You know what is the best feeling as a working Mom? Knowing your kids are in good hands while you’re making money to pay for their outrageously priced (but irresistable!) 4th of July skirts. FIFTEEN DOLLARS. That is what I paid for that SKIRT. The skirt ALONE. And that was on sale. It was regularly priced at like $30. Which, honestly? I would have paid that too because…are you kidding me? Red, white, and blue tutu? How could I resist? That’s why I work. So we can afford the periodic luxuries. Like patriotic tulle.
But…back to my point. My kids being in good hands while I work. I am so fortunate that I have found a great daycare for my kids. It’s not the most expensive in town (They actually just lowered their prices! Yay for us!) and it’s not the cheapest. But – we are so happy there it is ridiculous. Both of the kids have a great set of teachers who love caring for them and the facility itself makes a point to do organized activities like Weekly Water Day and Patriotic Parades. The word parade might be generous as the kids pretty much just walked across the basketball court wearing hand-crafted hats while their parents take pictures, but it’s so fun. And although NikkiZ looks pissed off in that photo, she was really just squinting in the sun looking for me as I screamed her name. Because I’m totally that Mom. What can I say?
Our parade was yesterday since the school is closed today and there were twice as many parents at this one than usual. I was happy to see that because part of what makes it fun is the parental audience. Since we all work (hence our kids being in daycare) it’s a tough crowd to lure in. Especially for a parade that lasts 10 minutes. I had to go since NikkiZ had been looking forward to this parade all week and asking me daily if I was going to be there. (AndyZ? Not so much.)
NikkiZ woke up before 5am yesterday ready to dress for the parade. (At which point I might have been cursing the parade. I’ll admit.) She kept telling me they had made hats but she couldn’t show them to me because it was a surprise. She proudly marched with her friends and stayed in line. How do they make her follow instructions like that? I feel like they have power over my kids that I do not share. They can get her to even eat vegetables sometimes. Even after she told them that I don’t want her eating vegetables. Only chicken nuggets. (I have mentioned she’s manipulative, right?)
My point? It’s hard to go to work and deal with the guilt of leaving your kids at daycare. But when you find yourself honestly thinking they’re probably better off…then that’s a good thing. I’m a lazy Mom. I would veg out in front of the TV too much and make too many trips to the McDonald’s drive-thru for lunch. I’m good at weekend activities, but for a whole week, I’d be useless. It feels good to know my kids are having as much fun (maybe even more) than they would be in my care.
And it gives me an excuse to buy ridiculously expensive and highly impractical clothing.
FYI: I bought the skirt at Gymboree. It was the first day I had ever shopped there because It’s a little pricey considering how rough my daughter is on her clothing. She’s quite destructive for a dainty thing. But the skirt? In the front of the store shouting my name as I walked by. So I went and grabbed it and then the store had it’s hold on me. 2 pairs of sunglasses, 1 pair of sparkly flip-flops, 3 hats and 4 hairbows later…we were done. That place is evil.
The tutu is adorable! Nikki wears it well, of course
Great find!! I love the tutu, I almost want one in my size.
That tutu is adorable.
If NikkiZ is rough on clothes, that is a call for Gymboree – I have had incredible luck with roughage and stainage. I purposely buy Arun’s shirts a little big now, knowing that I can get 2 (sometimes 3) seasons out of them. Also, Gymboree outlet clearances cannot be beat – last night, I was picking up shirts for $4. But again, the trick is clearance and stocking up for next season, which is how I do it now.
Oh. And don’t even get me started on the hair accessories. Gulp.
Gymboree totally rocks!!! Their clothes last! And if you get there for Gym Bucks, OMG!! You can earn tons of gym bucks, then go back and buy MORE when it’s time to redeem them. And they will CALL you so you won’t forget (you may have to ask to sign up on their list) – but what’s not good about someone calling to let you know about a sale???
And I LOVE that skirt!!
OH!!! Did you get the flower hair bows? The big jeweled flower? We have those…Pi LOVES them! And she doesn’t like to keep her hair up!
I LOVE that they include the little ones too! Look at Andy Z rolling in style!
That tutu is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Its actually the first piece of clothing that has actually made me want to get up and go buy it right now because my daughter must have it today! So cute.
You should check out Crazy8.com for NikkiZ. They’re owned by Gymboree, but they are WAY cheaper. They have stores too, and I love their stuff for Evi. That tutu is irresistible though, I would have paid that much for it too. I think I paid $12 for the onesie I got for Evi…..
