The Days In Between: Don't Forget to Remember: My Kids.

(deep breath)

Ok.

I've been baby-sitting for a very long time. And it hasn't always been pretty. For a long time, most days found me tired and sick of kids by the time I got home. In fact, right after I graduated college, I joined a nanny agency here in Nashville and when I first signed on with them, I had a pretty rough time with my situation. I was sitting for a family with a 2 year old and twin nine month olds, and most of the time I came home exhausted and not-so-fond of children (and only after 7 hours!). It scared me. Was I not cut out for kids? Did I really hate children? Why was this job so trying? Why was I hating my life? (for some reason, it failed to dawn on me that I was in an extremely unique (and terrifying) situation... the average American family does not have 3 kids under the age of 3, all in bottles and all in diapers.... this is obvious to me now. )

About 2 years ago things began to change. I quit my day job to freelance in music and decided to risk a couple of "permanent placements" (families you see once a week or more for an extended period of time) in order to ensure that some money was always coming in... by some stroke of luck, or more likely by God smiling on me, I was matched up with Catherine.... six months later I was matched with Georgia and Harper.

I don't know how I got so lucky.

I plan to adopt when I am 33, and these girls restored my hopes that I may be a good mother. I can only hope that my own kids are as fun and precious as these little ladies.

When I met Catherine, she was 20 months old. Just shy of 2. She was a talker, so much so that most people assumed she was 3. I was the first person to ever give her popcorn and marshmellows (and probably tons of other junk food). I taught her how to decorate Christmas cookies. We baked together. I'd take her to Target and we'd shop, I'd make her mix CD's and we'd sing in the car. We went to the library, to the zoo, to the mall. We'd read together and go to the park (where people assumed she was mine). I took her to fly her first kite. The first time she told me she loved me, I cried.

Today Catherine is 3. She's potty-trained and even more talkative than before (which is hard to believe), she's even about to be a big sister!! Now she has a "big girl bed" and she knows Danica loves her. Today we said good-bye and I didn't cry (till I got to the car). I will miss my Catherine. (and her parents, who are super nice and have spent many a lunch hour talking to me about my boring life and/or how cool their daughter is).

When I met Georgia and Harper, they were 26 and 7 months old. Harper couldn't walk, and I had a hard time understanding what Georgia was saying. my first day at their house I was completely stressed out because Harper screamed non-stop for the first half hour before falling asleep. Turned out she was running a fever and had a double ear infection. As time went by, I was one of the first to see Harper walk and I came to understand Georgia who, like catherine, talks more and more every day.

Today Georgia and Harper are 3 and 1 and a half. Georgia memorizes everything.. especially songs, which she loves to sing. She is in love with pizza and the movie Cars. I've watched her learn to start reading and work puzzles. She calls me Dane-ka, and often asks to watch "Sugarlala" (Cinderella) Together we "cook" in her kitchen, work puzzles, color pictures and read books. The first time she told me she loved me, I wanted to hug her forever and never let go. As for Harper, she is starting to talk and is always into something, her new fetish is climbing on things and getting indignant when she doesn't get her way. It's totally cute. We said good-bye yesterday and I didn't cry (till I got to the car). I will miss my Georgia and Harper. (and her parents who are way too good to me and have spent many a lunch hour talking to me about my life, Obama, and their crazy kids =))

In a strange way, these people have been my Nashville family over the past 2 years. Leaving them is very difficult for me. Knowing that these girls will grow up without me makes me very, very sad. I know I'm not meant to nanny forever, but I will miss being a part of the lives of these families.

As a going away present I took the girls to Brushfire Pottery studios for a painting and cake party. I made a castle cake and we all painted together. It was awesome.

I'm so so thankful to have been matched up with 2 amazingly generous, inspirational and loving families with cool kids.

I'm so blessed.

Christmas Cookie 101

Press down like so..

"Is it ready yet?"

"I'm a princess and I'm going to go to disney world on an airplane with mommy and daddy and I'm going to have a princess party with princess plates and princess napkins and..."