Our nanny is away for three weeks.
She came to the U.S. as an Au pair three years ago and hasn't been home since.
She got her Green card at the beginning of November and flew back to Brazil to surprise her mom.
Every time we talked about her plan to go home without anyone knowing she was coming, I started to cry because everyone should have a surprise like that in their lives and I was so happy for her and for her family. She told her mom she was sending a package and then had a friend get a giant box that she could jump out of when her mom opened the door. Tears.
The problem of course is that I am without a nanny for three weeks.
In typical Three Bean style we are winging it.
It would have been nice if work had granted my request to work from home a few days a week, but they didn't and they continue to be less than accommodating to a mom of three who just so happens to have Stage IV cancer. Oh well, more on that another day.
What I am grateful for is the fact that my mom will cover two days a week and one of my little sister's good friends will cover the rest. My husband is stepping it up in the morning routine and is also responsible for pre-school pick up and my sister took QT one morning to help out. I am grateful that she will be away over Thanksgiving and that next week is a short week. But as usual things are usually always easier said than done.
Between pick ups, swim, gymnastics, the bus stop and trying to balance not taking advantage of my mom, explaining the logistics of our lives to someone new, and still trying to get to work on time, I realize how lucky I am to have our nanny, someone who cares about my kids, someone who knows our schedule, knows the crazy that is our lives and who still shows up in the morning even if the kids were rotten the day before.
But you know what? I still wish it was me. I wish I didn't have to leave QT crying "I want you momma." I wish I wasn't stopped by the Lady's teacher in the hallway one morning this week--as I attempted to pick up the Holiday Wish Stars in the office for families who need a little help this holiday season, drop off the bag of food for the food drive and leave the plates and napkins for the Lady's Thanksgiving feast--and have her tell me that the Lady is fine once she gets into the classroom and that she knows the mornings are hard and that "she just wants you."
I'd like to think that the Little Lady also wants me, but every time I have the opportunity to drop her off or pick her up she likes to tell me that she prefers it be her dad (and she would prefer to only be picked up in Minnie-Ru, I guess the old "green car" as we call it isn't good enough for her!). However, I would love to spend a little more time with her, even if it is only for when she tries to correct my pronunciation of "Jared" a boy in her class and "Ratatouille." I think I say Jared with a bit of a NY accent, while she prefers a softer first syllable pronunciation. Her faux French accent on Ratatouille is amazing though.
I think this last year has taught me the lesson of time. It has taught me that things will not always go according to plan and that you can do one of two things--give in or take control. I am trying very hard to do the second. I am trying very hard to put the focus on what is important to me and what I can do to make sure that I use as much of my time to make sure that my needs are met and those of my family are as well.
My nanny will be back two days after my husband leaves for his annual two week work event in California. (Panic! We might get a Christmas tree before he leaves--do I want a living Balsam Fir in my house for a full month? More on this later) I am hoping she had an amazing time. I am hoping her mom realizes what an amazing daughter she has raised and that even though she hadn't been home in three years that what she is doing here is unbelievably important to me.
I am also hoping that sometime soon I can say that I have figured out a way to make things work for me that I have taken control and that the needs of my family come first. I hope to be blogging from my kitchen table, dodging QT's baseball bat that he shouldn't be playing with in the house and making my own pre-school pick up run (in Minnie-Ru of course).
I hope that I can answer that "I want you" with "I am here."
Friday, November 22, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Beat by the Box Tops
I blew my box top load.
125 box tops all taped nicely to Halloween-themed photo copies.
10 per page.
It was just that I had been waiting and waiting for the first contest of the year.
I had been saving those little tiny scraps of paper in a Ziploc bag on my kitchen windowsill the entire summer and what can I say?
I got excited.
This has never happened before.
I am so embarrassed.
The Lady's class didn't win.
We didn't show, we didn't place.
I made up for it by buying entirely too many boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and deciding that even though I had never bought them before the Pillsbury Grands biscuits were needed in our house because they were 2 for 4 and that means two box tops. (Also, having made them, they are delicious.)
Seriously, I need help.
Send your box tops to Stamford. . .(oh, you thought I meant I needed psychological help? Nope, I am doing just fine but if you happen to celebrate Taco Tuesday in your house tonight try clipping that tiny, tiny box top from the seasoning mix and drop it in the mail.)
