Insert Grace Here

This post will not be a flowing stream of cohesive thoughts. Instead, I’ll do my best to list the various and sundry {That’s redundant; that’s repetitive. Like my daily life.} happenings in a day in the life of Nanny-sitting.

The following are duties, situations, events and adventures which may explain my sudden outbursts or changes in moods to my family. At the very least, they may help to outline areas that need tweaking. At best, someone will begin a prayer group on my behalf, start a fast or call a solemn assembly.

• Refereeing:  Refereeing between my five-year-old daughter and two-year-old grandson is exhausting. Sophie is convinced that Gavin’s compliance with her bossing goes with the territory of being an aunt regardless of age. Refereeing between my 19 year old and five-year-old is equally exhausting. Sophie also thinks she holds the power to ground Courtney. Sometimes I’m tempted to surrender authority to her and walk away.
• The potty:  Trying to encourage Gavin’s interest while discouraging Oliver’s is challenging. While we did have success with Gavin today, Oliver nearly nose-dived for a swim. EWE and SCARY!
• Diapers and Pull-up changes:  There’s no other way to say it. Poop. Sometimes I feel like it’s all I deal with. I’m still thinking that Eat, Poop, Cry might be an idea for a book. On one particular day I changed seven poop diapers on ONE kid. Grabbing the wrong diaper and/or Pull-up is not the only concern. I’ve been known to send a wet diaper home in the dirty jammies’ bag. Souvenir?
• The pacifiers:  The dentist sent word for Mommy about her concerns over Gavin’s pacifier use—how it has already affected his bite and could affect his jaw alignment should he continue to use it. Mom decided we would start weaning him right away using the method that many {including the dentist} have suggested, used and had success—snipping the end. While he is holding it in his hand the majority of the time, he has yet to fully surrender it. “I broke nu-nu, Nanny,” he’s told me 254 times. Oliver has used the hospital pacifiers until now. He recently started biting them and nearly ripping them in half. SCARY!  He is now using {today is the first time at my house} the same Nuk style that Gavin uses. He’s about as thrilled with this as Gavin is with his snipped nu-nus and for the most part holds it in his hand. I can see this going one of two ways: they both wean quickly and HOORAH for everyone! Or they hang on to them and Gavin tries to claim Oliver’s fully in tact nu-nus to replace his mutant ones. And then nap time takes a turn for the worse.
• HELP ME!
• Nap time:  After years of sitting various and sundry {I like repetition. Except changing diapers.} children and mastering the craft of syncing nap time I am stuck in a cycle of ever changing naps. There’s only TWO of them. Yet at times it takes nothing short of a miracle to succeed. Nap time is not just a long lunch break for a Nanny. It is LIFE SUPPORT, people. Going without it is equivalent to a smoker going all day without a smoke break. Yes, I can say this in spite of the fact that I’ve never been a smoker. I live with one.
• Separation anxiety:  I’m having a lot of anxiety over my separation from adults and extended time with small children. Just kidding. Oliver has struggled with this for a while now. It happens with both his mom and me. In spite of the fact that he’s been in the presence of my older daughters, my parents and various friends, he falls completely apart if they are here and they attempt to pick him up, walk anywhere near him, speak to him or if I walk out of the room. Although it’s baby steps, he’s made some improvement with Courtney and has now let her pick him up on TWO occasions. There’s been a time or two when I’ve been tempted to join his outbursts, crawl in a corner and suck my thumb.
• Eating: someone is ALWAYS asking for something to eat or drink. This is not limited to the two toddler boys. What is the record for the most times a kitchen has been cleaned in a day? I can probably beat it. Before you suggest I not allow sporadic eating you should know that this is not necessarily the case. There is a college student who is in and out between school and work at various {I truly must love this word.} times. There’s also a Kindergartner, an older daughter dropping off and picking up the grandson and OH YEA! The toddlers. I may or may not have fed one kid twice and skipped feeding another by mistake. Hypothetically speaking.
• Massage therapy:  I need it. Gavin clearly packs lead in his Pull-Ups. Traipsing across a parking lot to the dentist office located in a Physician’s tower while packing him and trying my hardest to hold Sophie’s hand and keep my purse and Gavin’s bag on my shoulder deserves a medal of some kind. Don’t even mention the umbrella stroller. Gone are those days. Listen, the kid can nearly pick up the Nanny. He’s strong and smart enough to escape the so-called buckles of an umbrella stroller. It’s a challenge to keep him from unbuckling his car seat while driving.
• Temper tantrums:  I’m down to once a week, sometimes week and a half. Gavin’s, however, are sporadic {sometimes several daily or none at all} and can happen when least expected at which time my years of effective parenting and Nanny-sitting the nieces, nephews and multitudes are right out the window. I’ve managed so far to remain calm {while in public, at least} and either attempt to pick him up and carry him away from the crowd to talk firmly to him without the eavesdropping of the onlookers. OR, If that doesn’t work I’ve been known to say loudly that, “we are TAKING HIM TO HIS MAMA!” As in, “I’m NOT the mama,” onlookers! {Proud Grandmother!} Oliver’s tantrums are less extreme. So far, I’ve managed to keep in a specific spot like a time out or I resort to putting him in his pack-in-play. Sometimes I call him Tommy Pickles. *grins* Seriously, I’d prefer to not resort to the confines of his pack-in-play as a means of discipline but sometimes a Nanny has to do what a Nanny has to do.