Sharing is Caring (My Nanny Diary)

This morning I came out of the kitchen with Wheat Thins on a plate.  Sunshine asked me for one right away and once she said please, I immediately gave her one.  Her sisters were playing on the other side of the room and hadn’t spotted me, yet, which made it all the more impressive when big sis broke two small pieces off of her already little cracker to give to each of her sisters.  Wait, it gets even better.  She did this without me asking her to and before her sisters even realized there were Wheat Thins to be had. 

    
I praised Sunshine up, down, and sideways for being so thoughtful and sharing right away with her sisters without even being asked (more like begged or nagged) to do so.  It’s moments like those you have to treasure and keep in your heart, especially for those days when the oldest is racking up time-outs like it’s her job.  Fortunately, she only required one time-out today, and interestingly enough, it was not too long before her shining moment of sharing.    

    
This reminded me of an incident with “my little guys” that was heartwarming then harrowing while I was at the kitchen sink washing baby bottles.  I looked down and saw one of them offer a cup to his buddy.  I said something about how nice it was that he was sharing with his friend.  I looked at the bottles I was washing for a few seconds then back and the one who had kindly been sharing his cup was now bonking his buddy over the head with it.  A similar food incident that occurred more than once when I was nannying for the boys inspired me to write “A Parable of O’s and Fishes.”

    
The girls enjoy both Cheerios and Goldfish crackers as well as pretty much whatever I’m eating.  I typically bring enough of everything I eat while I’m there to feed all three of the girls.  Their parents have a well-stocked refrigerator, cupboards, and freezer, but the girls always want whatever I’m having whenever I’m having it, so Kevin and I have learned to shop for the two of us and the three of them.  When I pack my lunch and snacks in the morning, I do so with them in mind.  Lately, I’ve been bringing two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which has made lunchtime significantly smoother because they love some PB and J!  They’re also amused by both versions of the Peanut Butter and Jelly song that I sing to them.  This is the one I was taught growing up: 

The second version is the one which Kevin found on Youtube to which I changed the lyrics in order to let Sunshine know when it was time to high-tail it in and use the potty.  You can find this gem at this link (It’s #3 of the 7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 84) along with the Youtube video of Peanut Butter Jelly Time).  Warning: The song itself and my modified version can become quite annoying if you’re asked to sing them a bazillion times a day, but you probably already figured that out, as the most popular kids songs are often those that make you want to poke your eyeballs out after a while. For a more complete picture of our potty training adventures, you might want to check out “Once Upon A Potty Training.” 

   
I’ve discovered that graham crackers are a persuasive bargaining chip with the girls, so I bring a whole stack to ration out over the days I’m taking care of them each week.  They are very fond of fresh fruit, so I try to bring a good variety of that, especially on days when I’m particularly worn-out and exhausted before I even arrive at their place.  Yeah, I know it’s a form of bribery for better behavior, but at least it’s with healthy foods.  Now that the two youngest are taking every possible opportunity to climb to greater heights, I’m willing to pull out a few stops at mealtimes to keep them strapped in a little longer. 

I figure the best way I can teach them about the importance of sharing is the best way to teach them about anything else: show them by doing it consistently myself.

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 97)

-1-

Miss You Much I must admit, there is a part of me that has been sad to see friends move several hours away, even if they're leaving for something bigger to which God's called them.  Truth be told, no goodbye to friends (or rather see ya next time) has been nearly as painful as parting with Kevin was, especially when we didn't know the next time we'd get to see each other.  It's been really sweet hearing Kevin tell me how much he's going to miss me.  I know he means it.  I know I'll miss him, too.  It makes me think of when he made his Cursillo weekend back in September 2006.  At the end of it, he gave me a big hug and a kiss in front of everyone.  His excuse: "It's been three whole days!" was met with someone shouting "get a room!"  What Kevin meant by his comment was that it was really nice to hug and kiss me after three days of being apart with no contact of any kind.  

    

-2-

Cloistered Carmelite or Bust! Last November our dear friend Michele Morris submitted her application for Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations after discerning God would like her to enter the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea in California.  Last July, she held her debut of the original play “Teresita” which she wrote based on the life of St. Teresa of Avila. 

     Since then she has performed her one act play up and down the East Coast as her primary fundraiser to pay off her student debt.  Early this March she received an email stating, that although she did not receive the grant, the board voted her first runner-up.  This meant that if one of the recipients backed out for whatever reason, that the grant then would go to her. 

