I'm getting stressed out and mad just thinking about today. I thought today was going to be awesome...I could not have been more wrong.
I picked up M from school at 2:45 and it was just us gals because W went home with a friend for a play date. I had an hour with M in which I thought it would be nice to let her play before T came to take her to the museum for a field trip. I gave her her snack and changed her into comfy clothes and before I knew it T was there to take her to the Museum of Natural History. She was early and I thought it would be a good idea to get her math flashcards out of the way before they left since they were going to their weekend home later and there might not be enough time. T offered to do them with her and I got very territorial because that's MY job with her. I timidly said, "OK" but thank goodness M said she wanted me to do them with her. Damn right, M!
They left for the museum at 4:10pm and I had to pick up W from her play date at 4:45pm. I didn't know what I was going to do for all that time so I left at 4:15pm to get an early start. The mom had texted me their address earlier that day so I google-mapped it on my blackberry to know where to go. The map showed me that 150 Park Ave was at Park Ave between 32nd and 33rd streets. That's pretty far from their house on the Upper West Side, especially during rush hour. It was a good thing I left when I did because it took me 45 minutes to get there by taxi! $21 later, I'm at 32nd and Park Ave and do not see the address 150 anywhere. I go inside somewhere and ask why I'm so turned around and the guy told me google maps messes this up all the time and that 150 is actually around 41st St. I'm not about to walk that distance since it's already time for me to get her, so I take another taxi to 41st St. I still don't see #150 anywhere. I see 120 Park Ave and 200 Park Ave but there is no 150 to be found. I stopped and asked several people and they told me to go through Grand Central Station to get there....so I do. Twice. It seemed as if 150 was right in the middle of Grand Central. How can this be?! I asked several people and none of them seemed to have an idea of where it was.
I had called W's mom when I originally got to 41st St telling her the map gave me the wrong direction and I was very close to picking up W and asked if she could call the girl's mother and let her know I was close by. Well after I had walked around, through, and behind Grand Central for a good 15 minutes, I was sweaty and freaking out because now I was a half hour late to pick her up. I finally called W's mom again and said, "I feel really stupid but I cannot find their building anywhere." She says, "1150 Park Ave??" And I said, "1150?! I thought it was 150." She says so calmly, "oh no, it's 1150. I texted it to you". I informed her that I received that text and that it said 150 but not to worry....I would find 1150 right away. I look it up on my phone and it's at 92nd and Park Ave. My family lives at 81st on the other side of the park. I was SO close to them from the very beginning but had gone all the way down to 32nd and then back up to 41st, only to take a THIRD taxi to 92nd. I had spent about $50 at this point in taxis and wasn't sure I would have enough to pay for the taxi home with W.
Humiliated, I got to their apartment an HOUR late to pick up W. She, of course, didn't mind because she got an extra hour to play with her friend. But this would mean she wasn't getting a bath and she would hardly have any time before she had to turn around to leave for Purchase because they leave at 6:30. W was being a darling on the way home and very clingy for the rest of the afternoon. When I got back to their apartment all sweaty and tired at 6:00pm (mind you, this is 2 hours after I left originally), the mom told me she had checked her text she sent me and confirmed that she had, in fact, written 1150. My phone can't receive more than 160 characters in one text message so it had split up her message into 3 different texts and it split up the numbers so all I saw was 150. I could not believe it. Thank G-d she was really understanding about it and said she would be more careful when sending long texts or would text me the cross streets. *sigh*
I got the girl's bags packed for the weekend and bundled them up, and before I knew it, they were off! I took the elevator down with them and W asked if I could come with them to Purchase. She even asked if I would wait with them in the lobby until their dad pulled up in the car. Where did this sudden affection come from?? I don't know but I love it.
I am ready for the weekend. No more Park Avenue adventures for me!!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Butterfly Kisses
I am digging this 2:50 pick-up time. When I got to the school today I saw Mercy there! That was fun seeing her at school. M gets out at 3:05 now, only 15 minutes after W gets out. It seems silly that there's 2 of us to pick them up but today M had to go to Beth and W had ballet.
We had 40 minutes between school and ballet. That seems like a lot of time but when you have to get a snack and get them changed into their ballet clothes, that time goes by veeery quickly. Especially since today I also brought W's friend, O, to ballet. O is the one whose house W went to 2 weeks ago and who has the cute personal driver, B. I like O because she's very outgoing and will talk to anyone, but she's also a smart cookie and can be a smarty pants. O said her mom always gives her a cupcake before ballet and I didn't see what was wrong with a little cupcake before class (and I wanted to look cool) so I took them to a little bakery/cafe right across the street from their ballet class. They didn't have cupcakes so I got them a chocolate muffin. For myself, fresh fruit with fat-free yogurt and granola. Not exactly a chocolate muffin...
