I am a daycare provider. I have a preschool setting in my home complete with circle time, art, music, free play and more. I started Peanut Gallery Daycare 11.5 years ago. Gaby was 3 at the time and Kadyn was 11 months old. We had bought our first house, my mom just has her stroke and was living with us, and I was failing at my current job as home visiter with KCSL. I couldn't keep up with working and taking care of my mom and her appointments. I have always worked in a daycare setting while I was in collage, however my major was in social work. I loved my job as a home visiter. Like really really loved it. I would visit "at risk" moms that just had babies and help connect them to resources they needed. I loved helping people. I loved helping their babies. I still do. I love people.
While I worked outside the home, my mom used to watch Gaby and Kadyn. No one cared for my babies like Grammy did. She was 49 years old when she had a stroke. Within a week, Dustin and I had to try to find childcare for two children. First of all, Grammy was free, coming up 250.00 a week for daycare was tough. Second of all, I couldn't find anyone that I was happy with. We went through two providers in three months. With my mom living with us, I lined up one child to watch at our home. I left my job to stay at home with my babies, take care of my mom, and to try to earn an income. What a leap of faith.
After having two not so great experiences with providers, I knew I wanted to provide the type of care that Dustin and I were searching for. Once I started, I filled up pretty quickly. It was a God thing. He knew our needs and were I needed to be. I never had to advertise. Within three months of leaving my job, I was full and once again doing what I loved. Daycare.
During the 11 years I have cared for a lot of kids. Not all have been perfect matches for me but overall I have worked with amazing families. My daycare kids are my family. I see their first milestones, I teach them songs, preschool concepts, how to be kind to others, and much more. It is a tough job at times. But the good days far out weigh the tough days. I have all ages ranging from 7mo - 5 years at one time. I love being their first teacher.
I also work at our church part time. Another job I love to do. I work alongside our nursery staff. Our church provides nursery care for a wide range of ministries. It is a great combination of working with adults that provide nursery care, and the families that use our nursery. I meet young families that are nervous about dropping their child off for the first time. I offer them compassion and a listening ear, as I have been there... a lot. This job ties in the "helping people" that I love, it's my passion. The nursery is also planting seeds at such a young age. Toddlers are learning God's word. The staff does an amazing job of using our curriculum to teach toddlers and preschoolers. God has placed this job on my heart lately. How I can lead better, support my staff better, and help families more? I am grateful for my part time job and the opportunities that come with it.
My third job is Young Living Essential Oils. Well, it was a habit that turned into a job. YL oils have literally changed my life. Three years ago I was introduced to Norwex, a healthy alternative way to clean your home. I received a free kit if I joined. Free product, ok. I ordered a couple of times and did a couple of home parties. During a Norwex open house, I asked a friend that was a Young Living distributor to come set up at the event. She talked about the oils and how we could use them with dryer balls. It totally peeked my interest. I had already stopped using harsh chemicals for cleaning but I was slowly learning how much yucky stuff was in medications, make up, face creams, shampoos, dryer sheets, laundry soap and more. In February 2015, I stopped "selling" Norwex, and I ordered my first YL starter kit. It came with (11) Young Living therapeutic grade oils, a diffuser, a roll one topper, and some samples. I didn't know much about them. My diffuser replaced my wax candles and wax bar plug in's. I used the oils because they smelled good. Then I did my research... these oils are amazing.
A little history... November of 2015, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He stopped coming by to see my mom once a week, had treatment/surgery without telling us, and he told my mom he wasn't in love with her anymore. He shut everyone out. This was a stressful time for my mom which led to a stressful time for me. That is when I started to feel anxious, depressed, and emotionally drained. At this point, my mom lived in an apartment complex on her own. (She lived with us for 10 years before moving out) From January-May 2016 my mom became a hot mess. She stopped taking her meds, she would forget to eat, she would get her day and nights mixed up, and started falling because she was so weak. In May of last year she was taken to the hospital twice due to falling. After being admitted, we found out her kidney's were failing. To this day she doesn't remember the month that led up to her being in the hospital for two weeks. The day of Gaby's 8th grade promotion, she moved to Rossville rehab center for 3 months where we thought she was going to live. My mom ended up moving to Kansas City to be in assisted living. She is still there currently.
Last year I was trying to be a good wife, mother, and daughter. I stopped talking to my dad, which wasn't hard since he hadn't called in months and my mom was no longer able to stay at her apartment. I was angry, upset, and anxious all the time. I wasn't sleeping. When I would sleep, I would have these crazy dreams about my parents. It was an intense feeling to feel so out of control, have so much guilt, and be so unbalanced but not know what to do or how to fix it. I couldn't even talk about it. I prayed. A lot. I couldn't afford therapy, and I was too embarrassed to see a doctor for depression medication.
At this point, I had been using oils for fevers, headaches, colds, PMS, and sour tummy stuff. I knew they worked for the "light" problems. I wasn't sure if I could be "fix" or not. I started researching some of my "symptoms". I started using YL oils to support sleeping. That was huge. I started to feel better because my brain was able to shut off and rest. I incorporated lemon, stress away, and Joy essential oils into my daily routine. I also made a roller ball blend to keep with me for when negative thoughts where coming over me. I finally started to feel like myself again. Through prayer and YL, I was able to get through some yucky situations.
I had enrolled a couple of gals under me because I was talking about YL. I shared samples, gave oils to friends, and kept learning how to use them. It wasn't til this past fall/winter I decided to build my oily business. If these oils can help change my life and my families, it can help anyone. Why should I keep them to myself. I need to SHARE. I also wanted to use my oil business to meet new people, build current relationships, and help people get yucky stuff out of their homes and daily routines.
YL is a true, pure essential oil. They are different because of their "seed to seal" promise. Learn more about it at www.seedtoseal.com. It is the only oil I can diffuse, ingest, or rub on my skin. It's safe for me, Dustin and our children of all ages.
All of my "jobs" have one thing in common... people. People are my passion. My love. My investment. From providing a safe place for my daycare kids to providing God's word to nursery kids to educating people about essential oils. People!
