Mimosas and Kevin Hart

Things I learned over the weekend: I’m abnormally motivated to brunch on a Sunday after working the night before, and Kevin Hart has a really firm understanding of toddlers. Check out his SNL monologue here.

What Kevin nailed about my job is how gosh darn repetitive I sound every day. I nanny for an incredible family who have a boy and two girls. They’re 7, 3, and 10 months respectively. If you couldn’t guess, it’s the three year old who has me sounding like a broken record. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with kids from birth to high school, and can confidently say that it’s the two and three year olds you have to watch out for.

I’m so thankful to have this job and to have known this sassy, free-spirited princess since she was eight months old. She won me over in my first week working as an infant teacher in Chicago, and we’ve been best buds ever since. Fun fact, not long after I figured out that she was special, I discovered that her parent’s names are Chris and Gwen. If that’s not ringing any bells for you, you probably didn’t read my first post— shame on you.

Anyway, talk about difficult jobs… that one was hard. As I tripped over toys, adapted to a constant coating of sweat; and, fumbled to manage 12 babies, four co-teachers, and two less-than-stellar bosses, I’d often dream about nannying for Chris and Gwen. When I found myself unemployed after the school holiday party on 12/23/16, (sorry, I can’t share that story as I’m sworn to secrecy…) I began reaching out to parents of students I’d come to know well. I apologized for leaving so abruptly, thanked them for giving me the opportunity to work with their babies, and told them I was available as a nanny. While everyone offered their support and condolences, only one family took my offer seriously. Bet you can’t guess which one.

I credit Gwen and Chris with a substantial amount of the growth I’ve made in the past year. They’ve shown me kindness and stability that I’ve never known in a job. They care for me, they want me to be successful, and the coolest part of it all– they prioritize my happiness. The security they’ve offered has allowed me to blossom into this person, and given me the capacity to begin writing. I will forever be grateful to them for welcoming me into their family and allowing me to hang out with their three kids– yes, even as I spend my days asking if we have our listening ears on and failing at potty-training (that’s what Sunday mimosas are for). Looking back at everything that brought me here, and recognizing that some of my dreams, albeit small, have actualized, is as magical as everyone says it will be. I think that “never give up” thing has some validity to it.

-M