125 box tops all taped nicely to Halloween-themed photo copies.
10 per page.
It was just that I had been waiting and waiting for the first contest of the year.
I had been saving those little tiny scraps of paper in a Ziploc bag on my kitchen windowsill the entire summer and what can I say?
I got excited.
This has never happened before.
I am so embarrassed.
The Lady's class didn't win.
We didn't show, we didn't place.
I made up for it by buying entirely too many boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and deciding that even though I had never bought them before the Pillsbury Grands biscuits were needed in our house because they were 2 for 4 and that means two box tops. (Also, having made them, they are delicious.)
Seriously, I need help.
Send your box tops to Stamford. . .(oh, you thought I meant I needed psychological help? Nope, I am doing just fine but if you happen to celebrate Taco Tuesday in your house tonight try clipping that tiny, tiny box top from the seasoning mix and drop it in the mail.)
Monday, September 30, 2013
Dear Rainbow Loom
You have me hooked.
You have me driving around town looking for Tye-dyed rubber bands and an adequate carrying case.
You have me trying to manipulate tiny colored bands with a hook so small and a frustration level so high, just so the Lady can have a few rubber bracelets to wear.
She hasn't been so excited about something so cheaply made since the days of the Smelly Jellies.
I have watched your how-to videos. I have moved from the "single" pattern on to the "diamond" pattern. Single Rhombus, here I come.
I have mastered the fishtail.
I have spent entirely too much time trying to separate mixed bands.
QT has dumped the entire contents of one of the Lady's carrying cases.
Fifteen minutes after we picked it up the Little Lady kicked over the other one and I found myself sitting on the hardwood floor of my children's bedroom in what I like to describe as "rage-fueled crazy time" only to be seduced by the calming rhythm of sorting each tiny little band into the correct place.
I made a fishtail bracelet on my fingers at work. I promised the Little Lady, and it was probably the most productive thing I did all day.
At a recent street fair a young girl was selling them as she moved through the crowd. She offered them up like a seasoned drug dealer at a music fest. I touched the one on my wrist to let her know I was all good and we both moved on.
Oh Rainbow Loom, I look at the thousands of those bands, each in its tiny section of the carrying case and think "How the hell are we ever going to use all these things?" and "What am I going to do with them once the appeal wears off?"
Until then, I will try not to curse you as those tiny bands pop off the loom, or the case gets dropped, or the bands end up in the dryer, in the fridge and on the floor of the car. I will wear the creations of my daughters proudly on my wrist.
Starburst pattern here we come. . .
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
End of Summer and Start of School
We packed up and headed out to the beach on Friday night. I just wanted one more day to spend on the beach. It was a gorgeous beach day and also a magical one.
Behold. . .
QT stepped foot in the sand! Granted, it took him a while to ease into it, but after playing with trucks on his sand-covered towel, he ventured down to the water's edge with bare feet.
The Ladies got one last day to run and play and we ended the night with some ice cream and a full-on meltdown by the Lady, but really isn't that what the end of summer is about? Ice cream and sheer exhaustion.
The next morning we got up and out early and headed over to Mystic to meet up with some friends. It was another beautiful day and I was charmed by the New Englandness of it all, and I live in New England.
Everyone got a new book from the local bookstore and some more ice cream. We watched the bridge go up a few times then got back in the van and headed home to prepare for the Lady's first day of first grade. On the trip home she lost her second tooth, which is great because when I have to drag her back to the dentist next week they won't have to pull it.
One good thing about the start of this school year was that it was a delayed start. There was no mad dash to get out the door. I made homemade pancakes. I tried to do something Pintrest-y and make the pancake into a shape of a 1. It looked more like a penis than a 1, so I scrapped that idea and had the Lady make her own sign to mark the day.
We were all up, dressed and ready to go. However, there was confusion about what time the bus would be coming and what time school really started. The letter from the elementary school said that they would start at 10:45. The letter from the city said that they would start at 11. We took a guess and headed out. The Lady was 30 yards ahead of me walking out of the driveway, QT and the nanny were behind her in his little red car and I was trying to catch up while at the same time encouraging the Little Lady to maybe hurry up as she tried to maneuver on her Barbie scooter.
