I heart Ruby

We took the kids out of the day home just over a month and a half ago and I am pretty sure that it was the best decision we have ever made.

I think I have told this story to anyone who will listen – but what the hell – one more time for the cheap seats in the back:
• We had been unhappy with the day home we were using for quite a while. 
• Max started telling us that the day home owner's son was bullying the heck out of him – to the point Max was peeing his pants (sorry Max)  and begging not to go to daycare. We did talk to the day home women about it - LOTS – and they “resolved” it by asking Max, in front of the bully, if he liked the bully.  When Max said yes – they looked at me like “Problem solved!”
• They started applying special rules to their kids – kind of like a Lord of the Flies scenario expect instead of except for Piggy dying and everyone getting rescued – all the kids who went to the day home got to sit and watch while the day home owner’s kids got treated like royalty. The day home owner’s kids had special toys only they could play with and they had special rules. The day home owner’s kids also got to go on all kinds of special outings while the day home kids got to stay at the day home. The owners were also really great in telling the day home kids about just what a special and fun day their kids would be having and really making sure to rub it in and point out that the rest of the kids did not get to go. Okay – so maybe that is nothing like Lord of the Flies – I haven’t read it in a long time.

So – unfortunately it ended up getting super ugly and the daycare people took a hard left from Sanity Street. They threatened to sue us for slander and told the other day home parents that we had accused them of physically abusing our kids (WTF?). They went one step further and asked all the other parents to be character witnesses for when we go to court. They also threw in that since Molly loved their dog we were wrong about everything and that as I had changed jobs a few times they should have seen this coming.

Seriously. That all happened. You can’t make this shit up.

Anyway – it was a messy and ugly thing but it totally restored my faith in karma because out of the whole thing we got Ruby. 

Ruby and the kids

Ruby has been a nanny for my friend for over a year, and my friend and her family really love Ruby. So when my friend saw what we were going through – she talked to Ruby and they asked if I wanted to have Ruby as a nanny as well.

We have been taking the kids to Ruby since the ugly break-up and Ruby is beyond fantastic with them. Since the kids have been staying with her and my friend’s two children – the changes in Max and Molly are almost unbelievable.

Molly at the zoo with Ruby and Max

Anders and I have both noticed how much the kids have seemed to develop right before our eyes. Their maturity is pulling ahead by leaps and bounds and both have had an explosion in their vocabulary. They are blossoming and growing every day. They are smiling again, and are eager and happy to start their days.

Ruby takes Max and Molly places, makes up songs and signs with them, does crafts and makes them feel loved and secure. She thinks of creative ways to engage them, and takes them on little daily adventures out in the woods, or to local parks. 

Max crashed out after another adventure with Ruby

Every night when we are getting the kids dressed for bed we ask them what the best part of their day was. A few nights again Molly told me that playing with Ruby was the best part of her day, and Max said that hugging Ruby was the best part of his.