07/31/2026
This one comes from the deepest part of Blueprints and truly from the heart of Miss Jennie.
For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of watching this little dream continue to grow, flourish, and expand into something I never imagined. Together we’ve built an incredible team, and I will forever say that they are what make Blueprints what it is.
During that time, running two programs, I stepped into the role of director more than ever before. I floated wherever I was needed, filled classrooms that needed consistency, and had the opportunity to experience every age and stage from the inside out. It has made me a better leader because I’ve seen firsthand what our teachers and children need every single day.
I tried to become the “director” everyone told me I needed to be with the size we were, the one who sat behind a desk until someone needed support.
The funny thing is… there was always someone who needed support.
An extra set of hands.
A teacher who needed a break.
A child who needed connection.
A classroom that needed another adult.
So I’d leave the emails, the billing, and the paperwork behind and find myself exactly where I was happiest… in a classroom.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I was missing the part of this job that has always lit me up.
The part that sends Tony and our family searching for the next exciting piece of curriculum. The part that has me collecting random supplies because they’ll make the perfect sensory bin. The part where I get to watch a child suddenly understand something they’ve been working so hard to learn.
Some of the greatest moments of my career weren’t behind a desk. They happened upstairs in my home daycare, in the “garage,” and later inside the walls of Blueprints.
But the reason Blueprints ever existed wasn’t because I dreamed of owning a childcare center……It existed because I dreamed of being a teacher.
This summer, I’ve been quietly working to make that dream part of my life again.
That means you’ll notice a few changes around thee office. The face behind my desk will look a little different as my mom steps in to help with the pieces that never really belonged to me anyway…. licensing, billing, payroll, filing, and all the behind-the-scenes details she happens to be incredibly good at. As a bonus, her “semi-retirement” now comes with front-row seats to watching her grandchildren wander through the halls.
As I watch centers around us lose steam, downsize, and in some cases close their doors, I find myself incredibly grateful that I still get to do what I love every single day.
Blueprints has my whole heart.
But if I’m going to continue leading this program the way our families deserve, I need to protect the part of me that made me start it in the first place.
So this year you’ll find me exactly where I belong.
Back with four-year-olds.
Back to read-alouds that spark huge conversations.
Back to literacy, pre-reading skills, sensory play, process art, messy science, keepsakes, and magical moments.
Back to laughter.
Back to play.
Back to watching those incredible little “I GOT IT!” moments happen right in front of me.
Watch out, fours… here I come. 💙
The waiting list may continue to grow. My voicemaill may still take me longer than I’d like to return. But for the last 12 years, families have continued to tell me that Blueprints was worth the wait.
I hope this next chapter proves them right.
And if your little one is four and you’re looking for a year filled with wonder, laughter, learning, and a whole lot of magic…
I just might be able to squeeze one more friend in at circle time.
💙
Miss Jennie
