on where I stand in the job market—or at least stop screaming internally.

Boys Take Over!

It was a takeover at my place tonight—Short boys edition! I swapped the girls for the boys and we went straight into party mode. First stop: the grocery store to raid the snack aisle and pick out a feast.

They battled it out on video games while I cooked, and then we all crashed for a movie. These kids are hilarious, full of energy, and absolute blasts to have around. I love it when they visit

Girl Time

Started the New Year right with some much-needed girl time! 💖 It was a blast hanging out with my grand-girls—I've missed them so much. We raided the snack cabinet, played some awesome new games, and got crafty making Valentine cards for friends and family. I'm also teaching them some classic games so the whole family can join in next time! They are growing up way too fast, so I'm soaking up every second of fun they'll give me. 🥰

A Cup of Joe that will Last All Day!

 If I warm up my coffee ONCE..... I warm it up 10 times before I drink it......  If I even drink it!  Dennis teases me when I have any procedure and can't drink anything before that I can still make coffee cause I never drink it anyway!  Today I took down my big Christmas tree that took me about 1.5 hours to do, and in that time I warmed it up 3 times and never took a drink! I even load it up with good stuff sometimes and take a drink... ONE... and then it's to the microwave over and over and over!

I will probably die of thirst with a cup of cold coffee in the next room!

My Sweet Belson Boy

Today, we said goodbye to our sweet boy, Belson.

He was nearly sixteen, and although his spirit remained gentle, his body was tired. Dementia had set in, along with blindness and deafness. After he fell into the pool a few months ago, worrying about him became a constant weight for Dennis—waking up afraid for his safety, wondering where he had wandered off to. In his final days, Belson couldn't find rest. He would pace in and out, hiding in my closet or under the bed. We couldn’t tell if he was lost in the confusion of his age or simply seeking a quiet place to be alone.

It feels like yesterday that he came into our lives. On June 14, 2010, I went to Walmart in Guymon looking for a birthday gift for Matthew, who was turning fifteen. I had no idea what to get him until I saw a lady with a cage of puppies. I fell in love with Belson instantly. Even though someone else was holding him, I knew he was meant to be ours. I told the lady I wanted him right then and there—I didn't even care what Dennis would say! My only regret is that I didn't bring his sister home, too.

When I got home, Matthew was still asleep. I placed this tiny, sniffing puppy in his bed. When Matthew woke up, I shouted, "Happy Birthday!"

He looked at the puppy and asked, "Is he mine???"

"Yes!!"

"Does Dad know??"

"NO!"

"Oh, snap!" Matthew laughed.

It took him two days to find the perfect name.

Belson was truly amazing. He was a little black and white puppy with a white tip on his tail—I used to spot that white tip bobbing over the shrubs in the yard. I remember when he was learning to use the doggy door; he’d sit right in the middle, refusing to let Alex, our other dog, pass through. And when he was finding his voice, he'd scare himself with a loud bark and run back to the house for safety.

He loved to bury himself in the middle of the bed for naps, and when the kids found him, they would shower him with love. He was incredibly fast, too. He loved fetch so much that once he knew where you were throwing the ball, he’d race to the spot before it even bounced.

He cherished a good stick. He’d growl possessively if you even looked at him while he chewed on one. I used to think it was funny to tease him, though Dennis always told me to let him be.

He was so smart. I could ask him, "Where's your ball?" and he’d bring it to me. If I asked where the other dog was, he’d go find them. He knew all the kids by name.

Baths, however, were his nemesis. I had to be sneaky. If I even whispered the word "bath," he would cower and slink out of the room. I always had to wash him first because if I bathed Toby first, Belson would vanish for a good thirty minutes!

Everyone loved our sweet Belly Boy—Matthew's friends, Tanner and Katie's college friends, everyone. He lived a beautiful, full life with the same family, meeting all the grandkids. In fact, one of Joanie's first words was "Belson/Toby."

I don't know if dogs go to heaven, but if they do, I hope he is with Alex right now, surrounded by love, a stick and a ball close by.

I loved that dog with all my heart. I will miss him dearly.

Best of the Best of 2025

 If I have to choose one thing... It would be Amelia!  Little Milsy girl and I are 60 years apart!  That is a strange thing for me.  She is my 13th grandbaby and so sweet and beautiful.

I still have my mom who 91.

I turned 60 this year!  That's a big number!  

Dennis turned 67 which is funny because the new thing kids say is SIX/SEVEN! lol

Dennis had a small surgery and I had a huge one.

We decided to sell our home and list in this coming April.  (I wonder if that will work out for us.)

My baby turned 30 this year!  That's crazy too!

2026 is coming ready or not, and I hope it comes with blessings and adventures!  

Don’t be average, be savage

All In A Day's Work

 

The Invisible Burden: The Reality of Running a Childcare Center

When parents drop their children off at daycare in the morning, they see bright classrooms, finger paintings drying on a line, and cheerful teachers ready to sing the morning welcome song. It looks peaceful. It looks fun. It looks like a place where the biggest problem is a spilled cup of juice.

