02/22/2020
After forty-six plus years of providing in home daycare, I am retiring on February 28 and moving to Olympia. As I move into this next chapter of my life, like most I can’t help but to look to the past and remember all the lives I have been blessed to be apart and will always remain in my heart.
My journey began in a small setting watching my nieces and nephews, until a neighbor reported me for providing childcare without a license. It was then that I decided to make a career out of caring for children by officially opening Auntie’s Daycare. As a mother it was important for me to provide working families with a second home atmosphere for their children to grow, learn, and have fun.
As everything in life, Auntie’s Daycare was ever changing with new children joining our family community, many stayed for years and others were there for a short time. No matter what—the children learned to be apart of our family through active play, eating meals together, and supporting one another as they learned to be humans who valued each other no matter the differences they may have had. A child’s love see no limits and it was wonderful to be on the receiving end of it with lots of hug, kisses, and compliments.
Seeing the world through the eyes of a child was the best part of my job. Their imaginations are limitless and the hours of play with whatever they had was always fun to see. One could always count on a lot of noise as you walked through the doors of the daycare: from singing, dancing, and just plain talking. Teaching preschool brought me a lot of enjoyment as I was able to foster the passion for learning while preparing them for their first years in elementary. The growth in their learning always amazed me and I could see the potential that every child had to offer.
I want to thank everyone who put their faith in me to be apart in raising their children, it has been a fulfilling career and I wouldn’t change it for anything!
-Dianne
