Day 7 of Nanny Cara on the job

 Sunday, December 11th

• 8:30 a.m. – I am up before the alarm. The Kid is not. Her alarm woke me! I get up and see it is snowing. That's exciting! I take pictures and hope it isn't cold enough to stick.

• 8:45 a.m. – The Kid shouts my name to let me know it is snowing.

• 9:10 a.m. – We head off for church. The Kid is going to youth group and is worried about me because her aunt, uncle, and Steph's friends are always late. 

• 9:30 a.m. - Several months ago, The Kid and I discussed my atheist mother and my church-going experiences. She worries about leaving me alone like I might be struck down. I assure her I can fend for myself, thank her for her concern, and send her off. I sit down. There are only 5 people in the sanctuary. What the what??? The pastor says it might be due to the weather. Hmm…it is snowing and sleeting but barely. If I can get here, the rest of this town needs to be here!

• 9:40 a.m. - Steph's friends arrive and sit behind me, tapping me on the shoulder. 

• 10:30 a.m. – It was a lovely service, but I kept thinking of Kip during the whole thing. Religion played a big part in his life. I kept replaying conversations, reliving his funeral, and remembering his "I'm blessed" response to anyone asking him how he was. Odd really. I didn't know Kip well, but sometimes I feel like I did. Maybe through his book? His sister and her husband join us. I like them. She is sweet. I find him intriguing. Like Steph's friends, I think these two are mystified about me. Marriage, children, and life intervened, and communication between Steph and me was limited. We emailed. I kept in touch with her life via her parents. I met Kip when they came to Florida once. We visited them once. But not until my visit with her sister and mother did we fall back into a more hey-let's-seriously-keep-in-touch friendship. I'm sure these people had never heard of me, and now I'm suddenly popping up, giving a funeral speech about knowing Steph for 54 years and nannying her daughter. I find it kind of funny. It's what I've said for years, using the Girl Scout motto - Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver, and the other is gold. No matter how long or far apart, some friends can come together and delve straight where they left off without a hitch. If you don't have that, you don't get it. So, I'm conscious of this suspicion and tread lightly. Besides, The Kid loves all of us. There is plenty to go around.

• 11:00 a.m. – Good Lord! These people can talk! The Kid and I are starving, and I desperately need coffee! We manage to finagle them toward the door, and as she has done this entire time, The Kid directs me to the country club for brunch. I can tell you, my girls could not have gotten anyone around town at this age. Hell, my twenty-five-year-old can't get around town now without a GPS. Seriously. She has no idea of street names. I've decided The Kid is something special. And so is her mom, who raised her to be this self-sufficient. I'm sure Kip had some fingers in there too, but, let's be honest, it's the mothers who sacrifice it all. Thank goodness my girls are capable adults, or I'd be second-guessing myself about now. Maybe too, it's the small-town living. There is something to be said about that. I, too, ran amok at 13 in Indiana. Huh. How about that. 

• 12:30 p.m. – Brunch was lovely. I wasn't sure how the country club thing worked here, but back in my day of that "luxury" and working for the club, it was all done by membership. Since I'm not a member and Steph is no longer a member, I didn't offer to pay. I did thank them kindly. Maybe I could follow that up with a thank you in a Christmas card. I'm laughing hilariously right now after typing that last sentence. I still have a box of thank-you items for my SIL from my visit to her house this past July! And my blog readers know that I can't get birthday cards out on time. A shame, really. My mother taught me better than that. And one of these kind folk will take me to the airport tomorrow. I hope my sincere thank you holds some weight.

• 1:00 p.m. – I am watching football. The Kid is getting ready to go ice skating. I inquire as to whether she knows how. She "reminds" me she was a figure skater. I have no memory of ever knowing this information. See! If the family and friends knew this, suspicion would increase! The Kid demonstrates some moves, twirling around in her socks on the hardwood floors. I'm intrigued. She says she will send a video of her skating today.

• 4:00 p.m. – Ugh. The Steelers lost. Both quarterbacks went out with concussions. I stalked The Kid several times, now used to her running amok. She did send a video of her skating. But now the app shows her at her school again. What the heck? Who is taking them from place A to place B? The Kid went with Friend EF skating. His mother took them, and for some reason, I pictured her sitting there watching them. Jeez, am I that out of touch? Did I drop off my kids at 13? Well, maybe I would have for ice skating since the only rink in Florida is at the mall. I would've gone shopping! Or would I? I can't remember. But today is Sunday, and while this school is Catholic, I hardly believe The Kid and her friend are attending mass. 

• 4:55 p.m. – The Kid calls. Can I come and get them and take them downtown? Wanting to pretend I'm the authoritative figure, I ask for what. She says food. That sounds great because I am starving and need something more than the chocolate I keep consuming. This town would kill me if I lived here. I'm going to go cold turkey and outlaw chocolate when I get home. No. Wait. I'll do that in January. The holidays will have too much chocolate for me to do it now.