     Divine Mercy weekend (last Saturday and Sunday) was when she got a call from Mater Ecclesiae offering her the grant.  Her response was an immediate, and no doubt enthusiastic: “I ACCEPT!”   

-3-

Pizza Party!  Of course, we had to do something fun to celebrate the great news that Michele received the grant and will, therefore, be entering Carmel sooner than later.  I asked what she was in the mood for, and she said pizza or some type of Italian, so Kevin and I picked her up and took her to a wonderful local restaurant that makes a melt-in your mouth Sicilian pizza.  I asked my mom to come and join us for the celebration.  She's seen Michele's play and was very excited to congratulate her on the grant.  

-4-

Can you spare a square? At this point, my main potty training goal for the three year old is to get her to pee in the potty instead of on the carpet in the living room, the bathroom floor…so I’m not quite as concerned about her toilet paper consumption provided the toilet flushes without a problem.  (She’s been doing really great using the potty and keeping her princess panties dry over the past couple weeks, but she still enjoys the woohooo! and good job! affirmations each time she takes a leak, and I’m happy to oblige.)

     I’ve often seen her take a single square of toilet paper to wipe off.  I’m not sure what has led her to believe that this will be sufficient; it could be that when she has used flushable wipes, we have her use one, but I’m not sure.  Naturally, I’m led to think of the Seinfeld episode where a woman is asked if she can “spare a square?”  Here's the infamous clip.  To read more about adventures in potty training (and nannying), click here.

-5-

Happy Birthday!  Yesterday was John's birthday, so Kevin and I called and sang to him.  John went on vacation with his parents and his brother Matt this past week.  I'd asked him to send us pics.  I was laughing hysterically when he texted me a picture of a bear in a field with: "That's a real bear!" as the only caption and explanation for the photo.  For all I knew, he pulled the photo up on his Smartphone and sent it.  After being hassled (and once I'd e-mailed him a photo of a tiger with the message "That's a real tiger!"), he let us know that he'd actually seen the bear at Bearizona.     

-6-

DONE! There are many days that I am for all intents and purposes spent by the time one of the girls' parents gets home.  That is most often the case when I have not had so much as 2 minutes to myself for the past 9+ hours.  No overlapping naps.  Only one meal that everyone eats the same thing at the same time.  One or more peepee-not-in-the-potty accidents to clean up while keeping two very mobile little ones out of the bathroom.  
     Thank God, I have such a wonderful husband.  Not only does he support me being a nanny because I love kids, but he's tremendously understanding those evenings when I come home and I need some silent time alone before anything else.  
     I can think of few things that express the readiness to collapse as this picture of Sophie.  She was so insistent on practicing sitting up that she eventually just stuck her thumb in her mouth, keeled over, and fell asleep just like that.
             

-7-

Dance like you mean it! My mom and I will be halfway to Ohio by the time you read this.  We’re going to see my sister Theresa and be there for The Ohio State University Spring Dance Festival. It's been far too long since I've seen my youngest sister perform onstage (maybe as long as three years now), after having gone to basically all of her dance recitals, showcases, and musical revues when she was growing up. I was also quite spoiled when I could attend a number of truly amazing dance performances on campus or a short drive away when I was attending at Hollins University. Praying for a safe trip and a relaxing/super-fun girls weekend!

                  

Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7 Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.  Also, please pray for her son, born on the Feast of the Annunciation, as well as the Fulwiler family.  Joseph Thomas has had some breathing difficulties.  Due to these complications, 7 Quick Takes Friday this week is being hosted at Camp Patton.

Once Upon a Potty Training (My Nanny Diary)

Potty Seats

    
Having children sit on the potty either directly or on a seat that’s a little smaller, perhaps padded, and maybe with some fun fictitious friends on it in primary colors, seems to make the most sense to me.  A potty chair that has to be emptied and cleaned every time which sits next to a real toilet doesn’t seem like a good solution in my book, because the kid’s going to know that the toilet can be flushed and the lid opened, so toys and books, jewelry, pets, etc. would likely end up in there, especially if that’s not where their pee and poop went directly.  Who knows?  I may very well change my mind when it comes to spending several blocks of time each day potty training two or more children at the same time. 

Lockdown

I must emphasize the importance of showing any visitors, nannies, childcare providers, babysitters from up the street how to use any and all toilet cover locks.  I was really in a state of panic one day when both toilets had been fitted with new locks I was having trouble figuring out how to operate, while eyeing the bathtub with dismay.  I did manage eventually to determine how the swing/lever contraption thing worked before I had to resort to desperate measures.

