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.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
TGIF
Today was very low-key. M stayed home from school because she's still sick, poor thing. The mom had texted me and asked if I could be there at 12:30pm and asked if I could bring 2 bottles of children's tylenol. I got a bottle of strawberry flavored and one of cherry so she could have options. She asked if I could give M 2 1/2 tsps when I got there. I also got M a pack of playing cards because I didn't think she had any, and I got 2 pages of stickers to give to them when they were acting really good or when they did something I liked. That was popular because I told M I would give her a sticker if she drank her medicine and she did...reluctantly.
W had a short day at school because of the Valentine's day crafts fair so she was home too when I got there. I got another nice greeting at the door from W running out and saying "Emmmmmma!" They were both going through their bag of valentine's from their classmates and saying "ooo, look Emmy!". It brought me back to those days of when everyone received a valentine. Those were the days. M was quarantines to her bedroom because she was sick and W wasn't allowed in, so the whole day was me bouncing back and forth between their bedrooms trying to keep them both occupied and happy without them being in the same room. I had to come up with a plan to spend half an hour with one of them and then switch so they would have equal play time. I tried to spend more time with M though because I felt bad she couldn't leave her bedroom.
Despite her daughter being sick, the mother left to have lunch with her friends. Emma to the rescue! Once I get there she's free! I went through their valentines with them and separated the candy from the cards and threw out all the envelopes. The good thing about W is that she doesn't like starbursts, so she said, "Emmy, would it be alright if I gave you all my starbursts?" How could I refuse?? :)
I gave W lunch (rice maki) but M didn't have an appetite so I put on an audiobook for her to listen to. She ended up falling asleep while we were eating. I took that time to do some of W's activity book worksheets that her mom set aside because she wanted her to do them. I forgot the scholar dollars at home (my bad) so I had to keep track of how many she would get for next time.
M woke up not too long after that so I read Harry Potter to her. I ended up reading Harry Potter to her for about a total of 2 hours that day. I read, read, read. She didn't have the energy to do anything else but lay there and listen to me read and I didn't mind. I have a lot of fun doing the character's voices. I decided that Seamus Finnigan needed an Irish accent and I surprised myself with my Irish accent. It wasn't that bad! M said, "why are you talking like that??" While I was reading she started to doze off so I stopped reading so she could take another nap.
While she napped I gave W a bath, but I didn't even give it to her because she wanted to surprise me again by taking a really quick bath all by herself. She told me to go into the bathroom and close my eyes and when she said to open them she was shampooing her hair. I think it's so sweet that she does this because she knows it makes me happy. Either that or she gets a kick out of watching me so shocked at how fast she is. I pretend that I'm not even prepared for her to be done because I don't have her pj's layed out and she laughs and laughs.
Out of the blue, the mom gave me a chocolate lollipop in the shape of a heart with beautiful, intricate designs on it. She said it was for Valentine's Day and I was like, "this is for me?!" I was so surprised and touched that she thought of me!
When W was really sick, M made her a card with a get-well poem on it and W had the brilliant idea to re-write the poem on a card for M. I thought that was so sweet. She made a card that looked exactly like the one M made for her and was so excited to give it to her. She left it on the bathroom sink for M to find when she went to the bathroom. unfortunately, M was so out of it that she didn't want to read it and W was so upset. I told W later that M read it and loved it.
Side note: I've noticed that W seems to have a big fear of her house catching on fire. She talks about fires all the time and how she's worried her room is going to catch on fire. I remember having fears like that as a kid but all I can tell her is that that's not going to happen and she's perfectly safe. It's interesting though that she says when she hears an ambulance when she's not home that she worries it's going to her house because it's on fire.
I took M's temperature throughout the day and her fever never came back which is good, but I gave her 2 doses of medicine in the time that I was there. She looked so weak and tired and hot. I cracked the window for her and changed her into cooler pj's. I think she was really sad when I told her I was leaving at 6:30 instead of the normal 8:00. That broke my heart. They weren't going to their weekend home because she was sick but I still needed to leave at my normal time. I read more Harry Potter to her and she started falling asleep again right at 6:15, so I turned off the lights, kissed the top of her head, said goodnight, and she was out for the evening.
I liked how relaxing the day was even though I felt bad for M that she was sick. I'm really falling in love with these girls.
W had a short day at school because of the Valentine's day crafts fair so she was home too when I got there. I got another nice greeting at the door from W running out and saying "Emmmmmma!" They were both going through their bag of valentine's from their classmates and saying "ooo, look Emmy!". It brought me back to those days of when everyone received a valentine. Those were the days. M was quarantines to her bedroom because she was sick and W wasn't allowed in, so the whole day was me bouncing back and forth between their bedrooms trying to keep them both occupied and happy without them being in the same room. I had to come up with a plan to spend half an hour with one of them and then switch so they would have equal play time. I tried to spend more time with M though because I felt bad she couldn't leave her bedroom.
Despite her daughter being sick, the mother left to have lunch with her friends. Emma to the rescue! Once I get there she's free! I went through their valentines with them and separated the candy from the cards and threw out all the envelopes. The good thing about W is that she doesn't like starbursts, so she said, "Emmy, would it be alright if I gave you all my starbursts?" How could I refuse?? :)
I gave W lunch (rice maki) but M didn't have an appetite so I put on an audiobook for her to listen to. She ended up falling asleep while we were eating. I took that time to do some of W's activity book worksheets that her mom set aside because she wanted her to do them. I forgot the scholar dollars at home (my bad) so I had to keep track of how many she would get for next time.
M woke up not too long after that so I read Harry Potter to her. I ended up reading Harry Potter to her for about a total of 2 hours that day. I read, read, read. She didn't have the energy to do anything else but lay there and listen to me read and I didn't mind. I have a lot of fun doing the character's voices. I decided that Seamus Finnigan needed an Irish accent and I surprised myself with my Irish accent. It wasn't that bad! M said, "why are you talking like that??" While I was reading she started to doze off so I stopped reading so she could take another nap.
While she napped I gave W a bath, but I didn't even give it to her because she wanted to surprise me again by taking a really quick bath all by herself. She told me to go into the bathroom and close my eyes and when she said to open them she was shampooing her hair. I think it's so sweet that she does this because she knows it makes me happy. Either that or she gets a kick out of watching me so shocked at how fast she is. I pretend that I'm not even prepared for her to be done because I don't have her pj's layed out and she laughs and laughs.
Out of the blue, the mom gave me a chocolate lollipop in the shape of a heart with beautiful, intricate designs on it. She said it was for Valentine's Day and I was like, "this is for me?!" I was so surprised and touched that she thought of me!
When W was really sick, M made her a card with a get-well poem on it and W had the brilliant idea to re-write the poem on a card for M. I thought that was so sweet. She made a card that looked exactly like the one M made for her and was so excited to give it to her. She left it on the bathroom sink for M to find when she went to the bathroom. unfortunately, M was so out of it that she didn't want to read it and W was so upset. I told W later that M read it and loved it.
