I was supposed to sleep in today, relax, write, maybe work on my craft project a little–you know, more fun with glitter–then take a BART to Castro Valley to see me some Joan.
Not what happened.
In fact, all of today is a not what happened kind of day.
I was woken up quite early by a frantic mom looking for help, their regular nanny called in sick.
Actually, she showed up sick, and threw the entire household into a bit of an uproar from what I gleaned upon arrival.
I was in bed, naked, still warm and sleepy and I don’t know what compelled me to pick up that phone.
I mean, I am glad I did, although when I showed up and realized there was a full house–grandma and grandpa making a visit before the family leaves for Burning Man–I might have passed on answering.
That sounds like it was a horrible day, it wasn’t, it just threw a monkey wrench into my thoughts on how it was going to go.
Like I quoted the mom a time I could make it in, calculating skipping breakfast and going straight to BART. Just roll out of bed, make bed, kneel down, take a moment to put on head, pull on clothes, and roll out the door.
I figured I would grab breakfast at the house.
I know there’s coffee there, oatmeal in the cupboard, and I have my own little stash of apples and humus and string cheese in the fridge, I’ll eat when I get settled in.
Surprise!
Grandma is in the guest room.
Frogs.
I had completely forgotten they were going to be there.
Breakfast took some time to get together and I had to pause and look at how I was going to take care of myself and the kids and also allow for the grandparents being there.
Super sweet, but they don’t know the routine, and well, hell, the routine is already thrown and I am scrabbling to get myself straight, let alone make sure all the baby stuff is aligned and ready to go.
You miss the magic window on a nap or a feeding time and all hell can break loose.
Things managed to pull together, without too much stress, but I will say, there are few things that can strike real dread into the heart of a nanny and it goes something like this:
Me–“it’s so nice that you can come and visit before the event!”
Grandma–“We’ve seen the playa, it’s really amazing, we’ve just never gone to the burn.”
Aside–got to love a grandma that is down with going to the burn.
Me–“do you have any special plans today?”
Grandma–“Just sitting around watching you!”
Oh my fucking god.
I just about peed my pants.
I smiled, and said I hoped to be entertaining.
Grandma–“there’s not much to do with them when they’re this age, is there, you just need to be there to watch.”
I smiled and nodded, yup, sometimes, that’s all you need.
And sometimes it is baby juggling and the babies have sharp little teeth.
Both babies are teething.
Both babies had interrupted nap times.
Which in the end actually worked out alright, the afternoon nap went longer and I actually had an overlap of a half hour when both the babies were down at the same time and the grandparents were out to lunch.
Heaven!
A cup of tea and a moment to sit down and finish a New Yorker article I started three weeks ago.
That may give you an idea of how much down time I have when I am nannying.
Sometimes, and I won’t lie, there are great big wonderful chunks of time to kick through a book or check your e-mails, or take a phone call.
Sometimes you can’t keep up with the naps and the poops and the snacks and the walks and the diaper bags and the swaddles, nooks, socks, shoes, water bottles, milk bottles, burp cloths, biodegradable diaper garbage bags, favorite toys, rattles, and teething rings.
Today was somewhere in between.
I like to think that I am a good nanny.
Somewhere in that is the ability to make it look like what I am doing is easy, that I am just chillaxin’ while the babies are goo goo ga ga’ing.
But it takes some organizational skills and some tactical planning.
I shit you not, there are days when a strategically placed warm bottle and can and will make all the difference.
Ah.
Breathe.
I am not a work anymore.
And today’s unexpected shift will cover the hair cut I am getting on Thursday.
A little Solid Gold action with my friend Calvin.
It’s been a hot minute.
Almost a year.
I was going to do something wild, glitter extensions, but I think I am just going in and getting a trim. Nothing over the top here.
Although it is Calvin, I might walk out with neon pink hair, who knows.
But it won’t be short, I am still toeing the line with keeping the hair long.
The blog digresses.
Off into hair landia.
Back to babylandia.
Tomorrow is my normal Tuesday in the city, well, with the absence of my little girl, who I am missing! What that means, is an early start to my day, so I am going to wrap this blog up, make a quick snack, have a cup of tea, and get my rest in.
I shall be girding my loins for the grandparent babypalooza on the morrow.
I bid you an early adieu.
Sweet dreams, may they not be about teething!
Tags: BART, burning man, family, grandparents, Nanny, nap time, postaday, San Francisco, strategy, tactics, teething
Auntiebubba 
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