I felt bad but I really had to rush them along or else they'd be late for ballet. W told me it was bad to eat too fast because the food may not have digested yet. She's so smart. I had nothing to reply to that because she was right. Then I heard W whisper to O that she should take her time in the bathroom because they wanted to be late for ballet! They don't like the class and therefore wanted to be late. So then O says, "I have to go to the bathroom. NOW." I thought this was part of her ploy to be late so I said she would have to wait until we got to ballet. She said she couldn't hold it and needed to go right then, but I didn't believe her so I said we were right across the street and she could wait 2 minutes. Then she said, "if I go in my pants it's all your fault". Then I started to worry, what if she really does have to go and she goes in her pants? So now I'm starting to panic but I only have 10 minutes to get them across the street, changed into their clothes, and into class, so I hurried them along. Turns out I was right, thank goodness, because when we got there O didn't go straight to the bathroom and she was only in there for 1 minute. Sneaky child.
I was rushing them along so badly trying to get them both in their clothes at the same time and they were not helping. They were dragging their feet walking to the classroom but I managed to get them in only 4 minutes late when they were just starting their circle. I needed a drink after that. I went back into the dressing room and cleaned up the bomb that had exploded of their clothes. I felt like such a bad nanny. I pride myself on always being early for things and always planning enough time to not have to rush. I failed that today. I was finally able to kick back and take a few deep breaths. It was funny- there were only 2 dads there waiting and they were both highly involved in their iphones. After W's class ended and we were walking back to the dressing room, one of the dads stopped me and asked if I knew anyone that could nanny for him in the afternoons. I told him about the agency that I was with shortly and gave him that name so he could find someone from there. I told him I would also ask around my friends and let him know next week at ballet. I felt bad for him but also felt good that he was asking me as if I would have good references.
O's mom met us at ballet to take O home. I get bad vibes from her. She seems so fake and un-involved in her daughter's life. She did offer to take us home though which was very nice of her. I accepted that invitation since that meant B would be driving us home. She asked if it would be alright for him to drop them off at their place first and I didn't mind at all. She asked if we could work out the same situation next week of me bringing both girls to ballet and her meeting us there afterwards and I didn't mind at all. So then it was just me, W, and B driving home. It was nice because B and I talked about our jobs but I had to censor it because W was there.
By the time we got home it was 4:45 which is normally when I get them in their bath for a 5:30 dinner. After kicking back for a little while I realized it was 5:00 and the mom still wanted to give them dinner at 5:30. I should win a medal for giving the girls separate baths AND drying both of their hair in 25 minutes and being ready for dinner before the mom was. It helped that I timed M to see if she could take a bath under 5 minutes. She did it in 3' 47". That's pretty fast. It only took her 1' 17" to get dried off and in her pj's. W rewarded her with 2 silver medals that she had earned for ice-skating and we held a small Olympic medal ceremony for her. It was funny.
The girls finished dinner really quickly so I didn't even get to finish my dinner before they asked me to peel their apples for their dessert. The mom left at 6:30 for a dinner date so it was up to me to make sure everything ran smoothly but I prefer it that way. M got one of her mom's small yoga balls and put it under our shirts to pretend we were pregnant again. I don't know where all this pregnancy obsession is coming from all of a sudden but it's funny.
While M was with T I did W's activity sheets and we colored a little bit too. While we were coloring W asked me if I thought there would be a fire in her place tonight. She's so concerned about fires. It reminds me of when I was really worried about death when I was a kid. I soothed her fears for tonight, at least, by assuring her it wouldn't happen but telling her how they would fix it if there was one and she seemed satisfied with my answer and let it go.
I was so grateful that for reading time I didn't have to read a fairy book tonight. I get so tired of those series. I read a ballet book and then part of the story of "Swan Lake" from a collection of ballet stories. She layed against my arm while I read and it felt so relaxed and she was really listening and not getting distracted. When it was M's turn to read I put on the audio CD of the Swan Lake story and she looked at the pictures from the book in bed while she listened to it. It was a good way to wind down. I went back in later to tuck her in and turn off the lights and she gave me the sweetest goodnight hug ever. I taught her eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses and kissed her on each cheek a few times. It was the most affection she's ever let me give her. When her mom left for dinner she didn't even hug or kiss her goodnight. She just told her to keep her bedtime.
I read to M until 8:25 and then made sure W was really tucked in, and crept out. I like bedtime. It's cozy.
We had 40 minutes between school and ballet. That seems like a lot of time but when you have to get a snack and get them changed into their ballet clothes, that time goes by veeery quickly. Especially since today I also brought W's friend, O, to ballet. O is the one whose house W went to 2 weeks ago and who has the cute personal driver, B. I like O because she's very outgoing and will talk to anyone, but she's also a smart cookie and can be a smarty pants. O said her mom always gives her a cupcake before ballet and I didn't see what was wrong with a little cupcake before class (and I wanted to look cool) so I took them to a little bakery/cafe right across the street from their ballet class. They didn't have cupcakes so I got them a chocolate muffin. For myself, fresh fruit with fat-free yogurt and granola. Not exactly a chocolate muffin...