Side note: I've noticed that W seems to have a big fear of her house catching on fire. She talks about fires all the time and how she's worried her room is going to catch on fire. I remember having fears like that as a kid but all I can tell her is that that's not going to happen and she's perfectly safe. It's interesting though that she says when she hears an ambulance when she's not home that she worries it's going to her house because it's on fire.
I took M's temperature throughout the day and her fever never came back which is good, but I gave her 2 doses of medicine in the time that I was there. She looked so weak and tired and hot. I cracked the window for her and changed her into cooler pj's. I think she was really sad when I told her I was leaving at 6:30 instead of the normal 8:00. That broke my heart. They weren't going to their weekend home because she was sick but I still needed to leave at my normal time. I read more Harry Potter to her and she started falling asleep again right at 6:15, so I turned off the lights, kissed the top of her head, said goodnight, and she was out for the evening.
I liked how relaxing the day was even though I felt bad for M that she was sick. I'm really falling in love with these girls.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Nurse/Psychiatrist/Housekeeper Emmy
I've been feeling really lucky because this past week has been really great with the girls. They've been acting so well and I feel like we're really bonding. I'm seeing traits in them that I know will be a lasting part of themselves as they grow up and am noticing the differences between the two of them. Those kind of things are really special to get to observe.
The mom texted me this morning to inform me that because the weather is nicer W can go to ballet. I wasn't aware that she wasn't going to go if the weather wasn't nice, so I'm glad she told me that! Is it weird that I got excited about this because I wanted to see B, W's friend's personal driver? R, the personal assistant that I bonded with at ballet last week, came to pick up her friend and I was hoping he would invite us over to their house for a playdate again but he didn't. Poo.
Now I have this hour and a half to kill with W before going to ballet. I don't know the Upper East Side very well except for the area where I go to the gym, so we went to Barnes & Noble which is right across the street from where I go to the gym. I'm glad we went there because it was really chill and fun. We did have an awkward/funny/scary moment descending into the store, however. She was holding my hand to go down on the escalator, and I stepped on and she let go of my hand! So I started going down and there she was standing at the top of the escalator by herself. I tried coming back up but couldn't get back to the top, so I ran down the escalator all the while telling her to stay there and step back. Then I ran up the up escalator to meet her. I felt like such a bad nanny but she let go of my hand! I told her this time to hold onto my hand really tight and to hold onto the railing. We counted to 3 and she jumped on tentatively. Phew!
We had to go down another escalator to get to the cafe and we did the same thing and she was much better. I told her if I was holding her hand she wasn't going to go anywhere. Children really do need to instill a lot of trust in adults when they tell them it will be OK if they do what they say. For her snack W got an Izze drink and a large chocolate cookie that she ate entirely! Because NY posts the calories in everything, I knew that that cookie was 480 calories, and she ate the entire thing!! She is a growing girl so I guess those calories don't effect her like they would me. I'm hoping...
We sat at a table and I ate my naked pita chips while she nibbled away at her giant cookie. This cookie was sort of a bribe to get her to go to ballet. She didn't want to go to ballet so I thought if she had a cookie beforehand she would be more willing to go. I didn't tell her this though...I let it happen subconsciously...and it worked! Out of nowhere, she asked if I had a husband! I laughed out loud. I said, "W, how old am I?" She said, "23". I said, "yeah, that's pretty young to get married, don't you think??". She told me her friend got married when she was 3 and that she wore the diamond ring on her finger to prove it. I was waiting for the "I'm just joking" to come but it never did. Ohhh boy. I told her that people normally have boyfriends before they get married. She said her mom just got married and I said, "your dad was probably her boyfriend before he was her husband" and she said "eewwww! I have to tell my sister!!" It was the funniest exchange we've ever had. Then I heard a little girl sitting at a table behind us ask her nanny if she was married and her nanny had the same reaction I did.
I let W walk around the children's book section for a few minutes but I told her we weren't getting any new books today and she whined about it for a minute but then let it go. Good...I'm teaching her. She needed to go to the bathroom so we went and she insisted on going into the stall herself which was fine because she always goes to the bathroom by herself. She walked in and came out a few seconds later saying, "Emma, what do I do?" I told her it was the same thing she does when she goes at home. I guess the stall threw her off? Haha.
I think I mentioned this in my last entry, but I'm really noticing how W is needing me more. She is still pretty stubborn and likes doing things on her own, but she's constantly saying, "Emmy! Emmy!" and wants me to come see something. The biggest difference I've noticed between the girls is that M is very touchy-feely and shows affection physically and verbally. W does not show affection. She doesn't like physical contact and doesn't hug as often as M does. She'll show her affection by leaning against me when she's tired or offering me one of her fruit snacks. It makes getting affection from her that much more special. That's not to downplay my hugs from M; I love getting big bear hugs and hearing how much she loves me.
Off to ballet! We got there in plenty of time to dress and hang out a little before class started. I hung out with the coolest little boy outside her class today. I've seen him every week and I always admire his amazingly blonde hair, but today we talked! His name is Aiden (which is one of my favorite boy's names). He is 3 years-old which he demonstrated by holding up 3 fingers awkwardly, and then we counted through the rest of his fingers to see how old he'll be on the next 7 birthdays. I wish I could babysit him everyday.
W complains about not wanting to go to class every week but once she's there I know she has fun because she comes out with lots of energy and smiling. That is a question I've had for awhile that I can't seem to get a good answer for. What do you do when the child tells you they don't want to go and they seem pretty persistent on that? If they're near tears and they're at the building and changed but then they don't want to go into the classroom, do you make them go anyway and tell them they'll have a good time? Or not make them go in and leave? I'm among the belief that you should try everything to get them to go in and if they start a crying, screaming fit then you can move on. It hasn't gotten to that point, thank G-d, but I feel almost guilty for forcing her to go in when she says every week she doesn't want to. I know she has fun once she's there though which is what I tell her will happen because that happened to me in ballet class too.
I noticed today that I'm the ONLY white nanny at that ballet studio. There are tons of white parents, in fact, most of the parents are white. But I am the only white nanny. The nannies are African-American, Caribbean, Mexican, Filipino, you name it. It's just like my book I'm reading right now draws it out to be. I'm reading 'The Perfect Stranger: The Relationship Between Mothers and Nannies' and I find it fascinating. Most of the nannies the author has stories about are not Caucasian and she talks about the pros and the cons of having a nanny from another part of the world that grew up culturally different and has a different set of beliefs for how the child should be raised. It's really interesting.