After the Lady got on the bus I obviously ran back to the house so I could jump in the van and meet her at school with a giant bag of school supplies, which included four boxes of Kleenex (each with a box top on it and four additional box tops on the outer plastic, which I debated taking for myself, but figured the teacher would put them toward the class total), two rolls of paper towels and an assortment of crayons, markers, pencils and glue sticks.
I rushed the Little Lady into the van and headed out. I knew that the bus was ahead of me, so I was worried that I might miss the Lady getting off the bus. I was super psyched when I pulled through an intersection and saw the bus sitting at a red light while I went through on the green. After it turned the bus ended up being two cars behind us.
As we approached the school, you could see that things were not in order. Buses were lined up at the top of the entrance and cars and buses were backed up onto the main road. I like to think I channeled my husband here as I made a quick move into the church next door, parked totally illegally and got out. The Lady's bus was stopped at the flashing yellow at the entrance to the school waiting to make the turn.
The Lady's school is down off the main road about 100 yards or so. There is one entrance/exit road with two lanes total. The Little Lady and I started walking. People were stopped all over the place, cars were beeping, buses were idling, it was like we were on our way to Max Yasgur's farm. The Little Lady didn't like that the grass was wet, so I lifted her, the giant bag of school supplies, my camera and my purse, and weaved our way down to the front entrance.
The Little Lady could have walked backwards and through molasses and we would have gotten there before the Lady's bus. To say that there was some first day confusion would be an understatement. This year kindergarten orientation was in the morning, so all the parents who had gone with their kindergartners were now trying to make there way out of the school. Chaos ensued.
Ten minutes after the Little Lady and I got to the front entrance, the Lady's and three other buses pulled up. Good thing I met her because at that point they were technically late and all the aides that usually help with directing the students in the morning had already made their way into classrooms.
Gone was that comfortable bubble of kindergarten. I didn't know where the Lady's classroom was and neither did she. But we grabbed hands, made our best guess as to the direction to go and ended up in front of her classroom. I was incredibly relieved that as soon as she walked in I heard another student call her name. I kissed her goodbye, grabbed the Little Lady, stopped and signed up for a few less volunteer spots than I did last year and hoped that the Lady would have a great first day in first grade.
Behold. . .
QT stepped foot in the sand! Granted, it took him a while to ease into it, but after playing with trucks on his sand-covered towel, he ventured down to the water's edge with bare feet.
The Ladies got one last day to run and play and we ended the night with some ice cream and a full-on meltdown by the Lady, but really isn't that what the end of summer is about? Ice cream and sheer exhaustion.
 |
| End of summer fun |
 |
| The Little Lady's new pose. Gone is the cheese face. It has been replaced with the ballerina pose. |
The next morning we got up and out early and headed over to Mystic to meet up with some friends. It was another beautiful day and I was charmed by the New Englandness of it all, and I live in New England.
 |
| Drawbridge in Mystic |
 |
| The Lady outside the bookstore |
One good thing about the start of this school year was that it was a delayed start. There was no mad dash to get out the door. I made homemade pancakes. I tried to do something Pintrest-y and make the pancake into a shape of a 1. It looked more like a penis than a 1, so I scrapped that idea and had the Lady make her own sign to mark the day.
 |
| Best first day of school sign ever! |
We were all up, dressed and ready to go. However, there was confusion about what time the bus would be coming and what time school really started. The letter from the elementary school said that they would start at 10:45. The letter from the city said that they would start at 11. We took a guess and headed out. The Lady was 30 yards ahead of me walking out of the driveway, QT and the nanny were behind her in his little red car and I was trying to catch up while at the same time encouraging the Little Lady to maybe hurry up as she tried to maneuver on her Barbie scooter.
 |
| The Lady before boarding the bus. |
After the Lady got on the bus I obviously ran back to the house so I could jump in the van and meet her at school with a giant bag of school supplies, which included four boxes of Kleenex (each with a box top on it and four additional box tops on the outer plastic, which I debated taking for myself, but figured the teacher would put them toward the class total), two rolls of paper towels and an assortment of crayons, markers, pencils and glue sticks.