I felt bad but I really had to rush them along or else they'd be late for ballet. W told me it was bad to eat too fast because the food may not have digested yet. She's so smart. I had nothing to reply to that because she was right. Then I heard W whisper to O that she should take her time in the bathroom because they wanted to be late for ballet! They don't like the class and therefore wanted to be late. So then O says, "I have to go to the bathroom. NOW." I thought this was part of her ploy to be late so I said she would have to wait until we got to ballet. She said she couldn't hold it and needed to go right then, but I didn't believe her so I said we were right across the street and she could wait 2 minutes. Then she said, "if I go in my pants it's all your fault". Then I started to worry, what if she really does have to go and she goes in her pants? So now I'm starting to panic but I only have 10 minutes to get them across the street, changed into their clothes, and into class, so I hurried them along. Turns out I was right, thank goodness, because when we got there O didn't go straight to the bathroom and she was only in there for 1 minute. Sneaky child.
I was rushing them along so badly trying to get them both in their clothes at the same time and they were not helping. They were dragging their feet walking to the classroom but I managed to get them in only 4 minutes late when they were just starting their circle. I needed a drink after that. I went back into the dressing room and cleaned up the bomb that had exploded of their clothes. I felt like such a bad nanny. I pride myself on always being early for things and always planning enough time to not have to rush. I failed that today. I was finally able to kick back and take a few deep breaths. It was funny- there were only 2 dads there waiting and they were both highly involved in their iphones. After W's class ended and we were walking back to the dressing room, one of the dads stopped me and asked if I knew anyone that could nanny for him in the afternoons. I told him about the agency that I was with shortly and gave him that name so he could find someone from there. I told him I would also ask around my friends and let him know next week at ballet. I felt bad for him but also felt good that he was asking me as if I would have good references.
O's mom met us at ballet to take O home. I get bad vibes from her. She seems so fake and un-involved in her daughter's life. She did offer to take us home though which was very nice of her. I accepted that invitation since that meant B would be driving us home. She asked if it would be alright for him to drop them off at their place first and I didn't mind at all. She asked if we could work out the same situation next week of me bringing both girls to ballet and her meeting us there afterwards and I didn't mind at all. So then it was just me, W, and B driving home. It was nice because B and I talked about our jobs but I had to censor it because W was there.
By the time we got home it was 4:45 which is normally when I get them in their bath for a 5:30 dinner. After kicking back for a little while I realized it was 5:00 and the mom still wanted to give them dinner at 5:30. I should win a medal for giving the girls separate baths AND drying both of their hair in 25 minutes and being ready for dinner before the mom was. It helped that I timed M to see if she could take a bath under 5 minutes. She did it in 3' 47". That's pretty fast. It only took her 1' 17" to get dried off and in her pj's. W rewarded her with 2 silver medals that she had earned for ice-skating and we held a small Olympic medal ceremony for her. It was funny.
The girls finished dinner really quickly so I didn't even get to finish my dinner before they asked me to peel their apples for their dessert. The mom left at 6:30 for a dinner date so it was up to me to make sure everything ran smoothly but I prefer it that way. M got one of her mom's small yoga balls and put it under our shirts to pretend we were pregnant again. I don't know where all this pregnancy obsession is coming from all of a sudden but it's funny.
While M was with T I did W's activity sheets and we colored a little bit too. While we were coloring W asked me if I thought there would be a fire in her place tonight. She's so concerned about fires. It reminds me of when I was really worried about death when I was a kid. I soothed her fears for tonight, at least, by assuring her it wouldn't happen but telling her how they would fix it if there was one and she seemed satisfied with my answer and let it go.
I was so grateful that for reading time I didn't have to read a fairy book tonight. I get so tired of those series. I read a ballet book and then part of the story of "Swan Lake" from a collection of ballet stories. She layed against my arm while I read and it felt so relaxed and she was really listening and not getting distracted. When it was M's turn to read I put on the audio CD of the Swan Lake story and she looked at the pictures from the book in bed while she listened to it. It was a good way to wind down. I went back in later to tuck her in and turn off the lights and she gave me the sweetest goodnight hug ever. I taught her eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses and kissed her on each cheek a few times. It was the most affection she's ever let me give her. When her mom left for dinner she didn't even hug or kiss her goodnight. She just told her to keep her bedtime.
I read to M until 8:25 and then made sure W was really tucked in, and crept out. I like bedtime. It's cozy.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Bathtime Pornos
Today was a much, much better day, I'm happy to announce. Today was the first day of the 2:50 pick-up time which is amazing because I get an extra hour and it makes the day go by much more quickly. I talked with that nanny who's about my age and a dancer/actress as well today while waiting for W. I was talking to her about how she juggles her career with the nannying and she said she's just teaching dance now and doing the nannying but she's happy with just that. I'm still not satisfied with my situation. There's not much I can do about it in the moment, however. When W came out she snorted at me! I thought, what the?? But then she said "put it in the piggy!" which is one of the songs from 'Dear Edwina' and they snort in the song. That gave me a good laugh.