They were amazing for their baths today. They wanted to take separate baths which I told them was fine as long as they took quick ones. W went first and she wanted to surprise me by doing everything without me having to ask. I was sitting in the bathroom like I always do while they're in the bath, and M was sneakily taking videos of me on her camera. W would tell me to close my eyes and tell me when I could open them, and every time I opened my eyes she would have finished washing her body or her hair and was on to the next thing. It was so touching that she was trying to make me happy by surprising me with how she could do it on her own. She got a real kick out of it every time I gasped in astonishment at how fast she was and it encouraged her even more. She got in her pj's all by herself without me even having to ask which normally is a long process of me putting them on for them. Then while I was blow-drying W's hair M went and did the same thing and was out and in her pj's in no time at all. I was so touched. I told them I wanted to give them each 8 gold stars. I need to go get gold star stickers so I can start giving them stars when they do things like that that make me happy.
That reminds me- M's tutor, T, gives M Scholar Dollars which she earns when she does her homework. M has gotten really excited about it and I think W was getting jealous, so T gave me a scholar dollar to make copies of so I can start giving them to W when she does work or does a good job reading. It's so sweet how excited W got about it. I spent awhile cutting them out and W ended up earning 5 Scholar Dollars at the end of the day! She did several pages in her math activity book and I gave her $2 for that because she never does work in her activity book.
M was complaining of a tummy ache once I started drying her hair and she didn't have an appetite so she didn't have dinner. I hung out with M in her room while she layed down on the bed. Then the mom told me W needed to make one more butterfly valentine for her teacher and asked if I could help her make that. She said she needed another envelope for it. We canned the butterfly idea and she made a large heart valentine. I made another brilliant envelope out of paper and W was very pleased with her valentine.
W gave me a big hug when we were done with reading which was really nice. When I got to M's room to read to her she was already tucked in bed which was SHOCKING because that child normally has so much energy she's bouncing around all over the bed while I'm reading to her. She said she was really tired and she was going to close her eyes while I read. That was fine by me! I told her it was OK if she fell asleep while I was reading and I thought that she had! I was reading really quietly but then she started stirring. She said she was going to be sick so I got her sat up and tried to get her to the bathroom before she puked but we didn't make it in time. She threw up all over the side of her bed and on her carpet. I was like ooooh, shit. So I quickly ushered her to the bathroom where she puked some more into the toilet. I pulled her hair back which already had vomit in it and tied it back in a pony. The things we do...
I felt so bad for her. The mom went straight to the bedroom and started cleaning right away leaving me to tend for M. I took off her pj's because she got throw up on them and put her in the bathtub. I washed her hair again and got her in new pj's. The mom was reprimanding her for eating too much snack at B's. She said she was sick from eating too much goldfish on an otherwise empty stomach. I was like, are you serious right now? Your daughter just got sick everywhere and you're reprimanding her for eating too much snack?? I was impressed that the mom even cleaned up the puke. Mercy had gone home for the night so it was just me and the mom to deal with it. I dried M's hair again and got her in new pj's. Then I washed her puky pj's in the bathtub with woolite and hung them to dry. M felt much better after she threw up, she just needed to get that out of her system. I ended up being there an extra half hour to take care of everything. When I left the mom tried giving me extra money and I wouldn't take it. I told her she didn't need to and she didn't force it upon me! I was surprised she didn't just give it to me anyway. That would have been the appropriate thing to do. Oh well. I just felt bad for M, I'm glad I was there to help.
These children and getting sick...I swear. I can't deal with these throw ups anymore!!
The mom texted me this morning to inform me that because the weather is nicer W can go to ballet. I wasn't aware that she wasn't going to go if the weather wasn't nice, so I'm glad she told me that! Is it weird that I got excited about this because I wanted to see B, W's friend's personal driver? R, the personal assistant that I bonded with at ballet last week, came to pick up her friend and I was hoping he would invite us over to their house for a playdate again but he didn't. Poo.
Now I have this hour and a half to kill with W before going to ballet. I don't know the Upper East Side very well except for the area where I go to the gym, so we went to Barnes & Noble which is right across the street from where I go to the gym. I'm glad we went there because it was really chill and fun. We did have an awkward/funny/scary moment descending into the store, however. She was holding my hand to go down on the escalator, and I stepped on and she let go of my hand! So I started going down and there she was standing at the top of the escalator by herself. I tried coming back up but couldn't get back to the top, so I ran down the escalator all the while telling her to stay there and step back. Then I ran up the up escalator to meet her. I felt like such a bad nanny but she let go of my hand! I told her this time to hold onto my hand really tight and to hold onto the railing. We counted to 3 and she jumped on tentatively. Phew!
We had to go down another escalator to get to the cafe and we did the same thing and she was much better. I told her if I was holding her hand she wasn't going to go anywhere. Children really do need to instill a lot of trust in adults when they tell them it will be OK if they do what they say. For her snack W got an Izze drink and a large chocolate cookie that she ate entirely! Because NY posts the calories in everything, I knew that that cookie was 480 calories, and she ate the entire thing!! She is a growing girl so I guess those calories don't effect her like they would me. I'm hoping...
We sat at a table and I ate my naked pita chips while she nibbled away at her giant cookie. This cookie was sort of a bribe to get her to go to ballet. She didn't want to go to ballet so I thought if she had a cookie beforehand she would be more willing to go. I didn't tell her this though...I let it happen subconsciously...and it worked! Out of nowhere, she asked if I had a husband! I laughed out loud. I said, "W, how old am I?" She said, "23". I said, "yeah, that's pretty young to get married, don't you think??". She told me her friend got married when she was 3 and that she wore the diamond ring on her finger to prove it. I was waiting for the "I'm just joking" to come but it never did. Ohhh boy. I told her that people normally have boyfriends before they get married. She said her mom just got married and I said, "your dad was probably her boyfriend before he was her husband" and she said "eewwww! I have to tell my sister!!" It was the funniest exchange we've ever had. Then I heard a little girl sitting at a table behind us ask her nanny if she was married and her nanny had the same reaction I did.
I let W walk around the children's book section for a few minutes but I told her we weren't getting any new books today and she whined about it for a minute but then let it go. Good...I'm teaching her. She needed to go to the bathroom so we went and she insisted on going into the stall herself which was fine because she always goes to the bathroom by herself. She walked in and came out a few seconds later saying, "Emma, what do I do?" I told her it was the same thing she does when she goes at home. I guess the stall threw her off? Haha.
I think I mentioned this in my last entry, but I'm really noticing how W is needing me more. She is still pretty stubborn and likes doing things on her own, but she's constantly saying, "Emmy! Emmy!" and wants me to come see something. The biggest difference I've noticed between the girls is that M is very touchy-feely and shows affection physically and verbally. W does not show affection. She doesn't like physical contact and doesn't hug as often as M does. She'll show her affection by leaning against me when she's tired or offering me one of her fruit snacks. It makes getting affection from her that much more special. That's not to downplay my hugs from M; I love getting big bear hugs and hearing how much she loves me.
