A Day in the Life 2015, #1

   

On Monday morning, the parents leave in a rush. Polite good-yes are said. A list is usually left. I feed the children and get them ready for the day. One will be getting on the bus, one staying home with me all day.
     7:30 The older child refuses to eat anything except French Toast Crunch. The box of French Toast Crunch is in the garbage. Dad has finished eating it. I offer bazillion compromises. Finally, she agrees on cinnamon toast. That being white bread, toasted with butter, sugar and cinnamon on it. I serve it to her. She screams for more sugar. She refuses to eat it. Her two year old brother gets it.
     7:45 I am looking everywhere for her purple rhinestone sweater. It is nowhere to be seen and it is the only thing she will wear. I find it in the washing machine, clumped together with a bunch of spun out clothes that have been sitting for who knows how long. I throw it in the dryer with a towel and try to help her brush her hair and teeth.
    7:55 The two year old has sprinkled cinnamon all over his hands. It's even under his nose. I wonder if inhaling cinnamon is a bad thing.
     8:00 the sweater isn't dry but I pull it out and blow dry it until 8:05. I give it to the girl who only agrees to brush her hair and teeth once she has the sweater on. We make it to the bus in time for another parent to see us running and halt the bus. She gets on bus and I am relieved.
     8:10 I am back in the kitchen cleaning up the breakfast mess made by the kids and the parents. I am washing the coffee pot and wiping down counters. There are two pots "soaking" in the sink. I wash these two. I empty the dishwasher. I refill the dishwasher. I empty the trash.
     8:30 The two year old and I are making craft things out of different kinds of play dough and modeling dough. We are working on a mobile to hang high above his big boy bed. We shape motorcyles out of dough and stick twine through it and bake it in the oven.
     9:30 I put on PBS for the boy and make myself a smoothie. I don't sit down. I have to run around to girl and boy's room, make their beds and pick up their scattered toys, cups and shoes. I start a fresh load of laundry. The two year old's bed has a dried wet spot on it, probably from the weekend. I can leave it, but I don't. I strip the bed, even though I am almost done making it and process this laundry.
     11:00 Two nannies I have met through the park come over with their similarly aged children. They are Jamaican and know each other. They are friendly enough but regard me with suspicion. They both ask for tea. I serve them tea. They are sitting and I go to sit on the floor with the kids when one asks if I have anything to go with the tea. I get up and go to the pantry and select some fig newtons and Ritz crackers. The hour passes slowly. They want to ask how much I make. I say "I prefer not to discuss salary". They both raise their eyebrows at me and exhange knowing looks.  I tell them, "I am so glad you could come over today. The winter has been hard on "Two year old". They agree. One tells me, "My boss don't want nobody in her house. She prefer we are out all day". I feel for her. I try to get the kids to pick up the toys that are scattered in every direction, One nanny gets up to help, the other nanny looks at me with disdain. (?)
     12:30 They leave and I sit down to have a causal lunch of blueberries, cheese and macaroni salad with my two year old. I make a grocery list as we eat, noticing key foods are missing from the refrigerator and pantry. I love that his eyelids are getting heavy and about to close.After lunch, I lay him down on the guest bed so I can remake his bed. I wash more laundry fold it. I wash out his potty seat, I am trying to potty train him. I cut up fresh vegetables, strawberries and cantaloupe. I lay ou tonight's pajamas on each child's made bed with a fresh towel and wash cloth.  In the bathroom, I  place down the bathmat, ready the children's toothbrushes and wipe down their sink and vanity. I sweep the kitchen and vacuum the playroom.
     2:00 The child is woken up by me because Mom doesn't want him to sleep more than an hour a day. He is tired and cranky. This is his worst hour. I get into my secret stash of strawberry milk and ply him with that and apple with peanut butter. Slowly he comes around. I must now bundle us both up and run to the drugstore to pick up a prescription and to pick up the drycleaning. In the car, the gas in the nanny vehicle is on negative. I have not been left any cash. The drycleaning is billed and the prescription is fully covered. I use $5 of my own money and pump the gas in the car, reminding myself to get a receipt. I look at the time and hurry from the station. One my way pulling in the garage, I realize I forgot a receipt.
     3:10 We are waiting bundled at the bus stop. It is freezing. 2 year old is crying because he is cold. The bus comes, big sister gets off the bus in a happy mood. We walk home, she skipping all the way.
     3:20 She asks for oreos. I tell her there are no oreos. I offer her a fig newton. She gets mad. She refuses to do her homework. I get out the strawberries and some marshmallows and put them together with toothpicks in cute designs to appease her.
     3:40 Brother is screaming to be picked up, changed and then for Barney. During this time I help big sister with her homework. I pull out the notes from the backpack that the parents need to see and organize them. She needs a certain amount of money for photos. I fill out the photo form with the information I have, put it with a blank envelope and leave it for the parents.
     4:00 We are playing with Monster High Dolls in the basement. Two year old is ramming cars together. My head is pounding. Two more hours, I tell myself. At 5:30, I take the kids upstairs and let big sister use her ipad for 1/2 hour and mark this on the screen time calendar. I set up a train for little bro to play with. I set the table for four. I fill a pitcher of water with ice and water. I make a fresh salad and set dressings and croutons on the table.  Ten more minutes... I tell myself.
     6:05 Mom calls, she missed her train and will be on the next one. Can I put the chicken in the pan? Sure I can. But it's not just put it in the pan. She wants it in the pan with this spice and that on it, some porcini mushrooms and x,y,z.  I do this and play cards with the daughter. Mom calls as she is getting off the train and asks me to put some water on to bowl some linguini. I am happy because I know she is now 7 minutes away. She tells me she is going to stop for bread. She is home in 30 minutes with bread, wine, desert and a Hallmark bag.
     7:16 As I am ready to leave, she looks in the sink and says, "Oy you cooked the pasta already?" in a dissatisfied tone. "Yes," I say, "The kids were getting hungry". "It's not like they're gonna starve to death she says in a haughty tone.
     7:25 I am sitting in my personal vehicle ready to pull away from the house. I have worked an hour and a half extra and will never see that money. I debate whether I should show up late, even by two minutes to make a point, but realize it isn't worth the hassle. I swear to myself that this will be my last year of nannying. Before I drive off, I text her, "Had to put $5 of my own in car for errands, please leave # for tomorrow. Have a great night".
      That's How I roll.
       *Author is a live-out nanny in Scarsdale, NY making $800 per week for the hours of 730-600. She has been with the family for 14 months.

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