There's this one cashier at 7-11 that loves W and calls her his little Japanese girl. It sounds creepy but he just thinks she's really cute. He always says "konichiwa" to her and she never responds because she's really shy. Today before we went in I told her it would be really nice if she said it back to him because that would make him really happy. She didn't do it.
She was hilarious in the cab today. She pointed to a traffic sign that someone had graffitied, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "crazy people draw on signs", with great concern and seriousness. I tried not to laugh and said that the people that do that probably don't have very good manners and she said, "yeah, they probably didn't go to school". I'm glad she knows school is good for you.
We had a lot of fun today. Neither of the girls had after school activities so we had extra time to goof around. I didn't make M do her math flashcards until after dinner because I wanted her to be able to play and her dad wasn't around to tell her to do work. I showed them how to do the elephant lift by wrapping their legs around my waist and falling backwards through my legs. They laughed and laughed. We listened to 'Dear Edwina' AGAIN and sang along and danced. Every free moment they have they put on that CD. They are obsessed and I'm starting to get the songs stuck in my head. While we were coloring and listening to the CD, M told me she liked my friend that played the lead boy. I asked if she thought he was cute and she went "ewww, no!!" but I think she did. :)
M has been doing this weird thing where she gives me a big hug around my waist and then pretends to nurse on my nipples. I'm not sure how I should react to this but instinctively I go "hey!" and push her away because it's so weird. Same goes for when either of them tickle my butt. I'm not sure if I should tell them it's inappropriate to touch other people's private parts because they do it to each other all the time and it's not inappropriate to them, just funny. They were obsessed with the idea of pregnancy tonight which was funny but strange. They would stick out their stomachs and say, "Look! I'm pregnant!" I do a really good pregnant belly so I showed them and then they wanted me to do it for the camera. M told me it hurts a lot when the baby comes out of the mom's belly and that it bleeds a lot. She told me her mom told her that. She also said that you shouldn't go to the bathroom when you're about to have a baby because you might flush the baby down the toilet. She said that almost happened with her. I said I sincerely doubted that but it was funny all the same. M also said that diabetes makes you fat. I don't know where she heard that but I didn't know what to say to that one.
She and W have been on a filming kick lately and film me on their cameras all the time. They film me even when I don't know they're filming. M filmed herself a lot today. She filmed herself singing along to 'Dear Edwina' and then she filmed herself in the bathtub. She propped the camera on the edge of the tub and washed her body and her hair in front of the camera while talking to it giving it a tutorial. It looked wrong to my adult eyes but it was completely innocent to her. When they were eating dinner and I was taking my 20 minutes in W's room, I went through all the videos they took on their cameras and watched the one from M's bath. It was actually a really artistic video. Her camera is waterproof so she took it under water while she rinsed her hair and her hair was floating all around her face and she looked like a mermaid. The girls are actually pretty good at making videos. They zoom in a lot and make it look very artistic.
I've really been enjoying my dinner break. I get roughly 15-25 minutes to be by myself and eat what "dinner" I brought. That's been consisting of an apple and soy crisps lately. I don't get the entire time to sit and relax because I'm also picking up their toys and washing the dishes and refilling their water, but it's a nice change of pace. The mom played 'Dear Edwina' throughout the house while they were eating dinner which I thought was really nice that she did that because she knows how much they love it.
I did flashcards with M between dinner and T because her dad asked me to do them with her every day. I'm supposed to time her on the stopwatch and record her time and how many mistakes she makes. It's rough. While we were running them I heard W slip in the bathroom and I asked if she was OK and she said yeah but then I heard her crying so I abruptly ended the flashcards and ran in the bathroom. She had slipped off the stepstool and hit her knee on it. She was fine but crying pretty hard. I cheered her up by making sure she could still dance to "Hola Lola", one of the songs in 'Dear Edwina'. Then while M was with T, I did activity sheets with W so she could earn her scholar dollars. She had to draw a sheep in one of the exercises and she said, "this is not a work of art". That seemed like such a mature phrase coming from a 5 year-old.
Today was fun and a good mix of work and play. The only thing that really has been bothering me is how often W brings up J, their old nanny. I know I've mentioned this before but I really hate when W says, "Well J let us do this...". She'll show me a picture of something she drew and say, "I did this with J" or show me something she wrote and J's name will be on it. I understand they were together for about 6 months and now it's like J is the ex and traces of her are showing up everywhere. Isn't it silly that I'm getting jealous of an old sitter? I'm the jealous new girlfriend who feels as if my lover is still in love with their ex. I don't want to be that person.
There's this one cashier at 7-11 that loves W and calls her his little Japanese girl. It sounds creepy but he just thinks she's really cute. He always says "konichiwa" to her and she never responds because she's really shy. Today before we went in I told her it would be really nice if she said it back to him because that would make him really happy. She didn't do it.
She was hilarious in the cab today. She pointed to a traffic sign that someone had graffitied, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "crazy people draw on signs", with great concern and seriousness. I tried not to laugh and said that the people that do that probably don't have very good manners and she said, "yeah, they probably didn't go to school". I'm glad she knows school is good for you.
