Paul & Jenn's Adventures

Photo by: healingdream When it was time for me to go back to work, Micah was 4 months old and I wanted him to be safe and well cared for. After all, daycare is comforting since they are usually licensed, and many eyes are watching. But I didn't like the 4-1 baby to caretaker ratio that applies for all babies under 18 months old. Since I was going to work part-time, we decided that hiring a nanny was the best option for us. But how to find someone we trust? Having someone work in home can be a bit intimidating to say the least. Will she be honest and trustworthy? Will she treat my child like her own? Will she be experienced enough to make the right judgement calls? Fortunately, we had fantastic experiences with the nannies we've worked with. Here are the steps we took to identify and build relationships with our awesome nannies: Use a site like Sittercity or Care.com to browse nanny profiles. Sign up and contact nannies you are interested in, about 1 month before you ne...

Ever wish there were training classes on how to be parents? How about take classes, get a degree, and then getting to know everything there is to know on how to be perfect a parent? If only that were true... While no class can possibly prepare you for every situation, having some basic framework and skills sure help! Our good friends recommended some fantastic parenting material that's a joy to go through. We will share them here with you! Keep in mind, we are still working through these so we will be coming back with updates often. Also, we would be interested to hear about your reactions to the material and any recommendations you'd like to share. So please leave comments! The Village Church Parenting Class - The series is divided up to 6 one hour sections, and taught by Jeff and Jennifer Wilkin of The Village Church in Texas. The class is based on the Christian faith, but you don't have to be Christian to appreciate the learning points. Applicable to children ages 9...

Moms are no doubt amazing at taking on the main role of child-rearing in most families. Our bodies change to accommodate the growing child, produce milk after the child is born, and survive on minimal hours of sleep. And dads just donate the sperm and are done with it? However, after millions of years of evolution, dads are still around, and for good reasons beyond just the sperm. Let's give credit where credit is due. Ladies, remember these reasons next time the toilet seat is left up and appreciate all the things dads do that are often taken for granted! Mowing and watering the lawn, weed-wacking action, trimming bushes and any renegade plant-life in the yards. Squishing or evacuating spiders, ants, mosquitos, and any unwelcome guests Taking out the trash and compost material Doing odd jobs around the house like fixing a leaky faucet, painting a wall, or installing a 3-way light switch Playing with the baby so mom can take a nap or take a shower Fixing the computer when th...