Dear Edwina

You may be wondering, it's Sunday!! What is she doing updating on a Sunday?? Well...I took the girls to see my friend in an Off-Broadway musical called 'Dear Edwina'! It's a children's musical and only an hour long. I had always wanted to take them to see it but they've been in Purchase every weekend so I was finally able to bring them. I texted the mom yesterday to ask if I could take them and she thought it was a great opportunity and was very keen on me taking them!

I met them at their place this morning and they were all dressed up. They looked so beautiful and ready to see a show Off-Broadway and I was in my normal jeans attire. W wore her new pink heart-shaped ear muffs that were huge and adorable. The mom gave me $100 for taxi fare there and back. Sucker. They were so excited. On the taxi ride over there I was telling them that my good friend from college is in this. M asked if he was my boyfriend. When I laughed and said "nooo" she raised her eyebrows at me in that Joey from Friends sort of way, insinuating that he was. I explained that I did not have a boyfriend and that he was JUST a friend. The taxi driver found that very amusing. I couldn't exactly go on telling them that my friend is gay. THAT's a conversation I should not/do not want to have with them.

W has been asking me for the Valentine's Day fairy book ever since I took her to Barnes & Noble 2 weeks ago. I told her I would get it for her for Valentine's Day and she's been reminding me. As of this morning I still didn't have it but I couldn't show up at their house ON Valentine's Day without that fairy book! So I got up earlier to go to Barnes & Noble before I went to their place to get the fairy book and a Junie B. Jones Valentine's Day book for M. I also made them cards this morning so I was well-equipped. I gave them the cards and the books in the taxi ride over and W was so excited about her fairy book even though she knew it was coming. M was very polite and thanked me for the card and book.

When we got to the theatre I was going over basic theatre terms with them, such as program and intermission. I know M has been to a show before but I didn't know if W had, and I wanted to teach them proper theatre etiquette because it starts when you're young. M couldn't stop talking about how skinny the picture of Edwina was on the program. I told her the picture was really skinny but that the actress wasn't that tiny. The picture was basically a stick figure. I think M's a little self-conscious about her weight because she's not thin. That makes me so sad; she's 8 years-old!! They were so excited to find their seats and tear their own tickets. I got them both booster seats so they could see. Halfway through the show though W sat on my lap because she couldn't see over the heads of the adults cuddling in front of her. Ugh.

It was so much fun seeing it with them. I had already seen it but it was more fun seeing it with kids since that's who it's aimed for. They kept asking where my friend was from the second the show started. Once I pointed him out to them M raised my hand up as if to show him I was there. I was like, no, no! After every song W asked, "is that it? wondering if the show was over. I kept saying no and she would say "phew!" She didn't get the concept that there were lots of songs in the show. They laughed throughout and W kept asking me questions. I had to keep "sshhing" her because she was so loud.

They really loved the show which I was really glad about. They loved the music so much they said they wanted the music so I got them the CD. They got to meet my friend who was in it today and got his autograph, and they also met one of my roommate's who's the swing in the show. I'm glad my friends got to meet the girls. They were on their best behavior for them too.

W was humming "Inch By Inch" in the taxi on the way home which sounded adorable. Then all 3 of us sang the song together even though none of us really knew all the words. I had planned on leaving as soon as I dropped the girls off at home because the mom had told me the dad would be there. He was in the gym when we got there though so I stayed with them until he came back. I changed them into their comfy clothes and helped clean up the stuff they were playing with this morning. I was in normal nanny mode, I couldn't help it. The dad finally came up and he said he would shower and then I could go. M wanted to put the CD on right away so we put on the 'Dear Edwina' recording and listened to it while they made their fake pastries. They remembered most of the songs and M tried singing along to them. I'm glad they liked it so much.

The dad tried to give me money for the time I was with them today but again, I refused it. I said today was my gift to them and I wasn't expecting to be paid. Just like his wife, he didn't force it upon me! Even though it was my gift and I had absolutely no intentions of being paid for today, I thought they would still insist I take it since they had it ready to give me. I could have made so much extra money this week from the money I turned down.

All in all, today was really fun and special. They were the best valentines ever and I'm glad I got to spend my Valentine's Day with them.