I rushed the Little Lady into the van and headed out. I knew that the bus was ahead of me, so I was worried that I might miss the Lady getting off the bus. I was super psyched when I pulled through an intersection and saw the bus sitting at a red light while I went through on the green. After it turned the bus ended up being two cars behind us.
As we approached the school, you could see that things were not in order. Buses were lined up at the top of the entrance and cars and buses were backed up onto the main road. I like to think I channeled my husband here as I made a quick move into the church next door, parked totally illegally and got out. The Lady's bus was stopped at the flashing yellow at the entrance to the school waiting to make the turn.
The Lady's school is down off the main road about 100 yards or so. There is one entrance/exit road with two lanes total. The Little Lady and I started walking. People were stopped all over the place, cars were beeping, buses were idling, it was like we were on our way to Max Yasgur's farm. The Little Lady didn't like that the grass was wet, so I lifted her, the giant bag of school supplies, my camera and my purse, and weaved our way down to the front entrance.
The Little Lady could have walked backwards and through molasses and we would have gotten there before the Lady's bus. To say that there was some first day confusion would be an understatement. This year kindergarten orientation was in the morning, so all the parents who had gone with their kindergartners were now trying to make there way out of the school. Chaos ensued.
Ten minutes after the Little Lady and I got to the front entrance, the Lady's and three other buses pulled up. Good thing I met her because at that point they were technically late and all the aides that usually help with directing the students in the morning had already made their way into classrooms.
Gone was that comfortable bubble of kindergarten. I didn't know where the Lady's classroom was and neither did she. But we grabbed hands, made our best guess as to the direction to go and ended up in front of her classroom. I was incredibly relieved that as soon as she walked in I heard another student call her name. I kissed her goodbye, grabbed the Little Lady, stopped and signed up for a few less volunteer spots than I did last year and hoped that the Lady would have a great first day in first grade.
Friday, August 23, 2013
A Day at the Dentist x3
We survived three kids at the dentist this morning. We had an 8:45 a.m. appointment and even though there were two pre-dentist breakdowns (one about bringing watercolors and another one about trying to erase permanent marker off a case of watercolors in order for me to put the Lady's name back on it in "fancier" handwriting) by both the Little Lady and the Lady, we made it there with time to spare.
We were the first people in the place and as pediatric dentist places go, this one was pretty pimped out with all types of trademark violations. We had Elmo dressed as a knight, a Rapunzel mural, faces of teen stars as well as Dora and Diego plastered on a photo-covered wall of Yankee Stadium, with Mets or Yankee's caps painted on them.
The Lady was disappointed to see that Selena Gomez is a Mets fan.
While we sat in the "stadium style" benches watching the exact same episode of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that I had to turn off before we left the house, about six other kids came in after us.
All six of these children went behind the faux-stone castle door and disappeared into the back before we did.
Did I mention I came prepared with backup? Not only did my husband come but I dragged our nanny as well. I am sure she wanted nothing more than to spend over two hours in a pediatric dentist's office, but as usual I am glad I trusted my instincts to bring her.
I have never brought all three kids to the dentist at once. When they said we can take all three kids at 8:45, I assumed that meant that all three kids would be worked on individually at the same time.
Instead all seven of us were escorted to the dog-themed room that had only one chair. QT obviously loved the dogs and I was super psyched to see that they were playing "Wreck It Ralph" on the two TVs in the room, but it still took about 10 minutes before anything happened. I had to answer the required questions about recent surgeries, allergies, etc. Then I did the requisite lying about how many times they actually brush their teeth. I did cop to the fact that they don't floss, but I didn't list any sugary snacks or recent Kit-Kats that they may have eaten.
It was at this point that I realized that all three of them would be going one after another and not simultaneously. Ugh.
Both Ladies needed X-rays so my husband was able to manage the two of them while I tended to QT. He showed the dental hygienist how he brushed his teeth and didn't seem fazed by anything going on in the room. I was then told that I had to get in the chair and hold him. Holding QT is tough, he is a squirmer and he has a hard head. I still have to tread lightly in the boob area and even though the right side is almost as big as the left, it is still a little delicate. I was hoping for no sudden movements.
