I’m loving my Nook. I got my gift cards last Monday and had to drag Annika over there in the afternoon to pick it up. I’ve already a number of things ( the first Percy Jackson series, the new Charlaine Harris book – all of them quick reads anyway, plus Deaver’s latest Lincoln Rhyme novel) and I’m loving the screen and and the feel of reading with it. Some minor quibbles – mostly about how there isn’t a great way to organize books that you put on there via USB, but those probably will be fixed with upcoming software updates. I find that I’m even a quicker reader than I was before, since I dont have to flip the pages and lose the time it takes to readjust and reorient myself. I also do wish there were more font choices (there are three different fonts, with a number of different sizes), but again that’s relatively minor. Surprisingly, I’m not feeling the need to hack it like other folks have done.
Annika is sick (again), although she’s mostly a chipper little tyke. She’s not shy in letting you know how she feels, though. She’s getting close to crawling (she’s “scooting” a bit, with some use of her knees) and babbling up a storm.
At the beginning of the month we decided we had enough with day care and gave our 30 day notice. While I don’t necessarily expect the same level of attention that we would give her (sadly), it was clear to us that the caregivers were more interested in biding time and dealing with all the ones in their care rather than truly interacting with her. It was made worse when one of the caregivers we loved the most left, and there’s been a parade of people through there. Consistency is our one big bugaboo, and we weren’t getting it. Plus, she’s been getting sick a lot, and the day care facility has strict policies on sending children home at what are marginal signs of sickness. For example, if the kids snotty and coughy, that’s not grounds for sending them home – but two “loose” stools sends them home. Considering the variability in infant stools (esp. breast fed babies), I’ve already had to take three days off to take her when she’s been sent home. Plus a few other minor things – once she got sent home with a backwards diaper, for example – and we finally hit our limit.
So we quit with a view to find either a smaller at home day care, or – in a much more unlikely to find scenario – a part time nanny share arrangement in our immediate area. Our needs are a little unique, since we really don’t need a full time day care – with each of us working 4 day weeks that are staggered, we only need child care three days a week. I posted something on craigslist and started to send out feelers through our friends and acquaintances.But then I saw an ad on Craigslist from a family who had a nanny two days out of the week and needed to find somebody to take the other three days, otherwise their nanny would have to quit to find fuller employment.
It seemed a little too good to be true, but we interviewed her and she seems perfect. Her references are luminous. So she starts August 2nd! Obviously going this route is going to be more expensive, but if you factor in that she’s coming to our house, we don’t have to deal with packing up linens and bottles, and she won’t be exposed to random caregivers and other little Petri dishes, it seems to be worth it.