The End

Now that the summer is coming to an end, and all of our kiddos are gearing up for back to school, it is time for me and Molly to say goodbye. I am heading off to NYC to try something new, and Molly is going to be attending grad school full time! Who knows what the Fall will hold for all of our kiddos, but we enjoyed spending one last summer with them... and this blog was a great way for us to look back and smile at all the good times we had together!

Tidbits from Martha's Vineyard

My kiddos are on vacation this week with their dad down at their Martha's Vineyard house. Earlier in the week I decided to go over for a night to get in some last minute quality time with them. Not only was it a nice break, but I also got the chance to celebrate M's birthday with her, and as an added extra special birthday treat for M I picked up her best friend K, and she accompanied me down to the Vineyard! As usual their was no shortage of the kiddo crazy talk but the following were some of my favorites.

Upon spying the GIGANTIC spider in the outside shower J quickly replied with "There's nothing itsy bitsy about you Big Guy!".

K: Hey M want to know the best thing about turning 12!?! You no longer have to order of the kiddy menu!

And then when K and I got back to The Cape to retrieve my car and found ourselves slightly stranded with no car keys (LONG story) we decided to make the best of it and went out to eat. When the waitress asked us if we wanted to bring our leftovers home K replied with a straight face "No thanks... we don't really have a home to go to right now."

Superheroes

J: Uh oh! Watch out S that spider is just about to fly at you.

Me: J... spiders can't fly.

M: Well Spiderman can!

Surprise!

For the last week or so M has been acting a little shady... top secret frequent calls to her best buddy K, random bouts of 20 questions, and regular conferences with J and S. BUT the most bizarre (though also the cutest) moment was when she stole my bathing suit. The other day I took M on a much anticipated trip to my house to meet my cats. While I happened to be in the other room she promptly announced that she needed to go get something from the car. I decided to peek out the window to check on her, just to make sure she made it down our treacherous deck stairs, and happened to notice her clutching something in her hands. Odd I thought. So I looked a bit harder and realized she was holding one of my bathing suits. Today I discovered why M had snagged my suit...!

Surprise!

She and K had planned me a surprise pool party to bid me farewell and wish me luck with my big move to NYC! They had ice cream cake, balloons, a sweet sweet card for me, and they burned me a CD with a bunch of my favorite pop songs. Then they let me relax and hang out in the hot tub while they catered to me... bringing me lemonade and serving me yummy fruits! It was sooooo incredibly sweet and thoughtful, and meant so much to me. I am so lucky to have all six of these cuties in my life, and I will miss them so much when I move!

Rabbits

J: Hey I just saw a rabbit!

Me: Oh, that's nice.

J: Oh wait, it was just that car.

Me: How did you confuse a car for a rabbit?

J: Well I thought it was a herd of rabbits... at least that's what it looked like.

Lessons in Geography

S: Nana's house in New Jersey is so awesome. Wait... New Jersey is that in the US?

Me: Ummm... yes.

S: Oh OK. I always get that one confused with Germany.

Fried Chicken?

Today J and I got to spend some quality time together since the girls were on playdates.

J: Victoria... are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking. I think you are!

Me: Well I don't know. What are you thinking?

J: No, no! You first. 

Me: Well... I'm thinking that it's a beautiful day out today. What are you thinking?

J: Oh. I guess were not thinking about the same thing then... because I'm thinking about fried chicken.

Fried chicken!?! Yup... definitely not thinking about the same thing!

Random Blabblings

Random tidbits overheard at Camp Vic today. 

"The king will be in his hot tub waiting for his turkey fried chicken!"

"Is it poisonous? I don't like to eat poisonous things you know... they make me throw up."

"It's ice cream. Why would I take you to a place that sells poisonous ice cream?"

"Would you prefer your boyfriend to have chest hair or no chest hair? I'd prefer chest hair, that way I can pull it out when I get mad at him!"

"I'm thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it. Oh wait... I forgot to think about it."