Off to ballet! We got there in plenty of time to dress and hang out a little before class started. I hung out with the coolest little boy outside her class today. I've seen him every week and I always admire his amazingly blonde hair, but today we talked! His name is Aiden (which is one of my favorite boy's names). He is 3 years-old which he demonstrated by holding up 3 fingers awkwardly, and then we counted through the rest of his fingers to see how old he'll be on the next 7 birthdays. I wish I could babysit him everyday.
W complains about not wanting to go to class every week but once she's there I know she has fun because she comes out with lots of energy and smiling. That is a question I've had for awhile that I can't seem to get a good answer for. What do you do when the child tells you they don't want to go and they seem pretty persistent on that? If they're near tears and they're at the building and changed but then they don't want to go into the classroom, do you make them go anyway and tell them they'll have a good time? Or not make them go in and leave? I'm among the belief that you should try everything to get them to go in and if they start a crying, screaming fit then you can move on. It hasn't gotten to that point, thank G-d, but I feel almost guilty for forcing her to go in when she says every week she doesn't want to. I know she has fun once she's there though which is what I tell her will happen because that happened to me in ballet class too.
I noticed today that I'm the ONLY white nanny at that ballet studio. There are tons of white parents, in fact, most of the parents are white. But I am the only white nanny. The nannies are African-American, Caribbean, Mexican, Filipino, you name it. It's just like my book I'm reading right now draws it out to be. I'm reading 'The Perfect Stranger: The Relationship Between Mothers and Nannies' and I find it fascinating. Most of the nannies the author has stories about are not Caucasian and she talks about the pros and the cons of having a nanny from another part of the world that grew up culturally different and has a different set of beliefs for how the child should be raised. It's really interesting.
They were amazing for their baths today. They wanted to take separate baths which I told them was fine as long as they took quick ones. W went first and she wanted to surprise me by doing everything without me having to ask. I was sitting in the bathroom like I always do while they're in the bath, and M was sneakily taking videos of me on her camera. W would tell me to close my eyes and tell me when I could open them, and every time I opened my eyes she would have finished washing her body or her hair and was on to the next thing. It was so touching that she was trying to make me happy by surprising me with how she could do it on her own. She got a real kick out of it every time I gasped in astonishment at how fast she was and it encouraged her even more. She got in her pj's all by herself without me even having to ask which normally is a long process of me putting them on for them. Then while I was blow-drying W's hair M went and did the same thing and was out and in her pj's in no time at all. I was so touched. I told them I wanted to give them each 8 gold stars. I need to go get gold star stickers so I can start giving them stars when they do things like that that make me happy.
That reminds me- M's tutor, T, gives M Scholar Dollars which she earns when she does her homework. M has gotten really excited about it and I think W was getting jealous, so T gave me a scholar dollar to make copies of so I can start giving them to W when she does work or does a good job reading. It's so sweet how excited W got about it. I spent awhile cutting them out and W ended up earning 5 Scholar Dollars at the end of the day! She did several pages in her math activity book and I gave her $2 for that because she never does work in her activity book.
M was complaining of a tummy ache once I started drying her hair and she didn't have an appetite so she didn't have dinner. I hung out with M in her room while she layed down on the bed. Then the mom told me W needed to make one more butterfly valentine for her teacher and asked if I could help her make that. She said she needed another envelope for it. We canned the butterfly idea and she made a large heart valentine. I made another brilliant envelope out of paper and W was very pleased with her valentine.
W gave me a big hug when we were done with reading which was really nice. When I got to M's room to read to her she was already tucked in bed which was SHOCKING because that child normally has so much energy she's bouncing around all over the bed while I'm reading to her. She said she was really tired and she was going to close her eyes while I read. That was fine by me! I told her it was OK if she fell asleep while I was reading and I thought that she had! I was reading really quietly but then she started stirring. She said she was going to be sick so I got her sat up and tried to get her to the bathroom before she puked but we didn't make it in time. She threw up all over the side of her bed and on her carpet. I was like ooooh, shit. So I quickly ushered her to the bathroom where she puked some more into the toilet. I pulled her hair back which already had vomit in it and tied it back in a pony. The things we do...
I felt so bad for her. The mom went straight to the bedroom and started cleaning right away leaving me to tend for M. I took off her pj's because she got throw up on them and put her in the bathtub. I washed her hair again and got her in new pj's. The mom was reprimanding her for eating too much snack at B's. She said she was sick from eating too much goldfish on an otherwise empty stomach. I was like, are you serious right now? Your daughter just got sick everywhere and you're reprimanding her for eating too much snack?? I was impressed that the mom even cleaned up the puke. Mercy had gone home for the night so it was just me and the mom to deal with it. I dried M's hair again and got her in new pj's. Then I washed her puky pj's in the bathtub with woolite and hung them to dry. M felt much better after she threw up, she just needed to get that out of her system. I ended up being there an extra half hour to take care of everything. When I left the mom tried giving me extra money and I wouldn't take it. I told her she didn't need to and she didn't force it upon me! I was surprised she didn't just give it to me anyway. That would have been the appropriate thing to do. Oh well. I just felt bad for M, I'm glad I was there to help.
These children and getting sick...I swear. I can't deal with these throw ups anymore!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland
The girls didn't have school today but we spent the whole day creating the perfect snow day.
My day normally starts at 2:00pm but I went to their house at 12:00pm today and stayed through until 8:00pm, working 8 hours instead of 6. The only thing that upset me about that was that the mom asked me to stay only until 4pm because of the snow, but after their bath she asked if I could stay through to the normal time to put them to sleep. I didn't mind, but 4 extra hours is a lot. I got a much more pleasant greeting today than I normally do. I rang the doorbell and the girls opened it. I was greeted with "Emmmmaaaaa!" and a huge hug. It was nice to know that they were happy to see me. They followed me into the "nanny's room" where I take off my shoes and coat and we made videos and took pictures on my camera on the nanny bed. There was lots of giggling and excitement around the snow.
We had lunch in the kitchen while they waited for W's friend, O, to come over for a play date. Shortly after she arrived, we headed off to F.A.O. Schwarz to build their own muppets! It was snowing so hard and blowing sideways which made it the perfect day to go to FAO Schwarz. Their driver picked us up and took us there and we were dropped off right in front which I always manage to find so bad-ass. They each had their designs which they created today and it took 20 minutes to make the dolls. I found out they were $130 each and the mom bought 3. That's one expensive doll. I took some really cute pictures of them creating them. It was really fun being inside FAO and looking out of the huge windows at the snow storm.
While the dolls were drying the mom let them peruse the FAO Schweetz section where they got $58 worth of candy. It's unreal. I actually got red and pink starbursts because you can pick out the flavors you like and I thought that was awesome. The mom said "I will put it all together" (meaning paying for my starbursts), and I said, "oh no, that's OK. You don't have to do that" and she simply said, "Ok." Not that I couldn't afford them, but she just spent $58 on candy for them, what's another $3.11 for the nanny?? That just irked me.
