Mommy Twice Overs and Other No No's.

Dear Friend,
I just have to say right now that I am in love with Gordon the baby boy I get to hang out with Monday through Friday. He really is wonderful and I love how he is my buddy. We get each other. He doesn't like spaghetti squash and I don't like it when he spits out his food to my face, so we compromise... no more spaghetti squash... unless we have it mixed in something and he has no idea what he is eating! (I know, I know, I am so devious) It is so fun and rewarding already to read books to him, go for walks, cuddle him to sleep, and watch him attempt to crawl. ( imagine a slug... he looks like that when he tries)

There have already been things that I have learned from this job. Hence, this blog post. My first lesson as a nanny that was  an interesting one. It was when I was walking Gordon in the stroller on my first week. I was pointing out birds and making weird faces to baby (because you can look like a crazy person when you have a baby in your midst and it is acceptable.. I believe some have children just for this reason! ;) ) and then it happened. The Mommy Twice Over. Now, let me explain. The "once over" you probably are familiar with. This is when  a woman (usually... men are caught too sometimes!) sweeps her eyes over you from head to toe in a few seconds. You will be judged accordingly. (But, don't worry, even if you are wearing the cutest outfit, sometimes ladies will still not smile at you) The "Mommy Twice Over" takes practice because you only have a few seconds of staring down that you can do without coming off too rude.  The eyes sweep over your head to toe (sadly, I was wearing an old sweater and jeans-- X on that) , then do a double take at the left hand and bling that should be present with a baby in a stroller (X on that too..) then the sweep over of your baby. (covered up, check! cute outfit? check!, not crying? check!). This looksie over happened the first time and I believed I had something on my face (most likely I did-- Gordon loves to play, "how dirty can I get nanny"! ;) ) or that Gordon was just cute and they wanted to look at him. (Honestly, he is. I feel like a proud nanny knowing that he is ;) )Then it happened again... and again... and again with different ladies. I then realized what was going on. My first response is to start running with the stroller to get home and not deal with these looks that reminded me of my middle school years! (In their defense, in middle school I had a few interesting outfits!) However, I had a long way back home and me looking crazed as I run the stroller home would not be pleasant either. My second option was to do it right on back-- which didn't work because, well, when you hit someone after they hit you-- does that ever do any good? 
 I came up with a solution to this "twice over"; you stop them midway! I began speaking to the ladies who were giving me the "twice over" with a "What a lovely day!" or a "Your baby is so cute!" or something like that... anyway, these ladies would be forced to stop looking at my crazy curly hair and respond, even if it was just a  polite nod. Truly ladies, (and men) we can do better! Let's not judge and realize that we don't know each other's lives. We can connect in the fact that perfection is never obtained by having the right jogging pants or gluten free mum mum snacks. That we as humans have a lot more in common than we think we do!  It was exhilarating to stop the looking and start actually walking with the attitude of being pleasant to those around me. I am sure that Gordon appreciated that I didn't run either... he might have ended up in a ditch accidentally!

I had another awkward moment  the other day (no surprise there!) when I took Gordon to  the store to buy some supper foods. A man, about mid sixties, comes up to me and does the "twice over" but clearly was not a pro yet because he was very obvious about it. I tried my, "How's it goin'?" and moving on, but he spoke up. He said, "Ma'am, do you realize that your life could have been so much  better and easier if you had waited to have  a baby with a husband around?!" My hand stopped midway to the lettuce and I just turned and looked at him. I was so surprised that I  I stated awkwardly, "Oh, uhm, I am a nanny... he isn't mine..." Going beet red he apologized and rushed to get away. I had to say something though and found him in the check out. I told him that he hurt my feelings even though it happened that Gordon wasn't my baby and that yes, having two parents is better. I also said that even if he was mine, that I am sure I would know the difficulties that I would have as a single parent and maybe instead of going with that approach, next time using a kinder tactic... maybe not using that line at all. "Judgement can't be used until we get into their shoes". 

"There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"-  James 4:12 (ESV)

I have been learning so much as a fake mother! ;)

Love, 

Your Hippy Nomad

New Girl in Town

Dear Friend,

There has been so much that has happened in the last week. If you have not already heard, I am now in Grande Prairie, Alberta as a modern-day Mary Poppins.  (okay, not quite... I don't sing as well as she does and I cannot snap my fingers and make toys be put away in the right places, but I attempt to sing baby to sleep and I am a fast toy picker upper. ;) ) Being a nanny to a seven month old so far is a blessing most of the time. ;) There have already been so many things that I want to write about... this has been the biggest move I have done by myself. I got on my first plane ride and I sat by a young business man. He asks me, "What brings you to Minneapolis?" I then told him that, actually I was going to Alberta, Canada to be a nanny and this was my first flight of three more in the day. He then asks me if I have family in Alberta and I have to tell him that no, I don't and that I know a total of four people including my employers would make six. He laughs and says, "You realize you sound completely nuts, right?" That is when it hit me. I was (still am) a tad nuts. I mean, I was going to live with people I met over Skype once and be in a town that I have never been before. I stared out the plane and prayed a lot on that flight. Then again on the next, until the lady beside me had a vent session.She began with, "Men are idiots!" and  told me about her boyfriend and all the harsh realities about dating. I was thinking, "God, here I am moving closer to my boyfriend and this is the lady you want me talking to before I get there?!" She was a  good reminder though... no relationship is going to be blue skies and butterflies. (Though Disney wants us to think so!) When she asked me, "Should I continue to date this guy?" My response was, "Is he going to make you a better person by being with him and is he going to benefit from being with you?" In the end she said no, but I was able to say, "Yes God, you are putting me in the right place right now." I told her I was going to commit to pray for her and she told me that she wanted a boyfriend like mine. What a reality check! Funny how God is a million steps ahead of us in situations and we get to enjoy the rewards of that fact. 

What it looked like when I was landing in GP that night I got there!

I also was able to show two Americans were Alberta was, (  Them: "Oh, so it's near Alaska!" and " That's where the North Pole is right?" ) met a sweet man who helped me with my huge bags, and sat by a cat and her owner  on my last flight to Grande Prairie.

This first week has been wonderfully difficult. I am loving living in my cute little basement apartment with my cute mini fridge and I am already in love with Gordon my kiddie that I get to nanny for. It is great to say, "See you tomorrow" to boyfriend and have a Tim's french vanilla at roll up time. 
It has been hard being brave and going upstairs in the morning and helping myself to the food in the fridge, it has been a little sad not seeing my family every day, and I have already gotten lost as I have been exploring. (tiny bit awkward when you have to knock on a door and  ask for directions! ;) )It can get lonely at night when I have a few hours to myself and the sun is already gone away.  I also don't enjoy being the new girl and asking people to repeat their names, but alas, I have a lot of experience doing so and it seems to get slightly better with age. 

I am feeling very much like I am living up to my blog's name as a "hippy nomad" as I have lived in New Brunswick, Edmonton, Texas & Grand Prairie this year. I am learning so much about myself, God, others, and life! I'm so happy to be having this experience. So much more to say, but that is all I can handle for right now. :)

Your friend the hippy,

Summer