foot-pots and pearl's house

today was a big day for me and noah, separately. it was noah's first day of childcare--meaning official, i'm-paying-someone-to-care-for-him style childcare. i've been thinking for a while about trying to organize a regular break for myself and playtime with other kids for noah. and then a few weeks ago we ran into our friends heather and joey, who have a two-year-old named pearl, and who are running a childcare at their house and had an opening on wednesday mornings.

so noah and i visited pearl's house on monday and he had a great time. they live a little bit out of town and have a great big yard, a garden, chickens, a sandbox, a little slide, little bikes, etc. the kids spend lots of time outside and help work in the garden and feed the chickens, which are both new activities for noah. and they do more messy projects than we usually do at home (like painting, play-doh, making mudpies, etc.), which is great. i feel really excited for noah to be exposed to difference, and to learn that the world is bigger than our little life. and to learn to play with other kids and to be okay with other grown-ups.

but i was still nervous and a little sad as i left him today and worried while i was out that heather would call and tell me noah was a wreck. not at all! he had a great time and was still quite content when i came to pick him up. he said "hi, mama!" but continued playing happily. what a surprise! i'm so glad to have found a safe, fun place for him to be for a little bit each week. he seems genuinely happy to go to pearl's house and is excited to do it again next week. who knew?

here is his first take-home art project, which he points to proudly on the fridge. note how it's labeled "noah b."--welcome to the world of not being an original!

i spent my few hours running errands, which was easier than it would have been with noah but still not all that fun. (next week i've decided i'll do something really relaxing.) my guilt at leaving noah led me to buy him a few special items, including a little watering can. he's been really into watering lately, although he likes to water the sidewalk just as much as the plants.

and i also got him his first pair of flip-flops, which he calls foot-pots. i recently broke out mine for the season and he was super intrigued. he tries to wear mine, but has a hard time walking in them. so when i saw these tiny ones today, i got them. and noah loved them! he put them on right away and didn't want to take them off for naptime. i love his chubby little feet!