We had a lot of fun today. Neither of the girls had after school activities so we had extra time to goof around. I didn't make M do her math flashcards until after dinner because I wanted her to be able to play and her dad wasn't around to tell her to do work. I showed them how to do the elephant lift by wrapping their legs around my waist and falling backwards through my legs. They laughed and laughed. We listened to 'Dear Edwina' AGAIN and sang along and danced. Every free moment they have they put on that CD. They are obsessed and I'm starting to get the songs stuck in my head. While we were coloring and listening to the CD, M told me she liked my friend that played the lead boy. I asked if she thought he was cute and she went "ewww, no!!" but I think she did. :)
M has been doing this weird thing where she gives me a big hug around my waist and then pretends to nurse on my nipples. I'm not sure how I should react to this but instinctively I go "hey!" and push her away because it's so weird. Same goes for when either of them tickle my butt. I'm not sure if I should tell them it's inappropriate to touch other people's private parts because they do it to each other all the time and it's not inappropriate to them, just funny. They were obsessed with the idea of pregnancy tonight which was funny but strange. They would stick out their stomachs and say, "Look! I'm pregnant!" I do a really good pregnant belly so I showed them and then they wanted me to do it for the camera. M told me it hurts a lot when the baby comes out of the mom's belly and that it bleeds a lot. She told me her mom told her that. She also said that you shouldn't go to the bathroom when you're about to have a baby because you might flush the baby down the toilet. She said that almost happened with her. I said I sincerely doubted that but it was funny all the same. M also said that diabetes makes you fat. I don't know where she heard that but I didn't know what to say to that one.
She and W have been on a filming kick lately and film me on their cameras all the time. They film me even when I don't know they're filming. M filmed herself a lot today. She filmed herself singing along to 'Dear Edwina' and then she filmed herself in the bathtub. She propped the camera on the edge of the tub and washed her body and her hair in front of the camera while talking to it giving it a tutorial. It looked wrong to my adult eyes but it was completely innocent to her. When they were eating dinner and I was taking my 20 minutes in W's room, I went through all the videos they took on their cameras and watched the one from M's bath. It was actually a really artistic video. Her camera is waterproof so she took it under water while she rinsed her hair and her hair was floating all around her face and she looked like a mermaid. The girls are actually pretty good at making videos. They zoom in a lot and make it look very artistic.
I've really been enjoying my dinner break. I get roughly 15-25 minutes to be by myself and eat what "dinner" I brought. That's been consisting of an apple and soy crisps lately. I don't get the entire time to sit and relax because I'm also picking up their toys and washing the dishes and refilling their water, but it's a nice change of pace. The mom played 'Dear Edwina' throughout the house while they were eating dinner which I thought was really nice that she did that because she knows how much they love it.
I did flashcards with M between dinner and T because her dad asked me to do them with her every day. I'm supposed to time her on the stopwatch and record her time and how many mistakes she makes. It's rough. While we were running them I heard W slip in the bathroom and I asked if she was OK and she said yeah but then I heard her crying so I abruptly ended the flashcards and ran in the bathroom. She had slipped off the stepstool and hit her knee on it. She was fine but crying pretty hard. I cheered her up by making sure she could still dance to "Hola Lola", one of the songs in 'Dear Edwina'. Then while M was with T, I did activity sheets with W so she could earn her scholar dollars. She had to draw a sheep in one of the exercises and she said, "this is not a work of art". That seemed like such a mature phrase coming from a 5 year-old.
Today was fun and a good mix of work and play. The only thing that really has been bothering me is how often W brings up J, their old nanny. I know I've mentioned this before but I really hate when W says, "Well J let us do this...". She'll show me a picture of something she drew and say, "I did this with J" or show me something she wrote and J's name will be on it. I understand they were together for about 6 months and now it's like J is the ex and traces of her are showing up everywhere. Isn't it silly that I'm getting jealous of an old sitter? I'm the jealous new girlfriend who feels as if my lover is still in love with their ex. I don't want to be that person.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"Follow the Chinese Silk Road"
That title was supposed to be sung to the tune of "Follow the yellow brick road". Did you get that? I thought that was clever but then realized that probably didn't translate.
The girls didn't have school AGAIN because of the snow, even though there wasn't enough for school to be canceled in my opinion. I arrived at their house at 12:30 again. The second I arrived, the mom informed me that W's friend was coming over in half an hour and they wanted to have a tea party using M's nice tea set which I could find in her room and she told me that she had laid out sweets for them. The girls were eating lunch (chocolate croissants) at the kitchen table and watching "Arthur" on TV. They NEVER watch TV. I look at what the sweets are that the mom has put out for their tea party and it's brownies and cookies. Here they are eating chocolate croissants for lunch and they're going to have MORE sugar and chocolate in half an hour. Does she not worry about their diet at all?! She lets them eat so unhealthily it makes me upset. Nevermind the fact that I'M the one who's going to be dealing with them once they've had all that sugar.
