The New Normal

It is hard to believe I have been back at school for almost a month now. It all seems like a blur. My lazy summer days laying by the pool, strolling through Paris, watching Les Mis in London and eating Gelato in Italy are like distant memories. My days are now full of reminding children to sit criss-cross apple sauce on the floor, strolls down the hall with the students to wash hands, watching cartoons of nursery rhymes and eating only what I have time to throw in my lunch bag in those 5 minutes I have in the morning before I have to leave. It's a bit different, crazy and exhausting but I am slowly getting back into the routine and this is becoming the new normal in my life.

I am still babysitting these little rascals three nights a week after school. Between working full time, babysitting part time, taking two graduate classes, keeping up on my house hold responsibilities and still finding time for myself, everyone keeps telling me to stop babysitting. I can't do that. I love these sassy sisters and their crazy brothers. They have actually taught me quite a bit, for example...

It's not just little boys you have to worry about peeing on the floor in the restroom... oh no, little GIRLS do it too.

Moms don't have mini-vans because the trunk is more spacious, or their kids need more space, NO. Although those are perks. Moms get mini vans because squeezing three kids in the backseat leads to touching, poking, hitting, elbowing, teasing, fighting and just loud noises in general. Add another child in the front seat who spends the whole trip yelling at the others in the backseat. Its enough to drive me straight to Toyota of Stamford to trade my sedan in for a suburban where each kid gets there own ROW! Lol.

What to do when you are out in public and the child you are with has a melt down because they are about to loose a tooth and it hurst, and they are to scared to pull it out. You simply take them to the bathroom and say "Look, I've only pulled out my own teeth so I'm not really the one you want reaching in your mouth. Why don't you just close your eyes and pull really hard." 

Patience! It's not easy to come by but I am somehow developing more and more of it. My future children will thank me for developing this virtue before they get here. 

I babysat a few Saturdays ago and went to the girls first soccer game. It was so funny to watch the two teams of girls fight over the ball, kick it in the wrong goal, and get distracted by flowers on the field.  It was a pretty entertaining game. After the game we had to rush over to watch the last bit of Jackson's baseball game. Once that was over I took them out to eat at Burgers, Shakes and Fries. I have taken them out to eat several times before and I am always so impressed with how well behaved they are. They all ordered their own meal using their best manners. It was pretty impressive. After dinner we went to Stamford to get frozen yogurt at 16 Handles. While we were there James lost a tooth, so I had to take some pictures to document the event. It was a pretty eventful day and I loved every minute of it!