when it rains, it pours {and in my life, hails}

Rain, rain, go away!

I am a positive person. I really enjoy my life. I have been blessed in so many ways. Not everyday is rainbows and butterflies but I'm happy. I like where things are going and I have high hopes for the future. Sometimes though, life throws a lot at you...and it's hard to take.
My life is doing that right now but it's kind of in that "I can't believe this is happening, I'm almost amused..." kind of way. I guess that's the best way to experience a crappy week though, right?

To start with, I'm struggling in a couple different personal relationships so my heart, while not completely broken, is still a little sore.
Yesterday (Monday) I found out my great uncle Mac passed away. He's in a better place but the pain is no less real.
Today (Tuesday), my dad called to tell me about funeral arrangements. I couldn't talk, I was dealing with this:
I had a flat tire in the parking lot of our school. It was dark and there was a {freezing} torrential downpour. Oh wait, a TORNADO watch. I don't have triple a or a boyfriend(...who else do you call when you have a flat in the rain?).
I wandered around in the school like a soggy wet stray for a while, spoke to a variety of people and hoped my knight in shining armor would show up. I assume I would have been waiting all night until I saw one of my 3yr olds fathers. They are an incredibly nice family and I just needed to talk to someone I recognized. So I trudged my soggy self into the gym where he was coaching basketball, looking like a hot mess, and desperately asked for help.

He was a bit flustered, but after pulling himself together, he let me use his triple a. Just called them up, said he'd check on me when they were done with practice. Easy peasy. Angel.

I ended up having to call him to come over to the parking lot I was in and wait with his id becasue the aaa people on the phone were being difficult (since, well I don't have aaa)- so he waited in the car with his children while I sat embarrassed in my car.

AAA came, changed my tire, I signed something and we were off.
I am forever indebted to this INCREDIBLE family. I'd obviously LOVE to be their nanny. I said "thank you" about 8 million times and he said "You take care of my baby, of course." That almost caused tears. I have no idea how I'll be able to thank them but I'm going to spend a long time trying. I will be SURE to express my gratitude.

When I finally got home, I did some dishes...
CUT my finger with e KNIFE (small nic, I'm 100% fine).
But really??

Are
You
Kidding
Me?

This is laughable really. I haven't even cried. I'm not that upset. I'm too confused, it's all too bizarre.
But- I am terrified to see what Wednesday has in store for me. Thursday I have a dentists appointment to get 2 cavities filled. Friday will likely be capped off with a space rock falling from the sky and hitting me on the head. Saturday? A drive to Tennessee for a funeral.

So positive thoughts, prayers, karma- whatever suits your fancy- I'd LOVE some sent my way. I have no doubt that when the literal rain goes away and a new day begins, I'll start new and things will be brighter. This week is just a little bump in God's big plan. He has truly poured infinite blessings on my life.
Here's to not losing a nanny or teacher this week!

xoxo,
April

P.S. I also tripped the breaker in my house this morning.

I owe who?

Today at church, the subject was gratitude.
Perfect on the heels of Thanksgiving.
Being grateful gets one a long way.

I think I say "thank you" more than anything else.
I just want people to know they're important.
It's incredibly powerful.
Seriously, I think part of my purpose on Earth is to make sure people feel appreciated.
It's that important to me.

However, it's not important to everyone- people just don't realize it should be. It's easy to think you're being appreciative- or showing it.
Example? Parents think their nannies know. They don't though.
Andy Stanley put it best today, "Unexpressed gratitude communicates ingratitude" & "has the same effect as rejection," amen. When you do not express gratitude you "drive the other persons heart out of the relationship".
[Now, I could go on & on about this in regards to many of my personal relationships, but I'll refrain...] You want your nannies heart to be in the relationship. It makes the relationship.

Say thank you; to your friends, your family, your roommate, your husband or wife, your co worker. You are not entitled to any of it. None of us are. Show gratitude. [Warning: cheesy statement ahead] I think gratitude is the absolute best gift we can give this holiday seasons.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.

xoxo,
April

I am so thankful...

There are 15 minutes left if thanksgiving, so I'm jumping on the thankful bandwagon (plus, we've already established that I love lists).

- I'm thankful for my mother, father, and grandmother. So thankful.

- Friends who support me at my best and worst.

- A new home and wonderful roommate to experience this season with.

- The simple joy Christmas music brings, no matter how I feel.

- The holidays = lots of call from old nanny families....and plenty of stories to pass to you lovely readers. Thank YOU for reading this little blog that can :)!

- I'm thankful for THIS I seriously cannot believe I get to go back to Haiti in just ONE month from tomorrow. Praise the Lord for his blessings!!!

