Big Steps

So... not sure if I told anyone about this, but I've been thinking about going back to work. It was a lot more idle thinking than action for the longest time. But because Zoe is approaching the age where she would benefit from the socialization afforded by either a day care or preschool environment (i.e. she has reached the stage where spending all day with me is no longer the best possible environment for her), and because I fret that the longer I stay out the more irrelevant my prior experience and atrophied my working muscles would be, I've started spending more time examining the work I would like to do, the companies who are hiring, and the companies I would love to work for.

To make a long story short. I identified a company I think I would love to work for. I was admiring it from afar when lo and behold, they have an opening. It is an unpaid temporary position (pooey), but if I get to learn something (and I think there will be a lot to learn) and perhaps even make a great enough impression to be thought of first the next time they have a paid opening, why not? Dennis and I discussed it and we think we can manage the extra expense of child care for now. (So wonderful to have such a supportive husband). So I applied. Most incredibly, they called me back. For an interview.

Anyhow, as happy as I was about it, I saw that I would have to find Zoe a preschool or childcare center in short order. This time, I was not in too much of a panic about it as I already interviewed and visited a place I thought would be alright if it came down to it. But because I was not confident that that is the optimal place for Zoe in terms of the kind of stimulation she would get, plus I didn't like the 1 adult to 6 little toddlers ratio of the home (what if there is a fire? how would she get everyone out?), I spent Thursday night calling all the places I can find online and then planned to visit as many as I could on Friday.

I'll make the story short. I found the place where I can leave Zoe at and be confident that she would be well taken care of and be happy in. Many aspects of it won me over, beginning with the fact that it is Chinese run. They speak mainly Chinese to the children and so it would help Zoe learn Chinese. Then, even though it is situated in a house, it feels like a cozy little school. The owner dedicated the entire ground floor of the house to the children. The living room is the school room. The family living room is the play room. And there's lots of backyard space for the kids to play in. The walls are decorated with learning charts and posters. There's even an upright piano for the music time. The adult to toddler/preschooler ratio is about 1 to 3 (Aside fron the owner, there is an assistant, as well as the owner's mother and mother-in-law). She is licensed to take 12, but she has 9 at the moment. I also liked that the meals are prepared by the grandma and that whatever she was cooking smelled delicious when I was there. The vibe is right. I think happy is the word.

Most importantly, Zoe seemed to have liked the kids who were there too. Unlike the other places that I visited, Zoe responded to the kids at this place. I think Zoe liked especially that there is a cat and dog on the premise too. (Funny how things work. Normally, pets would be a negative to me because of possible allergens concern. But Zoe was so thrilled to see the cat, I forgave it almost immediately). It was so charming when all the kids ran to say hi to the little dog locked beyond the fence. By the time Zoe and I left in the afternoon, Zoe was calling this boy by his name (Sebastian) and the referring to the cat's name (Mimi) and saying byebye to "Zhu Zhu Ahyi." (Zhu Zhu is the name of the owner and Ah yi means auntie).

Ah, Zoe is exiting that part of childhood where her whole world is just mama and papa. And I am exiting - well hopefully exiting - that part of my life as a stay-at-home-mom. I pray that the transition would be smooth. We are so lucky to have had the time together. I'm so glad we didn't end up putting Zoe in child care at four or six months of age, that we had this time to bond, to spend together. There will be less and less of that in the future.