Watching the Girls

When I was half way into my undergraduate studies, I took a summer job at a Montessori school. (Side note, I'm a huge fan of Montessori. I went to one and have worked at a couple. It's a great method. I'm also super pumped about floor beds.)

Okay that was more of a tangent than a side note, but you get my gist. I digress... as the summer came to an end and a semester full of classes was about to begin, I did something crazy. I took on a full time job as a teaching assistant at the school. That's right. Monday through Friday, 8-5:30.

I loved it because I love my kiddos. I rearranged my schedule to online, night, and weekend classes so that I could accommodate work and full-time enrollment. That was a rough but rewarding semester. I think I drank almost a whole pot of coffee daily. But I took two very lovely things from it:

1. I met the mister (Terence) in one of my night social work classes. That's a funny story in itself.

2. A little girl named Gabby stole my heart at the mere age of 3 and didn't give it back when I decided I needed to go back to school with complete focus.

On my last day of work, I put a little note in her lunch box letting her parents know I loved getting to watch her learn and grow and would be more than happy to babysit if they were ever looking for a sitter. So I am now their regular babysitter and have gotten to know and love her younger sister, Cammy, as well.

When I watch the girls, this is pretty much what we do. Every time. Without fail:

When I come over, this friendly stray always shows up. The girls are smitten with Mr. Whiskers and their Mom tells me he only comes around when I'm there.

So we sit outside with him for a while, all while I answer the same questions like why he lives outside and why he licks his paws and why he doesn't want us to pull his tail...

Then they goof around together and get out all the sillies, not leaving the cat's side of course.

I bring out the bubbles. Gabby blows them. Cammy chases them. (for hours)

I eventually get irritated with the mosquitoes and am the party pooper who says it's time to go inside.

So we go in to watch some Nick Jr and I give out cuddles, usually to Gabby.

And Cammy usually comes in the room doing something crazy like this.

I love watching the girls. It will be one of the things I truly miss the most about living here in South Carolina. And definitely one of the things that will bring me back often.

Along with the mister, of course. ;-)

Lauren