Annie Blogs » Nanny McAnnie Diaries

And then there were none.

Annie — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:00:48 +0000

Y’all know I’m a nanny part-time. For one family.

February 2009

I’ve been hanging with these jokers for some portion of every week for the last year and a half. And I don’t know when it happened, I couldn’t pinpoint the day, but at some point we went from nanny and family to just, well, family.

Simply said: I love them and they love me.

And in a few short days, they fly to LA for three months.

Simply said: Cool for them, sad heart for me.

Because they are my people.

August 2009

I just don’t really know what to think about it yet. Time wise, I’ve planned out how to use these extra days each week to push forward on some awesome writing opportunities, maybe sleep late, maybe just enjoy a day off. And somehow, in the “I wonder what I’ll do with my nanny days these next few months” my brain forgot to register what it really meant.

They’re gone. And these moments are gone.

April 2010

Adler & Annie

Eisley & Annie

Sweetness.

They say that three months will go by really quick.

They are probably right, but it doesn’t feel that way today.

The snuggles, the hugs, the chicken nugget lunches, the naptimes, the chocolate milk, the blankies and passies, the stuffed monkeys, the cars, the kisses, the laughs, the “I love you, Yannie” moments- they add up to far more than 3 months on a calendar.

There’s a place in my heart that will not be filled by anyone but them. And I hope they hurry home.

Nanny Thursday.

Annie — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:00:35 +0000

It’s a good thing I spent time with God yesterday morning. Cause Nanny McAnnie got tested to the extreme.

When I arrived at the house, the kitchen was a bit of a mess. [Not a problem, part of the deal, Mom and Dad are both working their tailfeathers off.] So while I was waiting on Sister to wake up and Brother was happily watching Nick Jr., I got started cleaning up. Sister wakes up, now both are on the couch and it is literally a ticking time bomb to breakfast. Can I get the dishwasher started before someone cries for Cheerios? I’m loading as quickly as one hand can pass to the other. I showed those dishes who was boss and emerged victorious.

Dear Super WHY!, I appreciate you and your full 30 minutes of entertainment.

Breakfast comes and goes. We do the diaper dance [both are still in them] and get dressed for the day. We are walking out the door to play and Sister does this to her pants. [If you have a strong gag reflex, scroll over this quickly.]

We do the diaper dance again, twice in 5 minutes- which you know means more than just a diaper change. It means bringing everyone inside, turning the TV back on for Brother, helping him crawl on the couch, going upstairs and changing said diaper, finding new pants, and then stain spraying the pants because Eeew.

So I guess you could call it a process.

We finally get outside and I’m exhausted, wondering if it’s almost lunch [NAP!] time. It’s 10:22am. Yikes.

Brother gets leveled when the wind blows over the plastic basketball goal while Sister is happily in her walker. I’m checking on Brother when I hear her little wheels pick up speed. Ole Nanny McAnnie has to SPRINT down the driveway’s steep hill to save Sister from rolling straight into the road. Yes, it was one of my finer moments and not exactly the introduction I expected with the neighbors.

I found this to be the correct time to end outside play. Because I couldn’t breathe.

Lunchtime was upon us and the dishwasher needed to be emptied and reloaded and Sister was starving but Brother wasn’t hungry yet. And I? I still couldn’t breathe.

Lightning McQueen Spaghettios for lunch. Brother uses his fork. Sister doesn’t.

Annndd….. that got some stain spray as well.

The highlight of the day was nap time. [Duh.] Sister didn’t want to sleep [Sister needed to sleep], so I rocked with her for a minute. The snuggly warm little 18 month old body draped across my torso, our breathing in sync, her heartbeat slowing down to snoozle zone- I’m pretty sure my uterus applauded. The whole thing was that sweet.

Then, from the next room, Brother says, “Annie, are you going to be here when I wake up?”

“Yeah, dude. I will.”

“Good. I always want Annie here when I wake up.”

No amount of diapers or dishwashers or spaghettios can ruin moments like those.

I respect you Mommies. I truly don’t know how you do it day in and day out.

But I think I know why you do.

Goodbye Nanny McAnnie.

Annie — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:54:34 +0000

[Hi. If you are reading this in an RSS feed, then you're going to want to click over for the video. This is the last time I'll make you do this for a while. Sincerest apologies.]

Do you have a better idea?

Annie — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:00:37 +0000

When Nanny McAnnie took it to the streets… actually, to Monkey Joe’s and Moe’s. Cause we had what one might call some “pent up energy”.

[If you are reading from an RSS feed, click on over for the video.]

The Nanny McAnnie Diaries Day 3

Annie — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:52:58 +0000

When our collective sanity began to unravel.

[If you are reading from an RSS feed, click on over for the 3rd video in this ridiculous series.]

The latest member of our tribe.

Annie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:24:32 +0000

This baby belongs to our tribe. Our crew. Our posse. He was born this morning to my bfry Molly and her hubs Brandon. Being that I’m Nanny McAnnie this week, I wasn’t able to go to the hospital for his birth. The third leg of our bfry trifecta, Haley, kept me updated via texting and phone calls pretty much every 10 minutes from 8pm-1:30am when she sent his name.

Webb. And I love him.

Here’s Haley with Webb. Molly and I were laughing because we are used to the roles being reversed, it’s always been Haley birthing the baby boy and then the baby girl. Now she’s in the chair and Molly’s in the bed. Though there will be no photos of that, so says Mo.

Here’s me explaining a few things to Webb- namely the fact that I’m thrilled he was a “he” (no one knew ahead of time) and I felt the need to go over the whole “just because I’m in Nashville doesn’t mean I won’t send you birthday presents and love you every day” thing. Cause I will.

And once the girls got home from school, we began what became an eventful evening, topped off with Christmas shaped sugar cookies and a sugar crash that would rival the war scenes in Braveheart.

[If you are reading this on an RSS feed, click over for a little video recap of Day 2 in Nanny McAnnie-ville.]

Nanny McAnnie Diaries- Day 1

Annie — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:39:48 +0000

Nanny McAnnie here, reporting from Atlanta. Some friends of mine have gone out of the country and I’m watching their kids. If there is anything that has steadily paid the bills throughout the last 15 years of my life, it has been ye old babysitting. So that part is awesome. Not to mention that I think these kids are pretty funny and I like any excuse to be in ATL.

And since the parents are, you know, on the other side of the world, we’ll be posting a video each day and a little update.

[For those reading on an RSS feed, click on over- there's a cute little video right here.]

Today went great- ice cream, trip to Target, lots of laughs. Only one small injury involving the drain in the bathtub and the big sister’s butt cheek/upper leg. She cried a few tears so I called upon a classic injury joke of mine- “I guess I’m going to have to cut your leg off”. She laughed and got over it.

Both are asleep now, the little one snoring her heart out, and I’m watching football, blogging, and then hittin’ my 1000 words for the day.

And my bfry Molly [she's the one who likes apple pies so much] is in the hospital having her baby! Can’t wait to show you pictures of the little joker.