The Original Trailer is a quick treat.
I loved seeing it again. It is full of important reminders for adults and it brings me back to childhood. Truly classic.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Spoon Full of Sugar
Last night I watched Mary Poppins on ABC Family. Oh how I love her! She is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! The quintessential nanny.
The Original Trailer is a quick treat.
I loved seeing it again. It is full of important reminders for adults and it brings me back to childhood. Truly classic.
The Original Trailer is a quick treat.
I loved seeing it again. It is full of important reminders for adults and it brings me back to childhood. Truly classic.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Nanny's Love
Out of the horrors of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai comes this story of a nanny and her charge. Out of evil, good can come.
No More Nanny?
Economic times are tough and it seems, according to this Wall Street Journal article, that families are doing away with the nanny.
When I started with the family I sit for, I was working nearly every day. Then I went down to once every week or two. Now I am only with them once a month.
When I started with the family I sit for, Mommy K was only working two or three days a week. Now she is working full-time. In order to make more money and save more money, Mommy K and Daddy M have arranged their schedules so that one of them is home with the children except for my one day a month. I certainly don't fault them for that. They have a family to take care of and they are doing everything they can to provide for and best care for their family.
I am lucky though. I still get to see their family once a month AND I have a husband who works full-time as a salaried employee for a, thankfully, for the time being, stable and reliable company. My income is our "fun fund" and, while nice and fulfilling, not necessarily necessary.
What if we were depending on my salary? Too scary to contemplate...
I just checked available jobs in my area on Sittercity and found 477 possibilities. Maybe not so scary after all...
When I started with the family I sit for, I was working nearly every day. Then I went down to once every week or two. Now I am only with them once a month.
When I started with the family I sit for, Mommy K was only working two or three days a week. Now she is working full-time. In order to make more money and save more money, Mommy K and Daddy M have arranged their schedules so that one of them is home with the children except for my one day a month. I certainly don't fault them for that. They have a family to take care of and they are doing everything they can to provide for and best care for their family.
I am lucky though. I still get to see their family once a month AND I have a husband who works full-time as a salaried employee for a, thankfully, for the time being, stable and reliable company. My income is our "fun fund" and, while nice and fulfilling, not necessarily necessary.
What if we were depending on my salary? Too scary to contemplate...
I just checked available jobs in my area on Sittercity and found 477 possibilities. Maybe not so scary after all...
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving Books
Check out this post by SmallWorld Reads. There is a list of books at the end of the post.
Then there is this list at about.com.
Wild Rose Reader compiled this list of books and reviews.
For those of you who home school or are looking for fun ways to teach your children about Thanksgiving through books, check this out.
Then there is this list at about.com.
Wild Rose Reader compiled this list of books and reviews.
For those of you who home school or are looking for fun ways to teach your children about Thanksgiving through books, check this out.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving Crafts - Turkeys
When I went to buy trick-or-treat candy on Halloween the store employees were already setting up the Christmas displays.
In an effort to not forget Thanksgiving, I have been searching for and crafting Thanksgiving crafts.
I found this Turkey Shirt at One More Moore's Blog.
A more traditional version of the Turkey shirt is the Hand-Trace Turkey which I remember making in elementary school and beyond. If you want to take the hand-trace turkey a step further, give it more meaning, check this out.
Taking it a step further is the Hand and Foot Turkey.
The great thing about the hand turkey and the hand and foot turkey is that each year you can take them out and display them side by side to see how your children have grown.
In an effort to not forget Thanksgiving, I have been searching for and crafting Thanksgiving crafts.
I found this Turkey Shirt at One More Moore's Blog.
A more traditional version of the Turkey shirt is the Hand-Trace Turkey which I remember making in elementary school and beyond. If you want to take the hand-trace turkey a step further, give it more meaning, check this out.
Taking it a step further is the Hand and Foot Turkey.
The great thing about the hand turkey and the hand and foot turkey is that each year you can take them out and display them side by side to see how your children have grown.
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