"You forgot to think about it?"

"Yeah because I was so busy thinking about thinking."

"Who gave me sugar? Oh wait... no... I'm just excessively energized!"

"You won't like it there. It smells bad. It's like China."

Hidden Talents

My kiddos think I'm wonderful for the following reasons:

• I have the amazing ability to drive with my knees, while simultaneously putting up my hair into a ponytail.
• I make a mean grilled cheese (when I use the pan that doesn't hate me, or when I don't forget that I'm actually cooking the grilled cheese and let it get burnt).
• I am the most amazing bed maker ever!
• I am the best at cutting celery... because I actually know how to get the stringy things out. 
• I am really really good at making mac n' cheese.
• I own some very cool toys (i.e. my phone, my computer, and my DS of course!).

It's too bad adults aren't as easily impressed with these incredible talents. It's also too bad that these things just won't fly on a resume.

So Gross I Needed To Share

In addition to my kiddos M,S, and J, I have six other munchkins in my life. On the side, when my kiddos are in school or on vacation, I pick up some extra hours babysitting my friend Kristen's* six wonderful children. While I was not actively involved with this story, or even there when it happened, it is just so gross I felt it needed to be shared with everyone! The other day Kristen called me to fill me in on a funny Harry* (her 12 year old) story. I was expecting something that I would be hysterically laughing about... not something I would be so horrifically grossed out about!

So last week Harry ended up spending the night at his cousin's house. The next day when he came home he was so tired from all the fun that he had had the night before that he ended up taking a little nap (outside on the porch). After he woke up he decided to go get clean and take a bath. A little while later Harry emerged from the bathroom and went to hunt down Kristen (who at the time was frantically scurrying around the house getting ready to leave for a wake that was starting in just a couple of hours). Harry announced to Kristen that he had a "bug" in his ear, and that he had tried to wash it out in the tub but had no luck. Kristen, who happens to actually own a doctor's ear scope, took a peek inside Harry's ear. Sure enough there was something inside his ear. GROSS! Kristen couldn't tell quite what it was but she could see it moving, and Harry could hear it buzzing, so they assumed it was something with wings! After poking and prodding at Harry's ear attempting to catch the "bug" with tweezers, Q-tips, the vacuum cleaner, and flushing it with hydrogen peroxide there was still no luck, so they called the pediatrician. The dumbfounded pediatrician had no advice, and told them to seek out some help at the ER. Once at the ER Kristen had hoped Harry would have a total meltdown, so that they could be seen right away (as she was now late for the wake). However, Harry being ever so uncooperative refused to play his mother's game. But... the fact that he had a "bug" in his ear apparently proved reason enough to be seen quickly. Thank goodness! Once Harry was ushered to a room EVERYONE at the ER wanted to come visit the boy with the "bug" in his ear. The doctors tried various different ways to extract the creepy crawly from Harry's ear but they too were unsuccessful at first. Harry had to keep reminding them after each failed attempt, that even if they were making some progress the "bug" was still alive. The doctors didn't exactly believe Harry... until he explained that he could still hear it buzzing inside his ear! EEK! Finally the doctors had some success with several large syringes filled with water. They were able to push the water into Harry's ear just so, and eventually the "bug" floated to a place in Harry's ear where the doctor could catch it with some tweezers. A very wet Harry proclaimed that the water sounded like Niagra Falls, but he was relieved that the "bug" turned out to be a moth and not a bee. So, somewhere between his cousin's house and his backyard a lovely little moth decided to fly into Harry's ear and make it its new home! Harry is now developing a new phobia to moths!

*name change!

How Not To Relay Phone Messages

The other day S decided to greet her dad (P) the second he walked through the door, not with a hello, but instead with his phone messages. 

S: Hey Dad... blah, blah, blah, blah... oh yeah, and Nan (the kiddos' grandmother) called, she wants to know what she can bring when she comes. 

P: Who called? Bring what?

S: You know NAN... your MOTHER!

