Found: Caregiver

So one item that was missing off of my to-do list was finding a caregiver for Colin and the twins. This is because we've searched high and low and found the best possible caregiver in the world for them. Keith!

That's right, after I return from maternity leave, Keith will be retiring from Cardinal Health and the rat race. He'll be a stay-at-home Dad extraordinaire!

This is actually something that we have been thinking about and planning for since about last August. Back then we were calling it "The Five Year Plan." Slowly, the timeline started to shorten the more we talked about it and when we found out we were having twins, it quickly turned into a short-term plan. This "Five Year Plan" was all about saving money and me trying to earn more to make Keith staying at home a more financially attractive option. That was the main driver for sending Colin to in-home daycare and getting rid of our nanny. Also at that time we cancelled cable and our landline and got a much better credit card with an awesome cash rewards program. I sought out a mentor at work to make connections and to help me get ready for a promotion.

We thought it would take about 2-5 years to achieve our financial goals so that Keith could retire. But the twins were a surprise that we obviously weren't planning on. So we've decided that even though we haven't yet acheived our ideal financial position for Keith's retirement, we can make it work. Having two working parents with three small children seems like a nightmare in many ways. I think this will really be the best for our family and bless Keith for wanting to do this!

And because he will be staying home, we were able to enroll Colin in preschool next year (we'll have someone to shuttle him back and forth). He'll be attending Dublin Community Preschool three mornings a week. This will give Keith a bit of a break from caring for all three. Plus I think it will be a break for Colin too. He'll be able be around other kids besides his sisters and have a unique experience all of his own. Not to mention the academic benefits.

It will be quite a change for Keith and for our whole family. We'll just add this change to the heap!