• 5:06 p.m. – Does this school ever close? I mean, it's Sunday! This is the day of the Lord! And the Lord says we rest on the 7th day. And this Catholic school has, once again, tons of cars in the parking lot. I think there is more going on inside that building than education! I have been here in some capacity every day this week! Could it be a cult thing? Drugs? Human trafficking? Does her mother know? I shelve the issue since The Kid's plan is to return to public school next school year, and she seems to be okay.

• 5:07 p.m. - The Kid exits the building and comes to the car with her entourage. There are three of them. Two I recognize, but the other I don't. He is tiny, and I decide he is a sibling of one of the others. I wonder if his mother knows he is with these older kids and in some strange lady's car. Well, the car might not be strange, but I am! Ha! If they only knew! 

• 5:10 p.m. - Dear god, for the first time, these kids are behaving like I remember 13-year-olds acting. Objects fly through the air. The giggling is loud. There is so much jumping and wiggling in the backseat the car shakes. I told them to buckle before I put the car in gear, but did they? It was dark. I didn't check. Maybe I should've Googled PA laws before I got here. Hmm...I'll add that to my Nanny resume. "Well acquainted with state laws." To distract them from misbehaving while I drive, I ask how they got from the skating rink to the school, where supposedly "basketball games" were being played. Yeah. Right. The Lord does not intend for basketball to be played on a Sunday unless it is part of the NCAA or NBA. Definitely, that school is doing unlawful mind-bending things. Probably teaching them to run amok! And guess what? Friend AB's father carted them to the school from the rink. I suspect he might play a leadership role in this cult school. Because did he ask where she would go from here? Tell her he would pick her up? Does he know she is about to run amok downtown? I don't ask this. I just keep driving.

• 5:25 p.m. - The restaurant of choice, which is these 13-year-olds hangout, is Chipotle. I park. They are horrified I am going in. I remind them I have yet to eat. They take off running so as not to be seen with me. Ha! The Kid should know me by now! When I enter, they are huddled in a corner, side-eyeing me. I immediately wave crazily, and then I go over and shout, "Oh, My God! I haven't seen you guys in forever. How are you? What brings you here?" The Kid gives me a look and says, "Cara!" I laugh and leave them, but now The Kid realizes I can pay for her food, and she won't have to use whatever her mother left her for running amok. She is now cool with hanging with me. I get roped into buying Friend AB's food. Interesting. Does her father ask how she ate? Does he give her money? I'm sorry I won't be here long enough to sit down with this father. He really could use Nanny Cara's advice. Hey! I could finagle a job out of this. Then again, I live in Florida. I'll tell Steph to give him my name if he needs something temporary. I learn that Tiny Friend is the same age as the others. Oops. Glad I didn't say anything in the car. The Kid is like 6 feet and towers over her friends, so that's my excuse for thinking otherwise.

• 5:30 p.m. – I am back at the house, leaving the children at Chipotle. I did ask what their plan was after eating. They do have school tomorrow, and that seems like something Nanny-like I should be on top of. As usual, The Kid responds they will eat and then be home. No later than 6:30. Boom. She shuts me down. I mean, what do I say to that? It's an hour. I nod, walk out the door, and laugh as my girls' voices shout at me in my head. I hope to hell Steph allows all of this nonsense. Otherwise, I'll feel stupid, but that's the fun of having a friend take care of you. I remember my mother's friend taking care of my brother and me. She let us have Twinkies and Ding Dongs, two things my mother would not have approved. It's all I remember of that time. The Kid will remember how I let her run amok. My job is complete! I eat.

• 6:15 p.m. – The Kid has returned. Early. Guess why? Yep, Friend AB's father apparently sat outside our door and texted his kid that he was waiting only a few minutes. She would have to spend the night here if she didn't get here now. Oh, yeah, he and I definitely have to talk. What if she had called his bluff? I've let these kids run amok! How does he know I won't make her sleep outdoors? This guy is a piece of work! I wish The Kid had filled me in before she got home. I would've gone outside and confronted him. Friend EF and Tiny Friend come inside. They all disappear upstairs.

• 7:00 p.m. – The friends are gone. I remind The Kid her school crap is in the car and inquire again about homework. I'm not sure why I bother because she has NONE. She did it at school! I do not believe this for a minute, although I feel guilty not trusting her since she is so self-sufficient. But then I remember the lousy test score (I don't know what it was, but she told me it wasn't good) of the test she took upon her return from sickness. I stop feeling guilty. I can't check things. Back home, at my other nanny job, I checked this information via a school portal. I had to because those kids were big, fat liars. They are 20 and 18 now, and the one just texted me her first acceptance into college, so I can pat myself on the back for checking that portal. Whew. Okay, that trip down memory lane assures that The Kid will graduate. She puts on her headphones, relaxes on the couch, and does stuff. I go back to football.

• 10:00 p.m. – I got tired of football, showered, and am now packing some stuff. The Kid has said her goodnight and is safely behind her closed door. Tomorrow night I will be in my own bed. That's hard to believe. This week flew by!