The day I have been anxiously awaiting is just around the corner....the last massive daycare check!! While many Moms will be shedding tears on the first day of Kindergarten, I will be playing the Hallelujah chorus as my twin boys take their first step onto the bus!!!!
Between my daughter and the boys, we have written a check every Monday for the past 8 years that makes me vomit in my mouth just a little bit and even more so in the last 5 years with the twins going to daycare! I can't bring myself to do the math and figure out what I have spent in total on daycare, I honestly think I would vomit for real (I'm ready to lobby for a portion of the school to be named after my family with the funds we've provided!).
Before I go any further, I would like to put forth a disclaimer....I don't regret being a working Mom (most days), I love this day school and I am grateful that I am able to afford the quality care that my children have received for the past 8 years. My kids have been happy there, they made great friends along the way and the education they have received exceeds my expectations. This in itself is worth it's weight in gold.
But back to my original point. I only have ONE more large check left which has made me start to daydream about things that could possibly be put back into our budget due to the increased cash flow. If you have ever paid for daycare, I know you've had the same thoughts of the things you could buy with that money!!! Of course, my fantasy budget would include a housekeeper, monthly massage, interior decorator......but here are my top 5
realistic items:
1) Return to Starbucks
I don't even mean a daily trip to get a Grande Non-Fat Vanilla Soy Latte Extra Foam (I said I had extra cash, not extra time!!). I just mean buying the Starbucks ground coffee for my Cuisinart!! We've been using the store brand coffee, which is fine....but I long for the first sip of my Pike's Place or Sumatra blend that kick starts my day in away that the store brand coffee could only hope to!
2) 50 Strands of Grey Be Gone!
Maybe it's the daycare checks or surviving the first 5 years of twin boys...whatever it is, my hair is going grey but I only have the budget for 2 salon visits a year or color from a box. I tried to color from a box and I ended up with black hair that made me look like an anemic Elvira. I dream often of the days that I used to have standing 6 week (not 6 month!) appointments at my Aveda salon where my stylist, Andre would give me a glass of wine and a hot towel on my neck that was scented in lavender....honestly, I just want to look in the mirror and NOT stare at my increasing streaks of grey and feeling like I am letting myself go.
3) Mr Sandman....Bring Me Some Sleep!
No shocker here but I'm sleep deprived and since I can't buy MORE sleep, I want a better sleep!! I remember first being married and
feeling like our Queen bed was
ginormous...but over the course of our
parenting years, growing children start making that feel quite small!! I've been dreaming of a getting a King size bed so we have a larger space on those nights of little ones not feeling well, having bad dreams, etc. While I'm at it - let's add in a fabulous mattress - the one where I don't feel my husband's every twitch and move all night long which often results in me laying awake going over the endless to-do lists in my head!
4) Dear Target Cardigan...It's Not You, It's Me.
I love Target
- I love the convenience, I love my Cartwheel App and I have had a steady love affair with their clothes for 8 years because that is what I could afford (especially since most never made it longer than one season due to spaghetti sauce fingerprints, spit up, mashed peas...). But, I'm longing to return to my old loves - Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, NY & Co.... To those Pinterest outfits that I've been pinning to my "style board" for two years...I'm ready for you!! Maybe I could treat myself to a new pair of heels or cute boots while we are at it!!!
5) Sayonara Swagger Wagon!
Last, but not least....the minivan. She has been a real trooper these past 5 years and those automatic doors were a lifesaver when I was carting two baby carriers back in '09. But.....I never EVER wanted to drive a mini van - is there really anyone who does?! But now that the boys can buckle themselves in and my oldest doesn't need a car seat anymore, it is feasible to consider a 3 row SUV. The lack of daycare checks also makes it feasible to take on a car payment again! I'm also thinking heated seats, leather interior and car starter... :o)
Alright....the reality is that we will likely increase our college fund contributions for the kids and our 401K contributions for ourselves. We will increase our savings to take more family vacation and I will more than likely drive my minivan until it quits on me.
But on my first week of not writing a daycare check, this Mom just might make a hair appointment, get a coffee at Starbucks and buy at outfit at Ann Taylor in celebration of my daycare check freedom!!!!
3 Chicken Sausage links (I used fully cooked- no prep!) 