As a fellow working mom, I agree wholeheartedly with your recent posts! I am a better mom because I work! Actually- I’m home for the summer (AHHH- teacher’s hours) and I still send my kids to camp a couple days a week. They LOVE thier school, friends, activities, and we all sleep better when they’ve been tired out by someone other than me!
And that tu-tu is dreamy! Totally!
how cute and hooray for awesome child care!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing this. It makes me feel better about working and daycare. (I had no idea what a guilt trip motherhood would be!) My son is only 10 weeks, and he’s currently at a woman’s home during the day. But, I plan to move him to a daycare with organized activities when he’s older. I’m with you; I’d never be able to stage activities such as these if I stayed home.
Cute photos!
Sounds like you do have a great daycare!
Oh my goodness gracious, I feel like Gymboree is like crack for a shopping addict mommy like myself. I hate them and love them both at the same time. I can’t afford their clothes at all. But they are too cute!! They just overwhelm me with the cuteness. And the accessories? Sometimes they are just too much.
I hadn’t seen that skirt, yet. It is to die for. Oh my goodness.
That skirt makes me want to be four again, because how fun is that?
My kids daycare does regular parades – they basically walk out the front door, circle the front sidewalk, and back in the front door. But so freaking cute.
Love the skirt! I will only step in the Gymboree Outlet stores…
Oh, and Ditto on what someone said about Crazy8.com. Cheaper line of Gymboree clothes and I get online coupons all the time. Very cute stuff – but the sizes run a little small.
Mine went to a church daycare that was fabulous. I never had a moment of worry. It was my daughter’s caregiver that finally got her on some kind of schedule (eat, sleep, play) when she first went to daycare. I was hopeless at it. And I let my kids go to daycare several days a week during summer, even though I teach and had summers off. It allowed them to continue seeing their friends and gave me a little break. Do they have daycare for teenagers?
how can i possibly enjoy my fourth of july without that tutu?
WHY DO LITTLE KIDS GET ALL THE CUTE STUFF?
I WANT A TUTU, TOO!
NikkiZ looks really great in that skirt. Totally worth the $15. AndyZ’s hat is very patriotic too, although he doesn’t look TOO excited to be wearing it. He’ll learn to love it.
Gymboree is evil. And it will become an addiction. The saving grace of having boys is that I feel that after a certain age their clothes are too cute for boys. But if I had a girl? I’d take a second mortgage on my house to clothe her there. The plus side? What others have said is true. Their clothes last. In fact, I always buy Gymboree jammies because a) they’re cute and b) jammies get a lot of wear and Gymboree ones hold up better than any brand. Also, around here there is actually a Gymboree second-hand market, which is how my friend funds her daughter’s wardrobe (sells the old to buy the new).
OhmygoshIcan’tbelieveIjustwroteawholecommentaboutGymboree.
OK. One more kids clothes comment.
I’ve noticed that AndyZ has been sportin’ some Target duds and that’s because Goose has the same stuff! (Shark swimsuit and USA t-shirt.) I love me some Target for boys stuff.
I got a taste of what she’s learning at daycare last week when we were outside the movie theater before seeing Up. She was getting antsy to get in and they had a fire drill in progress. So finally, I got tired of her tugging on my hand and told her, ‘hey, we can’t go in they’re having a fire drill’ and she chilled. on. the. spot. All of a sudden she was ‘with the program,’ ‘toeing the line.’ How do they do that? All of a sudden she understood!
Love the red, white, and blue tutu! sooo cute!
The kids are so adorable. I absolutely love all your photos and your blog. I’d have gotten out the old debit card and bought the skirt, too. Too cute.
Happy 4th!!!
LOVE the tutu!
We go to the same brand of school, but in CO. I saw two girls in that skirt at our parade. Seeing NikkiZ in it too made me think I had missed some sort of school newsletter about official skirts! Glad to know it came from Gymboree. And that place is evil. Sucks you in, spits you out $100 later.
Oh my lord, FuzzyHead would have died and gone to heaven is that skirt! Where did you get it? There is no end to what I would have paid for it.
That is an adorable tutu!! I totally would have bought it too!!!
It is great that you have found somewhere that you are happy with and comfortable with leaving your kids. I know some friends have a hard time with that….
We also have a wonderful daycare that does a much better job of entertaining my four year old than I could! I think he would go nuts staying home with boring old mommy everyday. He has never not wanted to go to school and that is a very comforting feeling, to know that they are excited about being there and getting lots of love there as well as at home.
Check out Etsy for more of those tutus!! There are several sellers who make the most gorgeous little girl tutus…some even sell matching wings! I haven’t gotten one for my little princess yet…but her birthday is coming up! =)