First off, there's me. Early twenties, no chitlins of my own. But I've been around babies and small children nearly constantly since I was one myself. So its always a wide-eyed "What???" when someone tells me they've never held a child, changed a diaper, etc. My mom watched kids as a way to get around the fact that she didn't want to work while my sister and I were young. My sister and I were raised as a group with my godbrothers, and a few cousins thrown in occasionally for sport. There is very little about babies and children that shocks me anymore. They just make me laugh.
Nannying for this family has been the greatest gig in the world for me right now. Unmarried, with no kids of my own, I am constantly seeing through Facebook most of my old classmates and various friends announce "I'm engaged!", "I'm getting married tomorrow!", and "I'm having a baby!" And while I do pray for those blessings for myself one day, I am perfectly content right now to play with these sweet kids all day, love on them, comfort them, feed and clothe them, clean up after them, and then go home to my own space, make me some food, and have some quiet time to myself. I have the best of both worlds in my opinion for now. ;)
Next on the character roll call is Buddy. Yes. That will work nicely. That is what I'll call the 4 year old little boy. I call him that half the time anyway, so it will be very easy to write. I considered, however, referring to him as "Hulk". It would have played in nicely with him except for the fact that he's actually pretty small, and well, not green. He has an affinity for all things Incredible Hulk. He's got the bedsheets, the eerily-similar Hulk roar and catchphrases memorized, the large foam fists which will come out of nowhere and sock
This kid is crazy-smart. And he will remember everything you've ever said to him. He is just barely four and uses words like "challenging", "compromise", and "consequences" in his everyday speech. And has a mind for science and math and engineering. Penmanship? He couldn't care less. He'd rather draw pictures on his arms. He's also a very diplomatic little guy, and when he's in trouble he'll want to know your side, tell you his side, and try to reach a compromise that isn't ACTUALLY a compromise (considering his ideas usually revolve around somehow getting his way after all). He's got the makings of a lawyer. But he's a very sweet, loving little boy with a worshipful eye for his daddy, a sweet spot for his mommy, and a protective side when it comes to the babies.
Next there's Baby Brother or Little Brother. At 11 months old, he's already got the build of a linebacker. But he's just so darn cute, and the resident snuggler of the household. He's also recently begun to tap into his linebacker muscles. Since babygates aren't a strategic possibility in this house, the parents and I will block off the doorways out of the main room with various furniture and pack 'n' plays. He has recently learned that if he gives a mighty yell and pushes with every bit of his weight, he can 9 times out of 10 remove the obstacle from his path and free himself and his sister from the confines of the room. But hey, as long as I stay one day smarter than these kids, I'm still golden, right??
Brother also has a deep love and fascination for all things technology-related. Hand him a toy, he'll mess with it for a while, chew on it thoughtfully, then toss it aside and is off to the next adventure. But hand him a remote control, cell phone, or video game controller, and the kid is absolutely CAPTIVATED. His dearest ambition right now is to get to play unsupervised with the office computer system. And he will fight for what he loves too. Try to take anything technological away, and he will scream and shriek at you in what most closely resembles some form of Chinese, I think. Rest assured as you look in his angry eyes that he knows exactly what he's saying to you-- or calling you. And even when he's not angry, he's still a very chatty little boy.
Finally, there's Sister. Brother's womb-mate and roommate. She may be petite, but don't let that fool you. She's got a little grin that says it all---- absolutely adorable and sweet, but with an undeniable mischievious streak. Remember those makeshift babygates I mentioned, and how Brother will shove them aside? Well. Sister is sneakier. She will somehow go under, over, or in-between them in ways that you would never imagine. She's the resident Houdini of the house. And as soon as she gets through the barricade, she's off like a bat outta heck. As soon as she hears you coming up behind her, she speeds up, laughing, her little arms and legs going as fast as they can. (Whereas, when Brother escapes, he's not in as much of a rush. And when he hears you coming after him, he panics and freezes where he is. Much easier to catch.)
Oh, and Sister's dearest ambition? To climb the stairs all the way to the top. Fabulous.
She's not as chatty as Brother is, but will still talk a little. She's also very cuddly. She loves to crawl up in my lap and just sit for as long as possible, sucking her fingers, and watching her brothers go about their play. She's also very interested in getting where she wants to go in the least amount of time. So, naturally, she's a little bit more inclined to practice walking than her twin. But rest assured that as soon as she gets good enough on her two legs for that to be her primary mode of movement, Brother will not be far behind. He's reluctant to let her do anything cool without him, and vice versa.
So there you go! I think I've explained the people and circumstances well enough now that I should be able to start blogging without giving continual backstory! Stay tuned for the craziness that's bound to ensue. ;)
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