QT did great. It literally took the guy two minutes to clean his teeth. The fluoride vitamins they painted on his teeth didn't go over too well, but he took it like a champ. I thought it would be best if I sent him back out into the waiting room with the nanny and the iPad.
Sometimes my children amaze me. I have endured so many tantrums, restaurant meltdowns, doctor's office freak outs that I never know what to expect. Both the Ladies thought the X-rays were cool. They listened, stayed still and did whatever the hygienist and dentist told them to do. They were super happy with the cache of Hello Kitty stickers they got, but the amount of time we were there seemed excessive.
The one sticking point was the vitamins. The Lady walked around with her tongue out practically drooling and I had to clean her tongue off with a paper towel. The Little Lady, who was last in the chair, knew what was coming and did clamp her mouth shut for a time or two until the dentist told her they were princess vitamins and she relented.
QT and the Little Lady have no dental issues. The Lady, not so much. The guy basically said braces by 9 or 10 and we have to go back for some fillings. They had an open 2:30 p.m. appointment today, but I know when not to push my luck. I am not sure if the Lady will be so amiable about going to the dentist after our follow-up but I am hoping that she will continue to surprise me.
All in all we left with about 10 stickers, three toothbrushes, two balloons (much to the chagrin of QT who headed out a bit early with the nanny to check out the play place at the mall and didn't get one) and one super pissed hubby who couldn't find the parking ticket for the garage and ended up having to pay the lost ticket fee.
We were the first people in the place and as pediatric dentist places go, this one was pretty pimped out with all types of trademark violations. We had Elmo dressed as a knight, a Rapunzel mural, faces of teen stars as well as Dora and Diego plastered on a photo-covered wall of Yankee Stadium, with Mets or Yankee's caps painted on them.
The Lady was disappointed to see that Selena Gomez is a Mets fan.
While we sat in the "stadium style" benches watching the exact same episode of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that I had to turn off before we left the house, about six other kids came in after us.
All six of these children went behind the faux-stone castle door and disappeared into the back before we did.
Did I mention I came prepared with backup? Not only did my husband come but I dragged our nanny as well. I am sure she wanted nothing more than to spend over two hours in a pediatric dentist's office, but as usual I am glad I trusted my instincts to bring her.
I have never brought all three kids to the dentist at once. When they said we can take all three kids at 8:45, I assumed that meant that all three kids would be worked on individually at the same time.
Instead all seven of us were escorted to the dog-themed room that had only one chair. QT obviously loved the dogs and I was super psyched to see that they were playing "Wreck It Ralph" on the two TVs in the room, but it still took about 10 minutes before anything happened. I had to answer the required questions about recent surgeries, allergies, etc. Then I did the requisite lying about how many times they actually brush their teeth. I did cop to the fact that they don't floss, but I didn't list any sugary snacks or recent Kit-Kats that they may have eaten.
It was at this point that I realized that all three of them would be going one after another and not simultaneously. Ugh.
Both Ladies needed X-rays so my husband was able to manage the two of them while I tended to QT. He showed the dental hygienist how he brushed his teeth and didn't seem fazed by anything going on in the room. I was then told that I had to get in the chair and hold him. Holding QT is tough, he is a squirmer and he has a hard head. I still have to tread lightly in the boob area and even though the right side is almost as big as the left, it is still a little delicate. I was hoping for no sudden movements.
QT did great. It literally took the guy two minutes to clean his teeth. The fluoride vitamins they painted on his teeth didn't go over too well, but he took it like a champ. I thought it would be best if I sent him back out into the waiting room with the nanny and the iPad.
Sometimes my children amaze me. I have endured so many tantrums, restaurant meltdowns, doctor's office freak outs that I never know what to expect. Both the Ladies thought the X-rays were cool. They listened, stayed still and did whatever the hygienist and dentist told them to do. They were super happy with the cache of Hello Kitty stickers they got, but the amount of time we were there seemed excessive.
The one sticking point was the vitamins. The Lady walked around with her tongue out practically drooling and I had to clean her tongue off with a paper towel. The Little Lady, who was last in the chair, knew what was coming and did clamp her mouth shut for a time or two until the dentist told her they were princess vitamins and she relented.