I've been reading a new nannying book called 'The Perfect Stranger' and I read a bit today about how the child will become so used to the nanny being around that they will call and reach for the nanny before they do the mother if they're both in the room. I found that happening today. W kept calling for me to come see things and for me to see what her doll was looking like. I liked knowing she wanted me there but I did start to feel bad that she wasn't asking for the mom and she was right there. That was the first time I'd been faced with that situation.
With a custom-made muppet slung over their shoulders and a full tin of candy in hand, we left FAO to head back into the blizzard and back to their home.
Not long after being home I took the 3 girls to Central Park to play in the snow. It was so much fun. We ran after each other and had a snowball fight and started to make a snowman. I got so much cute footage of them playing on my camera. The sound of kids playing happily and laughing is a great sound, but when I know it's because of playing in the snow it makes it all the better. W looked adorable lugging around a huge chunk of snow that she was calling her snowball. Their cheeks turned pink but they had smiles on their faces and we were surrounded by other smiling people who were happy to be playing in the snow too.
After half an hour of getting pink and frostbitten, we headed back inside. They put on a muppet show and I took more pictures and videos. O left and the girls had tea. Then I gave them a warm bath and it felt like the perfect ending to a perfect snow day.
My day normally starts at 2:00pm but I went to their house at 12:00pm today and stayed through until 8:00pm, working 8 hours instead of 6. The only thing that upset me about that was that the mom asked me to stay only until 4pm because of the snow, but after their bath she asked if I could stay through to the normal time to put them to sleep. I didn't mind, but 4 extra hours is a lot. I got a much more pleasant greeting today than I normally do. I rang the doorbell and the girls opened it. I was greeted with "Emmmmaaaaa!" and a huge hug. It was nice to know that they were happy to see me. They followed me into the "nanny's room" where I take off my shoes and coat and we made videos and took pictures on my camera on the nanny bed. There was lots of giggling and excitement around the snow.
We had lunch in the kitchen while they waited for W's friend, O, to come over for a play date. Shortly after she arrived, we headed off to F.A.O. Schwarz to build their own muppets! It was snowing so hard and blowing sideways which made it the perfect day to go to FAO Schwarz. Their driver picked us up and took us there and we were dropped off right in front which I always manage to find so bad-ass. They each had their designs which they created today and it took 20 minutes to make the dolls. I found out they were $130 each and the mom bought 3. That's one expensive doll. I took some really cute pictures of them creating them. It was really fun being inside FAO and looking out of the huge windows at the snow storm.
While the dolls were drying the mom let them peruse the FAO Schweetz section where they got $58 worth of candy. It's unreal. I actually got red and pink starbursts because you can pick out the flavors you like and I thought that was awesome. The mom said "I will put it all together" (meaning paying for my starbursts), and I said, "oh no, that's OK. You don't have to do that" and she simply said, "Ok." Not that I couldn't afford them, but she just spent $58 on candy for them, what's another $3.11 for the nanny?? That just irked me.
I've been reading a new nannying book called 'The Perfect Stranger' and I read a bit today about how the child will become so used to the nanny being around that they will call and reach for the nanny before they do the mother if they're both in the room. I found that happening today. W kept calling for me to come see things and for me to see what her doll was looking like. I liked knowing she wanted me there but I did start to feel bad that she wasn't asking for the mom and she was right there. That was the first time I'd been faced with that situation.
With a custom-made muppet slung over their shoulders and a full tin of candy in hand, we left FAO to head back into the blizzard and back to their home.
Not long after being home I took the 3 girls to Central Park to play in the snow. It was so much fun. We ran after each other and had a snowball fight and started to make a snowman. I got so much cute footage of them playing on my camera. The sound of kids playing happily and laughing is a great sound, but when I know it's because of playing in the snow it makes it all the better. W looked adorable lugging around a huge chunk of snow that she was calling her snowball. Their cheeks turned pink but they had smiles on their faces and we were surrounded by other smiling people who were happy to be playing in the snow too.
After half an hour of getting pink and frostbitten, we headed back inside. They put on a muppet show and I took more pictures and videos. O left and the girls had tea. Then I gave them a warm bath and it felt like the perfect ending to a perfect snow day.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Dude
I'm proud of myself for updating on time. I'm back on track!
I found out upon entering the school today that school is cancelled tomorrow for the upcoming snow storm! I was like, does this mean I don't have to work tomorrow?? But I had 2 days off so I really need to work tomorrow. I've gone 4 days without seeing the girls. That's a long time! W didn't seem really happy to see me at school (like usual) but she was really outgoing and sweet today which was a nice change. She held my hand which is a rarity, so I hope she missed me!
For my snacks at 7-11 I got an apple, a hummus with carrots and celery thing-a-ma-bob, simply naked pita chips, and a greek yogurt. I needed this all to last me for the whole day. W broke into my carrots and hummus in the taxi before she even started eating her snack. I feel bad saying this but it makes me mad that she always eats my snack before she even opens hers. That's so selfish of me. She's 5 years-old. I'm just like, "get your own healthy snack!"
She and her mom made her valentines for her classmates yesterday. By made, I mean put the pre-made valentines in the envelopes and attached a chocolate to them. She was one envelope short and said we needed to make one. Well....I had never made an envelope before...I am NOT crafty. But I made my first envelope out of paper and it came out well! I was pretty impressed with my craftiness!
When M came home she screamed my name and gave me the longest hug. It warmed my heart. I guess she did miss me. She said she felt so sad for me and I told her it was OK. She asked if I cried and then asked me how much I cried. She's a very sympathetic person.
I asked the mom about her wanting me to come over tomorrow since they don't have school and she said she would like me to come over around noon if I can make it through the snow. Ugggggh. That's 2 hours earlier than I would normally go which means I won't be able to make it to the gym! She said she got the girls tickets for a make-your-own muppet thing at F.A.O. Schwartz which we could do tomorrow if we can get out of the house. THAT would be worth going for. I really hope we can do that because it sounds awesome. She came back with this packet for the girls with 3 different body choices for the muppets and then sheets of possible eye, hair, and outfit choices for it. It looks so cool. I want to make my own muppet!
I heard W saying "dude" a lot today. It's the first time I've ever heard her say it and she says it all the time now. She must have picked it up from someone at school. It's really funny.
Today was nice because we got to play. True, actual, little girl playing. We did supermans where they rest their stomach on my feet and I lift them into the air. I used to love doing that with my dad when I was a kid. They giggled a lot and tickled me and played with each other under the comforter. It was nice to hear them laughing so much and getting along with each other. I didn't make M do any homework until T got there because she was able to play with her sister for the first time in forever.
One of my favorite things about them is that they sing all the time. Even if they don't know all the lyrics or the tune, they sing.
I did make W do some of her homework for B before playtime after dinner. She's distinguishing between present tense and past tense verbs. I love that when W does homework she starts to crawl on top of me. She starts leaning on me and then she ends up sitting on my lap. I really enjoy listening to her read. It's really cute when she breaks down the sounds to figure out what the word is.
