My little willful charmer

Hans has been off and so he has spent a little time with Leif at daycare lately. Yesterday he went and Leif was sleeping, so he hung out for a little while, waiting for me, and talking to the teachers. I will say it again, I ADORE Leif's daycare teachers, Miss Reca and Miss Alysha. They are superb and more than I could have ever asked for.

Miss Reca is a little tough, an older woman who was unable to have children of her own. She loves the infant room and has been there for almost 7 years now. She runs the place like a well oiled machine and no one crosses her. Miss Alysha is younger, quiet and friendly. The kids adore her. She has a great smile and calm demeanor. She works well with Miss Reca, and I get the impression not many people do as Miss Reca has high expectations and doesn't sugar coat anything.

I dreaded daycare with Leif, but it is a fact of life for our family. Daycare is part of such a heated debate. Should you stay at home, or go to work? Once that is surmounted then the decision, if one works, is in home or daycare facility. The message board debates get heated on all these fronts. Bottom line is that you have to do what is right for you. There are days when I wish I was a SAHM. Then there are days I can't drop Leif off fast enough. One thing I have never second guessed myself on is whether or not he was in the right place while I work. Miss Reca and Miss Alysha have made all the difference to our family. I go to work knowing that he is in their capable hands, allowing me to focus on what I need to do here.

Anyways, Miss Reca and Miss Alysha have obviously come to know Leif quite well. He adores them both as well. For those of you that know Leif, know what a personality he has. He smiles at most everyone and loves to flirt. When we go out to dinner, he is happy as long as everyone around us is paying attention to him. Go to a restaurant where people don't look at him and google at him and we are setting ourselves up for a meltdown.

Leif has a strong, yet happy personality. If I don't want him playing with my blowdryer in the morning and we go to a different room I can expect him to flail his body and cry and scream as though he were being injured. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are playing with him and he is having a great time, you will know it. He giggles, laughs, squeals. As much as it frightens me I think I have to admit that at this age, he is definitely of the expressive personality.

Miss Reca was talking to Hans yesterday and told him that we are going to have our hands full here soon. She called him a "willful charmer". Willful, he is most definitely. And charmer, most definitely. She asked who he got his personality from... alas, I think it has to be my mother in law. She is expressive, willful and can charm the pants off anyone.

Yes, I think we are going to have our hands full with Leif. So far his personality is vastly different from mine and anyone in my family, with the exception of my grandmother who is willful and expressive. The rest of us would just as soon fade into the background typically rather than take center stage. So there's Leif, my willful charmer, drama boy!