The mom is really giving me a lot more responsibility. I'm glad she's trusting of me and lets me take charge of situations more than she used to. Instead of feeling like the fourth wheel I feel as if I'm turning the wheel. Did that make sense? That was pretty poetic and deep in a bad way.
W's friend, D, came over and the girls made a fort out of blankets while I made the tea and set it up nicely on a tray. They wanted to have the tea party on M's floor and I let them as long as they were careful with the crumbs. M's tea set was a beautiful china set that looked as if it had never been touched before.
I took pictures of the snow from the dining room windows in the meantime because the park and trees were blanketed in snow and the view was beautiful.
After their tea party my girls wanted to color in their coloring books but D wanted to play with playmobile. I could tell D wanted someone else to play with because playmobile's no fun to play by yourself. I told W she needed to play with D because she was her guest and that's what's polite. W whined about it and I told her that was rude because D was her friend and she needed to cater to her wants. Teaching her basic manners....these are important things that will serve her well for her entire life. She'll thank me later.
Once D left M said she wanted to go to the Museum of Natural History and I thought that was a great idea because I was anxious to get out of the house....and because I had never been and really wanted to see it for free. The mom renewed their family membership online and so we were able to just walk across the street and go for free. (It's crazy how much I had to bundle them up to prepare them for walking literally right across the street). There was a special exhibit on the Silk Road that they wanted to see. The next time they were letting people in was at 4:30 and I figured that would be too late because their bathtime is at 4:45 and dinner is at 6. I called the mom anyway because they looked like they were about to cry when I said we couldn't do it. M actually did start tearing up. The mom, to my surprise, said that was fine and they perked up immediately. They were really testing my patience because M kept running ahead and I was scared I was going to lose sight of her. They would whine about taking pictures and about certain places within the museum they wanted to see. I was ready to go home because I was hoping they wouldn't be acting like spoiled brats at home. The exhibit was cool except I didn't get to read much about it because the girls weren't interested in reading about any of it; they just wanted to skim through and see the main attractions.
They acted much better once we got home. W is obsessed with me doing splits every time I wear leggings. Whenever I wear them she asks me to do the splits and makes me hold it there until she says "go". It sucks.
Everything from then on was normal. The mom asked if I would stay until 8:20pm from now on because T has been leaving late and M hasn't had her whole half hour of reading time. I don't mind. I like Harry Potter.
The girls didn't have school AGAIN because of the snow, even though there wasn't enough for school to be canceled in my opinion. I arrived at their house at 12:30 again. The second I arrived, the mom informed me that W's friend was coming over in half an hour and they wanted to have a tea party using M's nice tea set which I could find in her room and she told me that she had laid out sweets for them. The girls were eating lunch (chocolate croissants) at the kitchen table and watching "Arthur" on TV. They NEVER watch TV. I look at what the sweets are that the mom has put out for their tea party and it's brownies and cookies. Here they are eating chocolate croissants for lunch and they're going to have MORE sugar and chocolate in half an hour. Does she not worry about their diet at all?! She lets them eat so unhealthily it makes me upset. Nevermind the fact that I'M the one who's going to be dealing with them once they've had all that sugar.
The mom is really giving me a lot more responsibility. I'm glad she's trusting of me and lets me take charge of situations more than she used to. Instead of feeling like the fourth wheel I feel as if I'm turning the wheel. Did that make sense? That was pretty poetic and deep in a bad way.
W's friend, D, came over and the girls made a fort out of blankets while I made the tea and set it up nicely on a tray. They wanted to have the tea party on M's floor and I let them as long as they were careful with the crumbs. M's tea set was a beautiful china set that looked as if it had never been touched before.
I took pictures of the snow from the dining room windows in the meantime because the park and trees were blanketed in snow and the view was beautiful.
After their tea party my girls wanted to color in their coloring books but D wanted to play with playmobile. I could tell D wanted someone else to play with because playmobile's no fun to play by yourself. I told W she needed to play with D because she was her guest and that's what's polite. W whined about it and I told her that was rude because D was her friend and she needed to cater to her wants. Teaching her basic manners....these are important things that will serve her well for her entire life. She'll thank me later.
Once D left M said she wanted to go to the Museum of Natural History and I thought that was a great idea because I was anxious to get out of the house....and because I had never been and really wanted to see it for free. The mom renewed their family membership online and so we were able to just walk across the street and go for free. (It's crazy how much I had to bundle them up to prepare them for walking literally right across the street). There was a special exhibit on the Silk Road that they wanted to see. The next time they were letting people in was at 4:30 and I figured that would be too late because their bathtime is at 4:45 and dinner is at 6. I called the mom anyway because they looked like they were about to cry when I said we couldn't do it. M actually did start tearing up. The mom, to my surprise, said that was fine and they perked up immediately. They were really testing my patience because M kept running ahead and I was scared I was going to lose sight of her. They would whine about taking pictures and about certain places within the museum they wanted to see. I was ready to go home because I was hoping they wouldn't be acting like spoiled brats at home. The exhibit was cool except I didn't get to read much about it because the girls weren't interested in reading about any of it; they just wanted to skim through and see the main attractions.