Overflow

At daycare centers and schools, they often have tiny potties which are low to the ground, have smaller seats, and well, smaller everything.  I can’t tell you how much worse it is to clean up an overflowing toddler toilet(s).  There are often two little toilets in one bathroom.  When they both are overflowing, it traditionally means one staff person will have the privilege of spending the next 20+ minutes cleaning up the bathroom (while going through one or more pairs of gloves) after the ridiculously small pipes have been plunged and the ridiculously large poop (for such a little person) is dislodged.    

Flushback

My mom tells me that the first time she brought out a potty chair and tried to explain to me how to use it, that I was a bit young.  She gave me a brief tutorial, then she went into the kitchen.  I came out before long with the bowl from the potty chair (which was still empty and dry) and asked her for “Green beans?” my favorite vegetable at that time.  She wisely discerned I wasn’t quite ready to use the toilet. 

Princess Panties 

The two funniest communications I’ve received recently from a parent regarding misplaced items have come to me via text message.  One was to ask if I knew the whereabouts of a pile of princess underwear and the other one was to inquire where I had last seen the pink kitty.  Don't get me wrong, these were both totally legit questions, I just found it amusing to get texts messages asking me about princess panties and pink kitty whereabouts.  I knew the answer to both questions, but the pile of princess panties took longer to find because someone else had moved it from where I had set it.  The pink kitty was found without my further involvement.  (I knew it had made it up into her bedroom at naptime and hadn’t come back down.) 

    
Across the 20+ years since I first began babysitting, I’ve gotten all sorts of strange urgent calls from parents seeking something essential for their child’s peace of mind (or their own).  Sometimes, a parent might call me later that evening or perhaps over the weekend to inquire about the location of a certain item.  Frantic calls around bedtime to see if I know where they can locate the one and only soft, cuddly thing a child will deign to fall asleep clutching aren’t uncommon.  Missing blankets, books, toys, bottle tops, shoes, socks, hats, Gladware containers…some or all of which have been sources of anxiety for certain mothers (and therefore causes of stress for me) who itemize everything and/or inventory a few things every single day— once in the morning and once at night.  I’m talking about some mothers doing this—not me!    

Can you spare a square?

Since things are generally pretty hectic keeping up with the twins, the times are few and far between when I can spend an extended period of time with their older sister in the bathroom without one of them getting into trouble.  They make a beeline for the bathroom whenever the door is open.  They want to crawl on the stool their sister uses, hang on her, etc.    

    
I have only had a limited number of toilet paper tutorials with her thus far, and at this point, my main goal is to get her to pee in the potty instead of on the carpet in the living room, the bathroom floor…so I’m not quite as concerned about her toilet paper consumption provided the toilet flushes without a problem.

When I’ve been present for when she’s ready to wipe off, she’s often taken a single square of toilet paper.  I’m not sure what has led her to believe that this will be sufficient; it could be that when she has used flushable wipes, we have her use one, but I’m not sure.  Naturally, I’m led to think of the Seinfeld episode where a woman is asked if she can “spare a square?”

    
I don’t want her to use half a roll or just one square.  I figure four squares are about how many would be reasonable for a little person still learning proper top-to-bottom wiping technique.  Lately, when I’ve come in to turn the water on so she can wash her hands (she’s not quite tall enough yet with her present plastic stool to reach the handles herself), I’ve noticed a trail of toilet paper on the floor.  It’s unused, which is good, I suppose, but I’m not sure if she uses the one square then pulls out some more to dump on the floor or what.  Maybe when the girls are both napping, and I’m not cleaning up from one of our three to four meals during the day, I’ll witness the whole process and provide helpful insight into the number of squares of TP to use. 

Tricks of the Trade That Have Worked for a Time:

Telling the toddler: “It’s your turn!” to use the potty right after I’ve gone can sometimes make it a smoother transition.

    
For a while during the earlier stages of potty training, she could be persuaded and encouraged that I would put a smiley face sticker on her chart for each time she sat on the potty without having a knock-down/drag-out fit.  Sitting on potty post knock-down/drag-out made me frown, and depending on the level and decibel of the drama might also cause her sisters to fuss, so there would be no sticker.

    
I once would resort to singing what can very easily become an annoying song to the tune of the of the Peanut Butter Jelly Time song, but we’ve veered out of that level of desperation at least in terms of songs to sing incessantly while on the toilet or in the bathroom. 

    
I flip on the light on in the bathroom and let her know it’s her turn and close the door so her sisters aren’t in there taking a header into the toilet, playing with the trash, etc. 

    
Tune in again to read more about potty training and other adventures in the wonderful world of nannying.