I definitely spilled some coffee on W's white sheets when we were in bed reading. I played it off really well and blotted it with a wet paper towel right away so I don't think it stained, but I was so scared she was going to tell her mom.
I feel as this has been a very spastic entry. My thoughts were all over the place. Well, it was a good day. Let's see if I can get to their house tomorrow in all the snow! And then if I do, pray for me that we get to go to F.A.O. Schwartz...otherwise, I'm stuck inside with them all day.
I found out upon entering the school today that school is cancelled tomorrow for the upcoming snow storm! I was like, does this mean I don't have to work tomorrow?? But I had 2 days off so I really need to work tomorrow. I've gone 4 days without seeing the girls. That's a long time! W didn't seem really happy to see me at school (like usual) but she was really outgoing and sweet today which was a nice change. She held my hand which is a rarity, so I hope she missed me!
For my snacks at 7-11 I got an apple, a hummus with carrots and celery thing-a-ma-bob, simply naked pita chips, and a greek yogurt. I needed this all to last me for the whole day. W broke into my carrots and hummus in the taxi before she even started eating her snack. I feel bad saying this but it makes me mad that she always eats my snack before she even opens hers. That's so selfish of me. She's 5 years-old. I'm just like, "get your own healthy snack!"
She and her mom made her valentines for her classmates yesterday. By made, I mean put the pre-made valentines in the envelopes and attached a chocolate to them. She was one envelope short and said we needed to make one. Well....I had never made an envelope before...I am NOT crafty. But I made my first envelope out of paper and it came out well! I was pretty impressed with my craftiness!
When M came home she screamed my name and gave me the longest hug. It warmed my heart. I guess she did miss me. She said she felt so sad for me and I told her it was OK. She asked if I cried and then asked me how much I cried. She's a very sympathetic person.
I asked the mom about her wanting me to come over tomorrow since they don't have school and she said she would like me to come over around noon if I can make it through the snow. Ugggggh. That's 2 hours earlier than I would normally go which means I won't be able to make it to the gym! She said she got the girls tickets for a make-your-own muppet thing at F.A.O. Schwartz which we could do tomorrow if we can get out of the house. THAT would be worth going for. I really hope we can do that because it sounds awesome. She came back with this packet for the girls with 3 different body choices for the muppets and then sheets of possible eye, hair, and outfit choices for it. It looks so cool. I want to make my own muppet!
I heard W saying "dude" a lot today. It's the first time I've ever heard her say it and she says it all the time now. She must have picked it up from someone at school. It's really funny.
Today was nice because we got to play. True, actual, little girl playing. We did supermans where they rest their stomach on my feet and I lift them into the air. I used to love doing that with my dad when I was a kid. They giggled a lot and tickled me and played with each other under the comforter. It was nice to hear them laughing so much and getting along with each other. I didn't make M do any homework until T got there because she was able to play with her sister for the first time in forever.
One of my favorite things about them is that they sing all the time. Even if they don't know all the lyrics or the tune, they sing.
I did make W do some of her homework for B before playtime after dinner. She's distinguishing between present tense and past tense verbs. I love that when W does homework she starts to crawl on top of me. She starts leaning on me and then she ends up sitting on my lap. I really enjoy listening to her read. It's really cute when she breaks down the sounds to figure out what the word is.
I definitely spilled some coffee on W's white sheets when we were in bed reading. I played it off really well and blotted it with a wet paper towel right away so I don't think it stained, but I was so scared she was going to tell her mom.
I feel as this has been a very spastic entry. My thoughts were all over the place. Well, it was a good day. Let's see if I can get to their house tomorrow in all the snow! And then if I do, pray for me that we get to go to F.A.O. Schwartz...otherwise, I'm stuck inside with them all day.
Monday, February 8, 2010
For your reading entertainment...
I know it's Monday so I should be updating about my day with the girls, but because of the funeral I didn't have to work today! I'm updating from the airport so I thought I would give you something else to read instead of my fascinating blog....
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/garden/04nannies.html?pagewanted=1&em
Thanks to my friend, Meg, for sending me this. I think it's really interesting and relevant.
Have a good Monday, all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/garden/04nannies.html?pagewanted=1&em
Thanks to my friend, Meg, for sending me this. I think it's really interesting and relevant.
Have a good Monday, all.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Catching Up Continued!
Now for week 2 of my catching up. Are you ready for another long entry? Here goes...
Back to a normal work week, I picked up W from school and took her to B (her tutor). I was worried that because of the incident we had on Friday that she would still be mad at me but surprisingly she was really sweet with me. She even asked if I could take her home from B instead of Mercy! I did and let Mercy stay at B's and take a 45 minute nap in the waiting room.
It was a normal day. Bathtime, dinner, bed. There were some nice moments interjected though. M said to me, "I'm so glad momma picked you". That made me cheer up. Because of the rough day we had on Friday and because I'm a nice nanny, I gave W a little box of gum today that I got at a sushi place. It was little orange gum balls and I thought it was childish enough that it would be OK. We made a deal not to tell her parents that she had it though. The girls and I were in good moods all around, I'm pleased to say.
When I was blow-drying their hair I was singing "Apple Blossom Time", a 1940's standard that I sang in the cabaret in Binghamton. It's a beautiful ballad of a woman singing about how she'll be with her loved one "in apple blossom time" and how they're getting married in May, yada yada. W said it sounded too sad, even though I told her it was a happy song. I thought I would pep it up for her so I sang it upbeat using the hairbrush as a microphone, and dancing all the while. The girls could not stop laughing so it encouraged me to go even further with it and add my own throaty "yeahs" every now and then. It reminded me of the scene from "Stepmom" when Julia Roberts is singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with the kids. The girls wanted a reprise at dinner and made me do it in front of Mercy. Neither parent was home all night so it was another night with just the 4 of us.
W made me a valentine which I thought was really sweet but when she gave it to me, on the back she wrote (in her spelling, mind you, so I had to make it out myself), "I hope J is back. I'm sorry I hope J is back. Love W". "J" is her old nanny, in case I haven't mentioned her before. I didn't really know what to say! That made me so sad! I said, "so do you want her to come back and replace me? Do you want me to leave?" She said no but I was so sad about that. I guess it's understandable that the nanny she had for a long time left and she misses her sometimes. That's perfectly normal and fine. But she wrote it on my valentine! Hmph.
On a side note, I finished "White House Nannies". Really good.
TUESDAY....
I picked up M from school because W had a playdate and went home with her. We swung by the fruit/produce stand again and got more mangoes for snack. When we got home, her mom was back but she was sleeping in bed. M knew she could go in and get her gifts from her mom so she did just that. She came out carrying 2 boxes of toys and 4 new sets of pj's, all from Petit Bateau. I love that store and did not realize they had that in Japan.
There was a moment tonight after dinner when the girls were playing with my earrings and I taught them how to take them out and put them back in. They felt very grown-up doing so and so I let them each take one out and put it back in.
