One Week Down!

I have successfully completed my first week of nursing school. Granted, our week was short by one day due to labor day, but it was still a "full" week of classes.
to celebrate, I went afternoon-drinking with 2 of my cohort members to raise a glass in recognition of the fact that we only have 14 weeks of the semester left. exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.
Today our class was Health Assessment, which is where we learn how to do a health assessment. which includes a complete health history and a full physical exam. Our lecture professor is amazing, perhaps the most amazing professor we have, and our lab professor might be the most hilarious professor I have ever had in my entire educational experience. People who are warm and kind, and who can laugh at themselves really do make this whole experience that much more enjoyable.

to finish off a long day, I went to go see the movie THE HELP with one of my nearest and dearest friends. Based on my mood last week I was sure that I was going to sob through the whole movie because I was going to be missing my boys, but instead I really just got to enjoy it. It made me more appreciative than I already am of the relationship I continue to have with my nanny-family. When a person decides to become "the help" there are times when you will just click with a family, and times when you won't. The times that you don't can seem tragic and full of despair, but the times that you do are like magic. I think there is something incredibly special in the bond a child shares with their nanny or babysitter or mothers helper or whatever you want to call it. Allowing a complete stranger to come into your life to take care of your kids is one of the best things you can do for the stranger and for your child. you are giving your child the gift of another trust worthy adult, another point of view, another history of life experience. You are bringing an adult into their lives just for them, to enrich their lives. And for the person who gets to watch your kids, you are giving them the precious moments that they will carry in their hearts forever. moments of time with the kids, where it is just the nanny and them, special things that they share, just the two of them.

whenever I am out in public with any of the kids that I sit for, it is always assumed that the kids are mine. I always correct people if the situation seems worth the correction. but in truth, the moments that I share with kids are mine. the walks home from school with J and Baby Boy, those are my moments with those two incredible kids.
the moments of M singing her heart out at the park, the moments of N fulling engaging in an art project, of C not sharing her toys, of L rolling around and smiling. all moments that I got to be a part of. because there are some incredible parents out there who allow me the gift of time with their kids. and I am forever thankful.