Yesterday he said my name! My stomach evaporated into giddy butterflies and a smile filled my face. After three weeks, this was the first time I’d heard my name from his mouth. “’Mon, Sashy! ‘Mon!” His big, brown eyes were too much for me to refuse…so I climbed through the narrow opening and joined him on the trampoline and together we yelled, “Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!” then would collapse in a fit of giggles, just to get up and do it all over again.
This little thief who has stolen my heart is not the only culprit, he has three accomplices, all under the age of ten.
A few weeks ago I started a nannying job with a family who lives about a half hour away from me. They have four kids, Will, age 9, Taylor, age 7, Ben age 2, and Andrew, age 6-months. They are all brown-eyed sweeties and I love that I get paid to play with them!
The jumping bean cutie is Ben, today he came running through the house to the living room where I was feeding Andrew (or Jew-jew as he is called, named so by Ben). I could barely pick out my name among the toddler babble, but there was no doubt who he was looking for when he rounded the corner and greeted me with a giggling “Sashy!” (pronounced Ss-AH-shee). “Jumping bean” is pretty much the perfect way to describe this little blonde ball of energy. The first day I worked with them, Ben spent 90% of the night literally bouncing around and around the island in the kitchen. If he’s not jumping he’s running, if he’s not running he’s probably demanding a airplane or horsy ride. (note to self, do not initiate or suggest rides of any kind to a two year old unless absolutely necessary, or else he WILL demand you continue carrying him around and around the living room, and up and down the stairs for hours on end until you can no longer stand straight!) The only way to get Ben to sit and stay is to put on his favorite show, Mickey Mouse Playhouse. He loves his “Mouse” and will sit contentedly for however long it takes to change the baby’s diaper and put him to nap.
After awhile things have calmed down and the kids hit the homework. Sometimes I help Taylor with her math or reading, sometimes I help keep Ben and Andrew occupied and quiet or just out of the way. Will doesn’t usually need too much help, sometimes he asks me to help him with a math problem or two, but all I’ve ever had to do is watch as he works the problem and pretend I’m doing something. I think he just likes having some attention too :-)
Somewhere in the mix of homework and playing dinner is eaten, usually we all just pull up a stool at the island. It there was a center of the universe of this family, the kitchen island would be it, everything happens there! However, we did eat dinner one night in the dinning room at Taylor’s insistence. The night before was Valentines Day, and to make the night special Mrs. W. had decorated the dinning room with paper hearts hanging from the ceiling, and the parents had gotten the kids a balloon bouquet with a giant, floating monkey the size of Ben which took up a corner of the room, and the family had a nice dinner in there. I didn’t stay long enough for dinner that night, but the next night, still riding of the excitement of the spruced up dining room, Taylor wanted us to eat in there rather then the island. Of course we complied.
Taylor is the little princess of the family (in the sweetest possible way). You'd think with three brothers she would take after them more, but no. Her bedroom, all pink (even with a small-ish chandelier!) proudly proclaims in painted letters that “this is where the princess sleeps” above the bed. One night, Mr. and Mrs. W. took Will and Taylor out to a nice dinner and left me with the younger boys. Soon after I arrived, Taylor asked me to come with her and help her pick out an outfit. I could tell she loved the thought of getting dressed up all nice and pretty as she perused her options in her closet, finally settling on a floofy red skirt, a red top with a sequenced rose on the front, and cute little black heels. Of course after donning her apparel she finished the look off with a black and purple plaid headband, a plastic beaded bracelet and a necklace with a chunky golden pendent. Satisfied with her ensemble, she pranced down the stairs (perhaps clicking her heels a little louder then usual against the hardwood steps) and I followed her as she sashayed into the kitchen and literally struck a pose and announced to her waiting family “I’m ready!” She felt beautiful and she was, shorts peeking out from under her skirt and all.
This family is so much fun and I love going to work everyday, even if I come home covered in baby slim, spit up and pee, mud, and peanut butter and jelly. It’s worth it. And it’s practice. Many jobs these days require a practicum, or an internship, so you can become familiar with the career you're studying. Well, my dream job is to be a stay-at-home, home school mom. Having this chance to get up close and personal with these kids is giving me a sort of internship into motherhood. I get to see it all! The messy diapers, the cranky and loud wails, those moments of desperately wishing they would fall asleep, the feeding, the process of keeping one occupied while tending to another, keeping the house clean, even helping with homework is preparing me for teaching my own kids! And even with all the hard stuff, the fun stuff by far outweighs it all.
One of our professors at Focus asked us "What is a job you love doing so much, that you would do it even without pay? I suggest you find someone to pay you to do it." Well, Dr. Leland, I've found such a job.