I'm gonna jump straight to bedtime...as I was laying in bed reading with W, she mentioned that because she's a fairy she can go "upstairs", meaning to heaven. I told her my great aunt "went upstairs" last night and asked if she could say "hi" for me. She said she would and I thanked her, got very teary-eyed, and continued reading. It was a very tender moment that felt very profound considering I was sharing it with a 5 year-old. That's probably why it was so profound.
I am worried that I use my phone too much in front of them. Compared to their parents I'm sure that I don't, but I keep my phone in the room with me in case I get an important call or to check the time, but I use it for texting too. I feel like most of the time we're in the taxi or when we're playing in W's room it's vibrating. I don't want them to think I'm not paying attention to them but I guess they're just used to it doing that. I think I worry about that kind of stuff too much.
I didn't see their mother ALL day because she was sleeping from jetlag, except for when she was up for 2 minutes saying bye to her husband who left for Japan that night for a week and a half. They just missed each other in Japan! I asked her if I could have off on Friday to go home for my Aunt's funeral and she was very willing to let me have the day off. That was very nice of her but she wasn't concerned about it at all. She said she could manage. Ha.
WEDNESDAY....
We had a fun play time today. The gifts their mom brought back for them were boxes of a Japanese fake dessert set where you decorate plastic pieces of cake with "icing" and plastic pieces of fruit. It was very bizarre. They were pretending they were the pastry chefs, making me special desserts because I was a famous ballerina who came in everyday for sweets. They asked if I would perform for them while they were baking for me so I obliged. I did a full-on ballet class in their bedroom in my socks while they laughed. They were surprised I was actually pretty decent at ballet. M was like, "you're really good!" It was really fun but I was sweating because their house is always boiling hot. The thermostat is never under 81 degrees.
I gave them nicknames at dinner tonight. Since W loves holding her breath underwater in the bath, I gave her the name of Seal. Because M has so much energy and is always bouncing off the walls, I gave her the name of Roo. Seal and Roo I shall now call them.
Speaking of M having a lot of energy, she told me that she wishes she were a boy. I asked how come and she said because they don't have to act proper and wear nice clothes. I thought that was very interesting. She sure is a tomboy.
I remembered that W had a playdate with her friend between school and ballet tomorrow but that we hadn't worked out the details yet, so I looked up her number in W's class directory and gave her a call right before dinner. W's mom was still sleeping all day and I didn't want to wake her so I took the initiative to set it up. We worked it out that she would take W home with them and take her to ballet and I would meet her at ballet. I filled out and signed the change of dismissal form and put it in W's backpack. I couldn't believe I knew what to do and where those forms were. I guess I've been paying attention better than I thought.
Jumping to bedtime...before reading with W, I wanted to see the videos we recorded of ourselves playing playmobile on her camera. We layed down with our heads together at the foot of her bed and watched the videos. It was very cute.
I still didn't see their mom once all day. She didn't leave her bed. Mercy was worried...I told her it was just jetlag and that she was fine. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.
THURSDAY....moving right along...
I got a text from the mom in the morning saying she would like me to meet W and the other mother at their school and accompany W to the playdate. I did not understand the reasoning behind this. The mother would be perfectly capable of taking care of the 2 girls so why did I have to be there? I was excited about not needing to be anywhere until 3:30. I met them at school and the mother didn't realize I was going to be going home with them (because that's not what we had discussed) but I couldn't go against the mom's wishes. The mother asked , in that case, if I could take the girls to ballet because she was organizing the raffle at her son's school and had a lot of work to do for it. Turns out, they have a personal driver too, and I was pleasantly surprised (and shocked) to find that the driver was a young, cute guy.
We went to their townhouse on 86th and Madison and let me tell you...their place makes my family's place look like a SHACK. I thought having the whole floor of an apartment building overlooking Central Park was deluxe! This family has a house with 6, SIX! floors! The mom said, "don't worry, you don't have to walk them". They have an elevator. Of course they have an elevator. I walked in and it was just a huge space with sculptures and art work and marble floors. It was magnificent. We went straight to the coat closet which impressed me and put their coats and shoes away. Then to the kitchen which was massive with a see-through refrigerator. There was even a back patio with a gorgeous sculpture on it. There were no expenses spared in this house. The housekeeper (or nanny or laundry person, not sure which) came out with her cell phone and was asking all these questions of the mom. For their snack she put out a silver platter with fruit. I wanted to eat it all.
Then we went up the stairs to where the living room/entertaining room was, complete with a grand piano and sexy seating and lighting. Then up another flight to the kid's rooms floor. The dad's personal assistant then came up to let us know it was time to head downstairs because the driver was waiting to take us to ballet. The personal assistant was about a year or 2 older than me and had a bright red mustache and thick red glasses, wearing black dress pants and a colorful striped button down. What?! This is straight out of a movie. R (the personal assistant) escorted us to ballet which I was sad about because I wanted time to flirt with the driver and to read at ballet. R was very nice though and it was nice sharing stories and experiences with each other over ballet class. He said the parents do nothing. They are unemployed yet they have 5 people that work for them. The driver and the housekeeper live with them on the 6h floor and they also have himself, a nanny, and a laundry person. I could not believe it. Then the driver gave us a ride back to our place which was nice. This is not my life. Or is it??
The rest of the day felt normal compared to that. The mom was actually awake today and had dinner with the girls so no dinner for me tonight. Back to reality and cleaning the dishes.
I had to say bye to the girls for the whole weekend because I have off Friday for the funeral.
Now we are up to date and I promise I will try to find more time to update every night like I had intended to from the beginning.
Happy weekend.
Back to a normal work week, I picked up W from school and took her to B (her tutor). I was worried that because of the incident we had on Friday that she would still be mad at me but surprisingly she was really sweet with me. She even asked if I could take her home from B instead of Mercy! I did and let Mercy stay at B's and take a 45 minute nap in the waiting room.
It was a normal day. Bathtime, dinner, bed. There were some nice moments interjected though. M said to me, "I'm so glad momma picked you". That made me cheer up. Because of the rough day we had on Friday and because I'm a nice nanny, I gave W a little box of gum today that I got at a sushi place. It was little orange gum balls and I thought it was childish enough that it would be OK. We made a deal not to tell her parents that she had it though. The girls and I were in good moods all around, I'm pleased to say.
When I was blow-drying their hair I was singing "Apple Blossom Time", a 1940's standard that I sang in the cabaret in Binghamton. It's a beautiful ballad of a woman singing about how she'll be with her loved one "in apple blossom time" and how they're getting married in May, yada yada. W said it sounded too sad, even though I told her it was a happy song. I thought I would pep it up for her so I sang it upbeat using the hairbrush as a microphone, and dancing all the while. The girls could not stop laughing so it encouraged me to go even further with it and add my own throaty "yeahs" every now and then. It reminded me of the scene from "Stepmom" when Julia Roberts is singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with the kids. The girls wanted a reprise at dinner and made me do it in front of Mercy. Neither parent was home all night so it was another night with just the 4 of us.
