LoveTheseKids

These are my kids. Well, they're not my kids, but they're definitely my favorite kids. I met them when they were only 3 weeks old and preemies. They were so tiny and beautiful. It was love at first sight.

At the time, I was looking for a job, after being jobless for a couple months due to knee surgery. I was interested in being a nanny, but didn't know where to look.

My friend nannied and said she'd heard of a woman who was pregnant with twins, already had a 3 year old, and wanted some help. She got me the number and I made a call. Debi wasn't actively looking for help, but when she heard I was interested, she told me to come over and meet her children and we could go from there. I ended up spending the day there and was immediately hired on as the "nanny". It was my only job for 7 months. Though I left for a more steady nanny job and eventually went on to other jobs after that, I never stopped coming over to baby-sit the kids.

It's been so wonderful watching them grow and develop their adorable personalities. I was like a proud Mama when I would watch them every day, and I would tell stories to everyone (who didn't really care). Though every stage with them has been fun, I'm really enjoying this age: 3 1/2. They're talking more than ever and I love hearing the things they'll say.

Evan is definitely all-boy, but he has the sweetest personality. Always has. Caroline used to take toys from him and when he'd take them back, she'd cry, and he'd just give them right back to her. He's always been a "sharer" and a "hugger". Whenever he has his little bursts of testosterone and ends up hurting her, he's quick to apologize and give her a hug. Last week, I had to scold him for misbehaving in the restaurant and later on, when I told him I loved him, he just looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said, "I wuv you Woah" (he still can't say a few of his letters yet).

Caroline has always been a princess. When she was only 6 months old, she would see flowers across the room and begin sniffing. She's always been drawn to jewelry and "pretty things". She loves anything that has to do with being feminine. She only refers to her bedroom as her "princess room", though the only princessy-thing about it is that it's pink. She can speak clearly, with the slightest (and cutest) lisp. And she loves to sing. She sings to herself all the time, but especially loves standing on a stool and performing "Twinkle, Twinkle", knowing every word and hitting every note. She has the stronger will of the two, but it's often the silent iron will. Oh, but her will can't touch her big brother's.







They say red hair symbolizes a fire-y personality and when it comes to Ryan, they're right. He's full of fire when it comes to not getting his way. We could be getting along great and all of a sudden he'll be upset with me. He's gotten better over the years, but it still makes for an unpleasant evening when I tell him 'no'. I can't help but laugh when I think of the time he called me a "dirty mudblood". His dad told me later it was a "person of questionable heritage" (from Harry Potter). Ryan and I do have some great memories. He and I used to go to the park and the toy store together a lot, stopping for an occasional ice cream cone. As he gets older, he prefers to keep to himself and play his computer games and build things. I'm always so happy when he wants to show me something or include me in his interests. (He doesn't like pictures, so I had to get one while he was sleeping. Too bad, because he's much cuter when he's awake!)

Kids really put things in perspective. No matter how bad my day or how hard my life may be, when I walk in the door and they're smiling and dancing for me, nothing else seems to matter.