Monday Children today: Andrew (three) 8.45am to 5.15pm, William (two) 9.45am to 12.15pm, Eilidh and Mhairi after school.
Arrive back from the Scottish Childminding Association AGM on 7.50am flight from Inverness. It was in Aberdeen on Saturday and we had to be away all weekend because there are no Sunday flights or ferry to Stornoway.
Beautiful day so go for a walk down the farm road with the children to look at the cows and sheep. Feed the ponies. It's good to be able to sing 'Old Macdonald' at the top of my tuneless voice without anybody hearing! Watch the ferry coming in after its two-and-a-half hour journey from Ullapool on the mainland. Play outside in the afternoon - we must take every opportunity to do so, as the bad weather will soon take over.
Glad to sit down with my husband and boys in the evening - John (nine) and David (three) - and catch up with their weekend. The boys also empty my bags to find presents!
Tuesday Children today: Andrew (three) 8.45am to 5.15pm, Amy (three) 11.45am to 5.30pm, Fiona (one) 9am to 5pm, Eilidh and Mhairi after school.
Another lovely day so off to the beach for an hour and a half in the morning. It's great to be able to take off when we want - a perk of childminding. Build sandcastles and dig holes in the make-believe world of 'Bob the Builder'. Big excitement when the coastguard helicopter flies over, especially as one of the children's dads is the pilot! It is so beautiful here on a good day. It's hard to believe that the causeway on the beach can be closed due to severe gales between September and February. Everyone enjoys their soup at lunch time after the fresh sea air.
Go into Stornoway in the afternoon to visit the library and the shops - we bump into Andrew's next-door neighbour. In such a small place we always bump into someone we know.
Wednesday Children today: Fiona (one) 9am to 5pm,William (two) 9.45am to 12.15pm, Amy (three) 11.45am to 5.30pm, Eilidh and Mhairi after school.
Toy library this morning. Four of us childminders run it every week and bring the children along. Only two mums borrow toys, probably because of the pouring rain.
Get soaked collecting Amy from playgroup afterwards but William and David enjoy being in the double buggy with the rainhood on - they think they are in a space ship. Amy splashes in puddles with her Dalmatian wellies on.
Go to a Childcare Partnership meeting in the evening. I'm the childminder representative - good news, as the existing childminders are now eligible for grants.
Thursday Children today:
Ellen (two) 9am to 16.30pm, Amy (three) 11.45am to 5.30pm, William (two) 9.45am to 12.15pm,Eilidh and Mhairi after school Another wet day so playdough, painting and gluing fill the morning. Have our informal childminding group meeting in the afternoon, where we bring the children along. Only five of us as usual, I don't know why more don't come as there are 40 childminders in the surrounding area of Stornoway. Having contact with other childminders is my lifeline. It's such an isolated job, especially in a rural setting. Agreed today to make our standard fee 2.10 an hour.
Friday Children today:
Ellen (two) 9am to 4.30pm, William (two) 9.45am to 12.15pm, Norman (one) 8am to 2pm,Eilidh and Mhairi 8 to 9am and 3.30 to 5.30pm.
Katie Adam in Inverness phones to say the training for new childminders I deliver is to be postponed due to lack of numbers.
Have a lovely morning with the younger ones. Free-flow play links in with nappy changes, snack time and hanging out the washing (a better day today). Our neighbour lets us see his new chickens to the delight of the children. My minded children are an extension of our family and that's how our family and neighbours see them.
Really enjoy this job. I use a lot of the same skills I did as a staff nurse, before I started childminding seven years ago. For me it's perfect while my own children are young. NW