W made me a valentine which I thought was really sweet but when she gave it to me, on the back she wrote (in her spelling, mind you, so I had to make it out myself), "I hope J is back. I'm sorry I hope J is back. Love W". "J" is her old nanny, in case I haven't mentioned her before. I didn't really know what to say! That made me so sad! I said, "so do you want her to come back and replace me? Do you want me to leave?" She said no but I was so sad about that. I guess it's understandable that the nanny she had for a long time left and she misses her sometimes. That's perfectly normal and fine. But she wrote it on my valentine! Hmph.
On a side note, I finished "White House Nannies". Really good.
TUESDAY....
I picked up M from school because W had a playdate and went home with her. We swung by the fruit/produce stand again and got more mangoes for snack. When we got home, her mom was back but she was sleeping in bed. M knew she could go in and get her gifts from her mom so she did just that. She came out carrying 2 boxes of toys and 4 new sets of pj's, all from Petit Bateau. I love that store and did not realize they had that in Japan.
There was a moment tonight after dinner when the girls were playing with my earrings and I taught them how to take them out and put them back in. They felt very grown-up doing so and so I let them each take one out and put it back in.
I'm gonna jump straight to bedtime...as I was laying in bed reading with W, she mentioned that because she's a fairy she can go "upstairs", meaning to heaven. I told her my great aunt "went upstairs" last night and asked if she could say "hi" for me. She said she would and I thanked her, got very teary-eyed, and continued reading. It was a very tender moment that felt very profound considering I was sharing it with a 5 year-old. That's probably why it was so profound.
I am worried that I use my phone too much in front of them. Compared to their parents I'm sure that I don't, but I keep my phone in the room with me in case I get an important call or to check the time, but I use it for texting too. I feel like most of the time we're in the taxi or when we're playing in W's room it's vibrating. I don't want them to think I'm not paying attention to them but I guess they're just used to it doing that. I think I worry about that kind of stuff too much.
I didn't see their mother ALL day because she was sleeping from jetlag, except for when she was up for 2 minutes saying bye to her husband who left for Japan that night for a week and a half. They just missed each other in Japan! I asked her if I could have off on Friday to go home for my Aunt's funeral and she was very willing to let me have the day off. That was very nice of her but she wasn't concerned about it at all. She said she could manage. Ha.
WEDNESDAY....
We had a fun play time today. The gifts their mom brought back for them were boxes of a Japanese fake dessert set where you decorate plastic pieces of cake with "icing" and plastic pieces of fruit. It was very bizarre. They were pretending they were the pastry chefs, making me special desserts because I was a famous ballerina who came in everyday for sweets. They asked if I would perform for them while they were baking for me so I obliged. I did a full-on ballet class in their bedroom in my socks while they laughed. They were surprised I was actually pretty decent at ballet. M was like, "you're really good!" It was really fun but I was sweating because their house is always boiling hot. The thermostat is never under 81 degrees.
I gave them nicknames at dinner tonight. Since W loves holding her breath underwater in the bath, I gave her the name of Seal. Because M has so much energy and is always bouncing off the walls, I gave her the name of Roo. Seal and Roo I shall now call them.
Speaking of M having a lot of energy, she told me that she wishes she were a boy. I asked how come and she said because they don't have to act proper and wear nice clothes. I thought that was very interesting. She sure is a tomboy.
I remembered that W had a playdate with her friend between school and ballet tomorrow but that we hadn't worked out the details yet, so I looked up her number in W's class directory and gave her a call right before dinner. W's mom was still sleeping all day and I didn't want to wake her so I took the initiative to set it up. We worked it out that she would take W home with them and take her to ballet and I would meet her at ballet. I filled out and signed the change of dismissal form and put it in W's backpack. I couldn't believe I knew what to do and where those forms were. I guess I've been paying attention better than I thought.
Jumping to bedtime...before reading with W, I wanted to see the videos we recorded of ourselves playing playmobile on her camera. We layed down with our heads together at the foot of her bed and watched the videos. It was very cute.
I still didn't see their mom once all day. She didn't leave her bed. Mercy was worried...I told her it was just jetlag and that she was fine. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.
THURSDAY....moving right along...
I got a text from the mom in the morning saying she would like me to meet W and the other mother at their school and accompany W to the playdate. I did not understand the reasoning behind this. The mother would be perfectly capable of taking care of the 2 girls so why did I have to be there? I was excited about not needing to be anywhere until 3:30. I met them at school and the mother didn't realize I was going to be going home with them (because that's not what we had discussed) but I couldn't go against the mom's wishes. The mother asked , in that case, if I could take the girls to ballet because she was organizing the raffle at her son's school and had a lot of work to do for it. Turns out, they have a personal driver too, and I was pleasantly surprised (and shocked) to find that the driver was a young, cute guy.
We went to their townhouse on 86th and Madison and let me tell you...their place makes my family's place look like a SHACK. I thought having the whole floor of an apartment building overlooking Central Park was deluxe! This family has a house with 6, SIX! floors! The mom said, "don't worry, you don't have to walk them". They have an elevator. Of course they have an elevator. I walked in and it was just a huge space with sculptures and art work and marble floors. It was magnificent. We went straight to the coat closet which impressed me and put their coats and shoes away. Then to the kitchen which was massive with a see-through refrigerator. There was even a back patio with a gorgeous sculpture on it. There were no expenses spared in this house. The housekeeper (or nanny or laundry person, not sure which) came out with her cell phone and was asking all these questions of the mom. For their snack she put out a silver platter with fruit. I wanted to eat it all.
Then we went up the stairs to where the living room/entertaining room was, complete with a grand piano and sexy seating and lighting. Then up another flight to the kid's rooms floor. The dad's personal assistant then came up to let us know it was time to head downstairs because the driver was waiting to take us to ballet. The personal assistant was about a year or 2 older than me and had a bright red mustache and thick red glasses, wearing black dress pants and a colorful striped button down. What?! This is straight out of a movie. R (the personal assistant) escorted us to ballet which I was sad about because I wanted time to flirt with the driver and to read at ballet. R was very nice though and it was nice sharing stories and experiences with each other over ballet class. He said the parents do nothing. They are unemployed yet they have 5 people that work for them. The driver and the housekeeper live with them on the 6h floor and they also have himself, a nanny, and a laundry person. I could not believe it. Then the driver gave us a ride back to our place which was nice. This is not my life. Or is it??
The rest of the day felt normal compared to that. The mom was actually awake today and had dinner with the girls so no dinner for me tonight. Back to reality and cleaning the dishes.
I had to say bye to the girls for the whole weekend because I have off Friday for the funeral.
Now we are up to date and I promise I will try to find more time to update every night like I had intended to from the beginning.
Happy weekend.
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