Miss Jennifer

Today is a bit of a sad day in our house.  The end of an era if you will…. you see, about four years ago C and I were looking for childcare for our chubby little 8 month old baby, and being a first time mom with a bad experience in a daycare center, I was feeling apprehensive.  We visited a few different home daycares, and I walked out of all of them with tears in my eyes.  We almost actually cancelled our appointment to see Miss Jennifer because we were so discouraged, but at the last minute decided to go.  From the moment we stepped foot into her home, I just knew that she was the right person.  Over the course of the last 4 years, she has become so much more than our child care provider.  She has become family, a confidant, a friend, and most importantly, a second mother to our children.

She has snuggled my babies since they were small, kissed their boo boos, dried their tears, encouraged their growth, and has had such an enormous part in shaping who they are today.  When she told me awhile ago that she was planning to go back to teaching in the fall, I wasn’t surprised…. it was something we always knew would happen eventually, and I was excited for the opportunity she was given.  But, I cried.  I cried big old sloppy tears because I knew that there would be a huge void in our lives that would be incredibly difficult to fill.

We’ve been so incredibly lucky (and spoiled) to have had this time with her, and I will forever be grateful for the role she has played not only for our children, but for me as well.  Though we never talked about it, Jennifer always gave us the opportunity to experience all the “firsts” with the boys.  I’ll never forget dropping them off one morning and beaming with pride telling her that P2 had finally started crawling the night before… and she responded with equal enthusiasm and excitement, but her eyes gave away that she may or may not have already seen him do that.  She never told me though if something happened there first, never took away from the important experiences and I can’t even put into words how much that has meant to me.

On our last day with you Jennifer, I want you to know that you have been such an incredible gift in our lives.  We wish you nothing but the best as you embark on this exciting next journey, but know that you will be so SO missed… and always loved by our little family.