The Smokehouse

Running errands with my kiddos always tends to end in some sort of minor disaster, and our recent trip to The Smokehouse to purchase some sausages was no exception. It's the end of a long rainy day, we enter into the dorm sized store, the kids are bumming because there are no free samples, and I'm confused as I stare at all of the sausage choices and attempt to remember which ones the kiddos' dad asked me to pick up. BUT these factors did not stop my three darlings from managing to embarrass me. I seriously can't take them anywhere! To set the scene let me just tell you that all three of them have decided to make it their job to find me someone to date. And I should also add that they are neither too quiet about what they say, or too sly about what they do. 

M: Hey Victoria, you should kiss him (as she motions towards the person working behind the counter)!

Me: Uh, M... that's a woman.

M: Ohhhhhh. Oops!

Needless to say I tried to exit as gracefully as I could.

A Little About Counselor Victoria

                        Camp Vic                                                 Real Life

I've been with my current family just shy of a year now, although, I have been nannying in some capacity, and for various different families, since I graduated college (6 years ago! yikes!). The kids and I live (NOT together!) in different towns on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Our days together are spent running around from activity to activity, me attempting to keep them organized and orderly, and them choosing the best form of torture to utterly embarrass me in public! It's great! 

My current kiddos tend to think that I have no other life outside of them. Often times I am forced to remind them that this just isn't true. Case in point: M likes to constantly remind me of the things I didn't help her with. When I explain to her that I didn't help her due to the fact that I was not there (and was out living my "real" life) she finds my answer totally unacceptable, and then looks at me like I'm crazy. Occasionally my "real" life and my nanny life will collide for some reason, and when this happens watch out, because there are always three kiddos left confused in the aftermath. Their standard questions are (all the while asked while staring at me as though I've just stepped out of an episode of the Body Snatchers, and their real Counselor Vic is never to return): "Did you get a haircut?" (Answer: No, I just actually blow-dried my hair today... and left it down!), "Why are you wearing eye stuff?" (Answer: You mean why did I put on a tiny bit of eye shadow... and mascara?), "Why are you all dressed up?" (Answer: They're called khakis. And I didn't think that sweatpants would be appropriate for (insert whatever event is being attended later in the day).). S then always tends to pipe in, in an attempt to lessen the blows, with a "Well you look very pretty!". Thanks S! I typically then spend the rest of the day feeling out of place, and fielding questions left and right as to where the real Counselor Vic has gone! 

Aren't kids wonderful?!?

Meet My Campers

left to right: M (the very mature headstrong 11 year old), J (the quirky too cute for words 7 year old), and S (the sweet even tempered 9 year old)!

Camp Vic is in full force now that these three cuties are out of school! These three wonders are the product of one very secure family network, with their single dad as the head. I've been taking care of them for about a year (but since I do overnight jobs for them quite frequently it seems like it's been far longer!). So without further ado let me introduce you to the kiddos! 

M: This very athletic soon to be middle schooler enjoys swimming and soccer, hanging out with her best buddy K, and loves her two adorable kitty boys. She is however, petrified of anything creepy crawly, and insists upon screaming at the top of her lungs and yelling at me to do something about them (without harming the bug of course). 

S: This little girl has had quite a lot to deal with in her life, however, she has never let any of it get her down, or dampen her sunny disposition. She loves all things pink and girly, and always attempts to be the voice of reason amongst her siblings. She's loyal through and through, all the while being totally unaware of the fact that everyone loves her!

J: This guy is QUITE the character! With a sweet personality unlike any you've ever seen, and his keen sense of humor, this charmer is the life of the party. He loves to sing and dance (even though his sisters yell at him ALL the time for being an embarrassment to them), and has quite the way with the ladies (of all ages too I might add!). His sisters hate that their friends love him, and he loves that his sisters have such cute friends! He has a penchant for walking slow, and hates when I ask him to actually do things... due to the fact he much rather "read" his LEGO catalogue.