But behind the office door, the owner or director of that center is often carrying a weight that few people see.

Running a childcare center is not just about playing with kids. It is a high-stakes balancing act of emotional labor, financial gymnastics, and relentless operational pressure. It is a job where you are responsible for the most precious thing in a parent's life, while often struggling to keep the lights on.

The Operational Treadmill

Imagine trying to run a business where regulations change frequently, the "customers" are toddlers with big feelings, and the staff turnover rate is notoriously high. Many days, it feels like no one wants to work in childcare anymore—qualified applicants are few and far between. Those who do apply are often hesitant when they learn what the job actually entails and what the pay will be.

The reality is, the pay for childcare staff is directly tied to what can be charged for tuition, and most families already struggle to afford care. If you raise tuition to attract and keep quality staff, you risk pricing out the very families you want to help. This leaves directors in a constant bind, trying to keep wages just high enough to fill shifts while keeping tuition as low as possible. Meanwhile, the pool of passionate, reliable workers continues to shrink.

On top of staffing woes, directors face a tidal wave of paperwork. Compliance is relentless—immunization records, fire safety logs, background checks, food program documentation, licensing renewals—every piece is critical, and one overlooked detail can bring severe consequences. The stress of a surprise licensing inspection can keep anyone up at night.

And once you manage to assemble a team, the next challenge comes from the floor: the children. Increasingly, directors and staff find themselves dealing with more and more challenging behaviors—outbursts, defiance, and struggles with basic social skills. Many of these challenges stem from changing parenting styles and a lack of boundaries at home, leaving staff to teach not just ABCs and 123s, but also basic respect, sharing, and self-regulation. It can feel like parents expect the center to correct issues that started long before a child arrived.

Picture this scenario: It’s 6:00 AM. The director's phone buzzes. The lead teacher in the infant room has the flu. Ten minutes later, the toddler teacher calls in with a flat tire. By 6:30 AM, the director isn’t preparing for a strategic planning meeting; they are frantically texting substitutes and calculating ratios. Often, they end up in the classroom themselves, changing diapers and soothing crying babies, while their actual work piles up on their desk untouched. All the while, they are expected to keep a positive environment, teach children amidst tantrums, and maintain full compliance with ever-changing regulations.

There is a common misconception that childcare owners are raking in money because tuition feels expensive to parents. The truth is much harsher.

Childcare is a labor-intensive industry with razor-thin margins. Unlike a software company that can scale easily, a daycare is limited by strict ratios. You cannot just add more kids to a class to increase revenue without hiring more staff, which immediately increases costs.

Owners constantly juggle:

• Rising Rent and Utilities: Keeping a large facility warm, safe, and up to code is expensive.
• Payroll: This is usually the biggest expense. Directors want to pay their staff what they are worth, but raising wages often means raising tuition, which prices out the families they serve.
• Supplies and Food: The cost of healthy snacks, art supplies, and endless cleaning products adds up quickly.

Many owners go months without paying themselves just to ensure their staff get checks on time. They max out credit cards to fix a broken HVAC system in the middle of winter because the children cannot be cold. They are passionate educators first, and business people second, often to the detriment of their own bank accounts.

The Emotional Toll

Perhaps the hardest part of the job is the emotional weight. A childcare director is the emotional anchor for an entire community.

They are the ones who have to sit down with parents and have difficult conversations about developmental delays or behavioral issues. They absorb the anxiety of first-time moms leaving their babies for the first time. They mediate conflicts between staff members who are exhausted and underpaid.

They also carry the fear. The fear of an accident on the playground. The fear of a severe allergic reaction. The fear of not being able to protect the children if something terrible happens. This hyper-vigilance never really turns off, even on weekends.

Consider Sarah, a director who spent her Tuesday comforting a teacher going through a divorce, handling a plumbing emergency in the preschool bathroom, and then meeting with a parent who was angry about a lost mitten. She did all of this with a smile, because the culture of the center starts with her. But when she got to her car at 6:30 PM, she sat in silence for twenty minutes before she had the energy to drive home to her own family.

A Call for Community Support

Childcare owners and directors are the backbone of our economy. Without them, parents cannot work. Without them, children miss out on crucial early learning opportunities. Yet, they remain some of the most undervalued professionals in our society.

We need to change how we view these community pillars.

How can you help?

• Offer Grace: If an email isn't answered immediately or a policy changes, remember the human behind the decision who is likely juggling ten other crises.
• Advocate: Support policies that provide funding for early childhood education, so staff can be paid well without bankrupting parents or owners.
• Say Thank You: A simple card or a word of appreciation to the director goes a long way. They often hear complaints loud and clear, but the praise is whispered.

Next time you drop your child off, take a moment to look past the finger paintings. Acknowledge the incredible effort it takes to create that safe, happy haven. The person running the show is likely tired and stressed, but they show up every day because they love your children. Let’s make sure they know we appreciate them, too.