They acted much better once we got home. W is obsessed with me doing splits every time I wear leggings. Whenever I wear them she asks me to do the splits and makes me hold it there until she says "go". It sucks.
Everything from then on was normal. The mom asked if I would stay until 8:20pm from now on because T has been leaving late and M hasn't had her whole half hour of reading time. I don't mind. I like Harry Potter.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Do You Have Some Cheese To Go With That Whine?
The girls really tested my patience today. They didn't have school because it was President's Day and they fought with each other and whined ALL day. The day didn't start off badly, at least. When I got there they were both wearing frilly, ballerina-looking skirts with aprons over top. They were making "garbage soup" which was their own concoction of stuff in the kitchen. Their cook was cooking in the kitchen and they were running around her making their own soup. It was pretty cute and reminded me of when I made "potions" in the bathtub when I was a kid.
That didn't last too long before they wanted to go play. I'm happy to see how much they really love listening to the music of 'Dear Edwina'. We literally listened to it all day and M was singing the words to all the songs. It's amazing how fast she learned some of the songs by heart! I kept turning down the volume because I was worried the parents (who were both home!) would be annoyed with the music. M was singing along really loudly and instead of being happy that she liked singing I'm sad that I was more worried about the parents not wanting her to sing. I feel as if they would never let her pursue a career in acting or singing because they wouldn't think it paid enough. I feel as if the dad wants her to be a doctor or a concert pianist/violinist or something honorable.
I had a fun time singing and dancing with them to the soundtrack though. We played that game where I'm the ballerina and I dance for them while they make my desserts. I had so much fun doing it today though because I danced full out to one of the songs on the 'Dear Edwina' recording and it felt really good! I'm teaching them some ballet steps and they're really into it. Then I took videos on their cameras of them dancing to the same song. They got so into it!
It all went downhill after that. I think the dancing tired them out and they became whiny and fought each other on everything. I suggested we get outside because it was really sunny and beautiful despite being cold. I suggested we go to a museum and they couldn't decide on one they both wanted to go to. I said we could just walk around the park and they shot that down too. The dad came in while we were trying to think of places we could go and he said they needed to do some work. M had to read an entire book and her addition flashcards and W had to do 10 pages of activity workbook sheets. Seriously?! It's their day off and that's more homework than they would have on a school night! Their dad makes me mad. Let them play, geezus! M could not have been more upset about this. She did NOT want to do any work and whined about it the entire time she read to me.
I had gotten a text from the mom earlier that said it sounded like we were having so much fun she didn't want to interrupt to say bye but that she left and would be back in 2-3 hours. Then when I was reading with M the dad left to go to the office, so we were left home alone. For some reason Mercy wasn't there today so on top of doing their homework with them and doing all my normal chores, I was cleaning more than normal too. I was changing their towels and wiping off the tables. This was a very stressful day on many levels.
Meanwhile, it's almost 3:00pm and getting too late to go anywhere now because they have to take their bath at 4:45. Once M is done with her work I switch and go help W with her worksheets. Only 2 worksheets in, the dad calls the house to tell me it's really nice out and I should take the girls for a walk in the park. So what is it? Make them do the buttload of homework you assigned them or let them get fresh air? I was really pissed off about that. He tells me they need to do all this work and then calls to tell me I should take them outside. It would be one thing if I didn't have to do all that by myself, but I do. They didn't even want to go outside but I was hoping the fresh air would eliminate the funk that was in the air with them all day.
I got them changed into warm clothes and we went to Central Park for half an hour. There was still a lot of snow on the ground and I didn't think about that so I didn't put on their snow boots. They were wearing tennis shoes and cotton pants and I didn't want them walking in the snow in that because I thought they would catch a cold. M was really mad at me for that one. I think she was really tired all day and so she found something to complain about every step of the way. They ended up having a good time in the part of the snow I would let them in and I took videos of them making large snowballs.
When we got home they started fighting with each other right away so I made them take separate baths which they were fine with. W wanted to shock me with another super fast bath which I didn't mind at all. We colored in coloring books between bath and dinner which I had missed doing. The mom and I have been very chummy with each other. I feel so much more comfortable around her for some reason and we were really getting along while she was heating up their dinner. I'm realizing she's really not a bad mother, she's just never around them. Ok, so that sounds like bad mothering, but when she's with them she's really good. I'm realizing it's the dad that's so strict. After dinner the mom asked if they wanted to play 'Dear Edwina' on the speaker system that would play it in every room in the house. That is a cool feature. She couldn't figure it out so we couldn't do it, but I thought that was so cool of her to try and do that.
T came for M and W and I did our reading. I feel closer to W than I do M because I'm with her so much more. I let W take bites out of my apples and I share chapstick with her. I've also resorted to clipping her nails since it doesn't seem like anyone else does it. Her nails grow really fast and she kept cutting herself with her jagged nails. I've cut her finger and toe nails on two occasions now because they grow so fast. She gets nervous but she's pretty brave about it.
