Mom came by yesterday after taking her FMLA paperwork downtown for approval. She said it was so easy. They approved her leave. She will be caring for the boys until mid-October. Just enough time for me to find another job or come up with some creative way for me to stay at home. By creative, I mean, make enough money for me to have a job at home.
 
I talked to a friend the other day. Her baby is 5 months old. She is in the same boat as I am, however, she has one crucial difference: her husband is willing to work at scaling back their finances so that she can stay at home. Granted, this is a temporary thing for them, she will have to make some money. But she is not in my situation, (I think), where she makes more than her husband.
 
It just plain sucks to be the "breadwinner" and the baby-maker in the family. We really can't do with out either of our incomes, but it would hurt a lot more if I quit work altogether.  If I had it to do over, I would have planned for leaving work a lot better by saving money, etc. 20/20 hindsight as it is, I remain optimistic that something that meets all of my goals exists in this world. And if it doesn't, then, damnit, I am smart enough to CREATE something that meets my goals.
 
Speaking of creating, my mind keeps going back to childcare - but not in the sense that I will be placing my children in childcare. I keep thinking there is a niche for some kind of childcare co-op for working parents.  Preliminary ideas have me wondering if some of the larger companies in town would allow employees to take a few days each month to work in a childcare center.  There will always be a need for childcare, and the need is for quality care. If I could somehow prove that a co-op daycare would improve productivity or some other key capitalistic concept, then I might be able to get companies to buy in. We could be located downtown, maybe even in some donated space.  There might even be some grant monies out there for innovative childcare programs. Who knows? My mind won't stop. And the plus for me would be that I could be there with my own children.
 
Yet again, I should be asleep, but I haven't read my blogs today (yesterday, I mean).