- I am thankful for my health, not everyone is so lucky...I say that with a heavy heart, as my great uncle Mac is in the hospital with a failing liver and lungs. Things look bleak, and losing Mac would be so difficult for so many of us. Please keep him and our whole family in your prayers. May the Lord send us comfort in His plan.

Happy Thanksgiving (and in 9 minutes we can start saying MERRY CHRISTMAS)!

xoxo,
April

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Don't forget about the arts&crafts this holiday season!
Make a turkey hand with your favorite kiddos.

There are plenty of options (please note how tiny this hand is).

Of course, a turkey crown is also a necessity...

Turkey cookies. Need I say more?

Whatever you make & whatever you eat, be thankful!
xoxo,
April

call merry maids

I am not a maid.
I love maids.
My momma's one.
I am not.
I am in the "pick the cheerios off the floor-oh no, you spilled your milk" kind of way.
[ In reference to teaching, I'm a "wipe the tables after snacks/meals- how did you get paint on EVERYTHING" kind of way]

Sometimes, nannies are asked to do some cleaning. Ever popularly phrased as "light housekeeping". Which often means, 'I hate doing dishes', as in 'while you take care of my children also take take care of my dishes' (because sometimes, having 2 dishwashers in your kitchen is so overwhelming {true story}).
Now, don't get me wrong, "light housekeeping" is perfectly acceptable. As long as it stays just that. I do not need to spend more time on dishes than with the children. Even more importantly, nannies shouldn't be doing very much picking up/straightening up for 2 key reasons:
1) Adults should pick up after themselves. None of us live in a castle (or are engaged to Prince William). Take your own shoes to your own walk-in closet.
2) Parents should teach children to clean up after themselves. Finish what you start. Put it back where you got it. Put your dirty socks in the hamper. Close the lid. Take it back to your room.
Get. It. Together.

Cinderella was a princess and she still cleaned.

xoxo,
april

a lovely love list, just beacsue

I wasn't planning on writing a love list...at midnight...on a Monday...when I should be preparing for small group tomorrow/sleeping. It has just about nothing to do with nannies(even though I love nanny things too)...but when you feel as blessed as I do at this moment, you just have to share!

A nannies non-nannying love list:

1) A special visit to Birmingham (& co-workers willing to switch shifts so I can make it on time for this next one...)
2) Celebrating the birthday of the one and only Lindsey Vaughan (aka: fun bags and/or S)
3) Celebrating with couples/families on their wedding day
4) Brunch on both Saturday and Sunday with equally fabulous friends
5) Thanksgiving and Christmas (I could go on & on)
6) Christmas parties and concerts with friends who are finally moving back to the peach state :)
7) Reading Beth Moore with my small group
8) 2 hour phone conversations with people who you can be 100% candid with
9) Emails from hundreds of miles away that encourage you right to the soul
10) Renewed friendships that have been on your heart for ages
{ 11) Coffee...I'm going to need it tomorrow after staying up this late}

That's all for now, thanks for indulging me blog world. I owe you one.

xoxo,
April

they notice

That's what I love about kids. They pay attention. When they want to. When you least expect it.
I have countless examples, but one happened today.

One of our quieter children, who we have to pull things out of and who acts as if they can't hear us (selective hearing obviously) was standing alone in the other 3yr old classroom- just the other teacher was there. The room is similar to our but still fairly different.

The child stood, still, quiet, hands in pockets and said, "You have small groups in here?" after noticing a small group chart similar to the one in our room. The teacher replied yes. Then the student said "...and centers?" The teacher replied yes.
The child just nodded and kept looking around the room.
Observing. Noticing. Taking it in. Paying attention to something outside their own world.

We could all learn something from that.

xoxo,
April

just think about it...

Ok, so being a nanny for the Duggars would obviously be an insane task (see previous post). They'd have to have at least 3...right?

BUT

It can get a little more bizarre...

How about those crazies over on "Sister Wives". I mean clearly, there are enough sister wives to care for the children...plus, like the Duggars, the number of children means a huge age gap; therefore they take care of ( & raise) each other.
If ALL FOUR WIVES decided to work or go on a book tour simultaneously, they'd need a nanny. Weird, right?

Would they advertise that their seeking a nanny for a polygamist family...?
Who would answer that...?
It's true that I find the whole thing fascinating but I don't want to get in the middle of that mess.

What if the nanny became the 5th wife.

Ok, I'm grossed out now...

nanny of 19 kids and counting...?

Sometimes I wish I was a full time nanny again.
Not the same full time nanny I was this time last year. Please no. I do miss those kids though.
Just a regular full time nanny. The hours are better. You only have one ( or 2) sets of parents to deal with as opposed to 19 and definitely less than 19 children...unless of course you nanny for the Duggars.
You know what...I think I'd like that job...

How can I contact tlc?