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Grace is…accepting that some people love you for who you really are even if that’s hard for you to believe; knowing that if you’re still alive, then God can and will still work through you in this life; having a husband who, though not an English major, fully appreciates the hilarious results when people annihilate grammar and refuse to submit to competent copy editing; reaching out to someone who has lost a loved one with compassion, understanding, and prayer; having one of the most adorable people you know tell you "I love
you" totally out of the blue; knowing that you have the time, energy, ability, and skills to complete God’s Bucket List for your life…
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I have been reading voraciously, as is my custom. No worries there. It’s kind of nice to plow through Young Adult fiction and other books of interest to me without always having to write something about every single one of them. I do need to be better about keeping a list of what I’ve read by whom, though, so I copied my list of books I checked out from the library on my most recent trip to give me a good start.
What’s cool is that I have come across a number of YA novels that without being preachy or outright religious are awesome stories that have among other themes: respecting life in all its forms. I will likely be compiling a list of these awesome books, authors, and posting them soon. In case you haven't noticed, I also have a passion for sharing well-written, good reads.
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The Hazards of Habits The hazards of habits came back to me the day a young child in my care twirled her finger in her hair so tight that it wasn’t possible for said kid to extract it without assistance. I had to laugh at the scene, which seemed very much like something out of a sitcom, but I couldn’t relish the irony for long. Usually, I’m all for the, have them figure out how to get out of something they’ve gotten themselves into philosophy (
Maria Montessori was really onto something), but not when a kid’s finger is turning purple.
Fortunately, both the finger and the cute lock of curly hair were preserved. I decided that was one of those times when it would be okay to advise strongly that the child stop doing something that other people do and don’t care if this child does because appendages are important.
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Stickers Everywhere! The girls have been going crazy with stickers this week. They’ve been putting them everywhere: on everything and everyone. I came directly home after work instead of running any errands, because there was a very real possibility that I might not have found all of the stickers that ended up on my clothing during the course of 9+ hours. Basically, if you see a bright-colored sticker on the back of my pants that reads "Awesome!" or "Hop to It!" you can bet your bottom dollar that it was a cruel twist of fate that it got stuck there inadvertently after being transferred from various articles of clothing, pieces of furniture, and toys.
Click on this link if you want to read more posts from My Nanny Diary.
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Things Your Toddler Might Be Thinking These are a handful of items from the list I wrote inspired by many years of taking care of young children. Some of my guesses about what they're thinking have been confirmed when they start talking more and/or become even more proficient in baby sign language, so I know more of the time what's going on in their little heads. Others just seem likely to follow the actions observed by toddlers throughout the course of most given days.
“You have fun putting those books back on the shelf, because it’s gonna take me a whole two seconds to dump them all back on the floor again, which is where I want them to stay anyway.”
“Oh, look a Cheerio! Still mostly crunchy with only a little dirt on it.”
“Take that!” the little one thinks after thrusting a book into your hand. “Yeah, that’s the one I want to hear. Yes, again! Come on, it’s not that hard. Mr. Brown can do it. I’m sure you can manage, too. Here let me help you: Moo, buzz, yada, yada, yada, knock, knock.”
“Miiiiiiiiiilk! I’m so thirsty, I think I’ll drink a whole three sips before I pour as much of this out as I can before someone tries to stop me.
“If I shake this gate hard enough, it will swing open, and I will be able to wreak the havoc I have
contemplated every single time I see that stupid contraption which mercilessly thwarts my efforts.”
Knock, knock, knock. Little pig, little pig, let me come in. Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin (whatever that is).
Here we go again. Looks like they put away all the books, blocks, and toys I put right where I wanted them. Some people never learn. I go to sleep and they put things in strange places and I can’t find anything at all. I never get a rest. They keep messing everything up when I’ve finally gotten it where I want it, and I have to start all over again.
For a more complete list of What Your Toddler May Be Thinking,
click here.
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How to get out of Jury Duty I am up for jury duty on Fridays this month, so I felt it might be a good time to pull out my list of possible ways to get out of being selected as a juror.
Top Things to Say to Get Out of Being Selected as a Juror:
(written by my husband and me a while back)
Important Note: We don’t recommend using any of these, unless of course, they happen to be true for you.
“I can spot a guilty person like that!” (snapping fingers for emphasis)
“I have ADHD that I keep under control by doing three cartwheels and twenty-two jumping jacks every 5 minutes.”
“I have Tourette’s syndrome, only instead of shouting profanity, I shout out the names of saints.”
“I’m very good at telekinesis, and my specialty is gavels.”
“I keep my Scrabble game with me in case I get bored. Want to play?”
“I have a handy dandy travel gavel.”
Though, so far just being brutally honest when they call and ask me a select number of questions about my ethics, morality, education, religious affiliations has worked at keeping me from being selected as a juror.
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Got Costumes? This picture of Kevin and I dressed up as
Men in Black was taken on Halloween some 5-6 years ago. Yes, Kevin is holding a water gun that he spray-painted to look like the cricket in the movie, because that's how we roll.
My unusual hairdo was in anticipation of dressing up that evening. My youngest sister requested we dress up in Disney costumes for her birthday party. My other sister thought maybe she was joking until my youngest sis informed us that she was dressing up as Tinkerbell. Later that very same evening, I became Mulan, thus the special hairdo (and the blue eyeliner).
Do you know the most important questions to ask when interviewing a person whom you’re considering leaving alone with your children for hours at a time? 
