School, Sleep, and Wild Abandon

On Monday I played nanny to C&K. It was a whirlwind day. I arrived at 7:45, Mommy K left by 8:00. While C was eating breakfast K woke up and I dressed her and got her a sippy cup of milk. By the time I had K ready to go, C had finished breakfast. I helped C wash-up and get dressed for pre-school. We all bundled up and ventured into the chilly, rainy New England morning to get C to school.

On the way to school C was quiet, in spite of my vain attempts to talk to him about his various activities, what it feels like to be five (his birthday was end of November), school, and the holidays. So, I gave him the most important job of directing me to school as this was the first time I was driving him there. He was very clear and concise and knew his lefts from his rights. This was most fun and woke him up a bit and got him chatting.

We were 10 minutes early to school, but the teachers were there. C showed me his cubby, hung up his jacket, and gave me a little tour of the classroom. Very cute.

10 minutes later, Miss. K the Amazing 18-month-old Bundle of Energy and I arrived back home. She picked strawberries, peaches, and cheerios for breakfast and happily chowed down interrupting bites only to utter contented sighs and yumyums. We read books, played with musical instruments, watched the fish swim around their tank, and gave love to K's stuffed animals and dolls.

K normally takes a nap around 11:00, but Mommy K instructed me to keep her up until it was time to go pick up C from school around 12:30. Mommy K said K would fall asleep in the car and that would be fine. So, at 11:00, I decided to bring K to the library which I thought might stave off the grumpiness that comes with being sleepy, energize her and a keep her awake just a wee bit longer. It worked... for about 40 minutes.

I remembered that there is a playground near C's school which I thought might prove an excellent distraction for K. In the eight minutes it took to drive from the library to the playground, K had drifted off to dreamland. I continued driving the extra three minutes to C's school. We were 45 minutes early for pick up. Having not brought my cell phone or a book with me, I sat and wrote this very rough first-draft of a poem (K's name has been changed to protect her identity):

Kara

Asleep in her carseat, she is peace.
Toe-head rests on left shoulder squishing left cheek like putty.
Transparent eyelids reveal complex maps of purple and blue veins.
Bow-shaped lips part slightly allowing breath.
Chest rises and falls perceptibly, steadily.
All systems go.

What does she dream of?
I wish she could tell me.
I have dreams for her.
As she sleeps, I speak those dreams outloud.
Broad dreams like happiness, fulfillment, love, and inspiration.

"Did you have sweet dreams, Miss. Kara?"
"Puppy, woof woof. Flower pretty. Elmo."
"Sounds wonderful!"
I reach into the diaper bag.
Out come her stuffed puppy, fake flower, and Elmo phone.
She giggles.
I've made her dreams come true.

We are all born into endless possibility.
Hold on to it.
Believe in it.
Pursue it.
Sleep to dream.
Wake-up and live it.
All systems go.

Writing helped the time pass more quickly and soon I had collected C and headed home. At home, K was still sound asleep in her carseat. I got C, the diaperbag and his school bag out of the car, locked it, and got him inside and settled with a juice cup. Then I went back for K who stirred a bit, but settled right into her crib once I lugged her up the stairs. Surprisingly it is her height and not her weight that makes getting her upstairs more difficult at this stage. Maybe that is because I am only 5 feet and 1 inch tall.

K all settled, I sat with C and talked with him about school. I suggested all kinds of fun things we might do, but he just wanted to veg on the couch in front of Noggin for a little bit. So, we did. Then he rode his new scooter around the livingroom and did some tumbling. By this time, K woke up from her nap ready for lunch. I gave her one hotdog (after I removed the skin), leftover spaghettios I found in the fridge, and greenbeans. She found lunch just as delicious as breakfast.

The rain had let up so we went outside and ran and played and imagined with wild abandon. I pulled them around the yard in the wagon which at varying times was a train, spaceship, and racecar. I pushed them on the swings while we named all different animals and things that can fly. We ran from and with monsters, horses, dogs, and dinosaurs.

Then it was snack time and more indoor play before it was time for me to go.

I was pleasantly exhausted and slept incredibly well for 12 hours. I guess you could say, I slept like a baby.