W was telling me how her grandma gave her and M diamond necklaces in the shape of a heart for Valentine's day. It's not even like she's bragging about it; she's just happy to have a diamond necklace. It's special to her. She showed me the pearl necklace her dad got her for her birthday last year too. I think it's nice she's not bragging about it...she simply thinks it's beautiful and wants to show it off.
I hope tomorrow is easier. They've already cancelled school because of the predicted snow and I'm hoping it won't be a repeat of today.
That didn't last too long before they wanted to go play. I'm happy to see how much they really love listening to the music of 'Dear Edwina'. We literally listened to it all day and M was singing the words to all the songs. It's amazing how fast she learned some of the songs by heart! I kept turning down the volume because I was worried the parents (who were both home!) would be annoyed with the music. M was singing along really loudly and instead of being happy that she liked singing I'm sad that I was more worried about the parents not wanting her to sing. I feel as if they would never let her pursue a career in acting or singing because they wouldn't think it paid enough. I feel as if the dad wants her to be a doctor or a concert pianist/violinist or something honorable.
I had a fun time singing and dancing with them to the soundtrack though. We played that game where I'm the ballerina and I dance for them while they make my desserts. I had so much fun doing it today though because I danced full out to one of the songs on the 'Dear Edwina' recording and it felt really good! I'm teaching them some ballet steps and they're really into it. Then I took videos on their cameras of them dancing to the same song. They got so into it!
It all went downhill after that. I think the dancing tired them out and they became whiny and fought each other on everything. I suggested we get outside because it was really sunny and beautiful despite being cold. I suggested we go to a museum and they couldn't decide on one they both wanted to go to. I said we could just walk around the park and they shot that down too. The dad came in while we were trying to think of places we could go and he said they needed to do some work. M had to read an entire book and her addition flashcards and W had to do 10 pages of activity workbook sheets. Seriously?! It's their day off and that's more homework than they would have on a school night! Their dad makes me mad. Let them play, geezus! M could not have been more upset about this. She did NOT want to do any work and whined about it the entire time she read to me.
I had gotten a text from the mom earlier that said it sounded like we were having so much fun she didn't want to interrupt to say bye but that she left and would be back in 2-3 hours. Then when I was reading with M the dad left to go to the office, so we were left home alone. For some reason Mercy wasn't there today so on top of doing their homework with them and doing all my normal chores, I was cleaning more than normal too. I was changing their towels and wiping off the tables. This was a very stressful day on many levels.
Meanwhile, it's almost 3:00pm and getting too late to go anywhere now because they have to take their bath at 4:45. Once M is done with her work I switch and go help W with her worksheets. Only 2 worksheets in, the dad calls the house to tell me it's really nice out and I should take the girls for a walk in the park. So what is it? Make them do the buttload of homework you assigned them or let them get fresh air? I was really pissed off about that. He tells me they need to do all this work and then calls to tell me I should take them outside. It would be one thing if I didn't have to do all that by myself, but I do. They didn't even want to go outside but I was hoping the fresh air would eliminate the funk that was in the air with them all day.
I got them changed into warm clothes and we went to Central Park for half an hour. There was still a lot of snow on the ground and I didn't think about that so I didn't put on their snow boots. They were wearing tennis shoes and cotton pants and I didn't want them walking in the snow in that because I thought they would catch a cold. M was really mad at me for that one. I think she was really tired all day and so she found something to complain about every step of the way. They ended up having a good time in the part of the snow I would let them in and I took videos of them making large snowballs.
When we got home they started fighting with each other right away so I made them take separate baths which they were fine with. W wanted to shock me with another super fast bath which I didn't mind at all. We colored in coloring books between bath and dinner which I had missed doing. The mom and I have been very chummy with each other. I feel so much more comfortable around her for some reason and we were really getting along while she was heating up their dinner. I'm realizing she's really not a bad mother, she's just never around them. Ok, so that sounds like bad mothering, but when she's with them she's really good. I'm realizing it's the dad that's so strict. After dinner the mom asked if they wanted to play 'Dear Edwina' on the speaker system that would play it in every room in the house. That is a cool feature. She couldn't figure it out so we couldn't do it, but I thought that was so cool of her to try and do that.
T came for M and W and I did our reading. I feel closer to W than I do M because I'm with her so much more. I let W take bites out of my apples and I share chapstick with her. I've also resorted to clipping her nails since it doesn't seem like anyone else does it. Her nails grow really fast and she kept cutting herself with her jagged nails. I've cut her finger and toe nails on two occasions now because they grow so fast. She gets nervous but she's pretty brave about it.
W was telling me how her grandma gave her and M diamond necklaces in the shape of a heart for Valentine's day. It's not even like she's bragging about it; she's just happy to have a diamond necklace. It's special to her. She showed me the pearl necklace her dad got her for her birthday last year too. I think it's nice she's not bragging about it...she simply thinks it's beautiful and wants to show it off.
I hope tomorrow is easier. They've already cancelled school because of the predicted snow and I'm hoping it won't be a repeat of today.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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