QT and the Little Lady have no dental issues. The Lady, not so much. The guy basically said braces by 9 or 10 and we have to go back for some fillings. They had an open 2:30 p.m. appointment today, but I know when not to push my luck. I am not sure if the Lady will be so amiable about going to the dentist after our follow-up but I am hoping that she will continue to surprise me.
All in all we left with about 10 stickers, three toothbrushes, two balloons (much to the chagrin of QT who headed out a bit early with the nanny to check out the play place at the mall and didn't get one) and one super pissed hubby who couldn't find the parking ticket for the garage and ended up having to pay the lost ticket fee.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Some Updates on the Three Beans
The Lady
The Lady lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago. It happened during a blanket war with her little brother where they act like dogs and each hold a side of a blanket in their mouth. She came up to me with a bit of blood on her fingers but no tooth and at first I thought it was lost for good. We did finally find it on the carpet underneath the blanket and we avoided having to craft a letter to the Tooth Fairy. I had no idea her tooth was even loose, probably because there was a full-grown tooth behind it and it was just wedged in place. And you read that right the new tooth is behind it, like a full row behind the rest of her teeth. I think we are all headed for orthodontia in the future. Wish me luck this Friday when all three of the kids visit the dentist simultaneously.
The Lady is very excited for school to start (one week from today!) and we finally got the letter with her teacher and all the school supply info last week when we got back from Crayola. The one good thing was that the teacher she got was the only first grade teacher she could actually name when I asked her a few weeks ago. I am hoping for a smoother transition this year.
I took all three kids to Target on Friday night to get the supplies on the list. We got everything we needed in addition to a new Hello Kitty lunchbox for the Little Lady (who isn't even signed up for Lunch Bunch), a copy of Kidz Bop 24, which I am mortified to admit to you. The Lady knows all the songs on it, but these are the cleaned up versions sung by children. Some are better than others. The Selena Gomez cover isn't bad, but three 13-year-old girls should not be singing Mumford and Sons. Ever.
There were a few Target mishaps along the way, the Little Lady couldn't make up her mind about being in or out of the cart, the Lady was three steps ahead of me at all times trying to cross everything off her list and QT thought he could take off whenever he wanted when he wasn't trying to push the cart by himself. But in the end everyone earned a Kit-Kat and I think that says something. I think that says something indeed.
The Little Lady
So obviously we had a gymnastics/bouncy house party for her birthday over the weekend. She showed up wearing just the leotard, no clothes to cover up, she was full-on ready to literally roll. I was so glad that two of her friends from her class last year were able to make it and that by the end of the party everyone was exhausted and we didn't have to clean anything up! We ended the day at an impromptu BBQ and pool/dance party and the Little Lady fell asleep on the way home so she didn't get to open any of her presents until yesterday, which she did with the abandonment of a four-year-old girl presented with a bag full of presents tied up with balloons.
School doesn't start for the Little Lady for another couple of weeks. I think getting back to a schedule will be good for her and I am waiting to see who her teacher is. Hopefully, it is who she likes or we may be hearing about it for a while. I am reminded about a blog I wrote a couple of years ago. You may remember it, I think it was called the Ferocious Fours. Here is to hoping we have a great year Little Lady!
What can I say about this kid? He is talking so much now and he is also mimicking pretty much everything his sister's say including the dreaded and punishable "stupid head." It is hard to punish him though because he is so freaking cute and also likes to peek his head around the corner from the "time out stair" with a huge smile on his face. He is a runner and will take off quickly. I know he is small but it is hard to keep up with him! He still hates sand and during every beach outing this summer has refused to step one foot in it. He will however nap on the beach for 1-3 hours at a time, which is amazing. We will see how it goes this weekend as we attempt to make it back to the beach one last time.
I was able to spend a little bit of time with him on Saturday before the Little Lady's party. He was the only one who wanted to run errands with me. I will admit to dawdling at Dunkies because he prefers to sit there and eat three bites of a donut rather than take it in the car. It was nice to just hold onto his little hand and watch him explore his world. It has been so long since we have had any time just the two of us and it amazes me how much he has grown in just the last few months.
The kids have all really started playing well together. Sometimes it is pure chaos but when you hear the three of them laughing hysterically it is a lot easier to ignore the giant mess they just made and think I am doing an OK job by them.
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