Trampolines and Forgotten Lunches

After a fun weekend of babysitting, I'm very happy to be able to say that I'm back in my own house and back online! Really though, I did have a great time with the kids. We got through the weekend without any major catastrophes and very few tears. I do have to confess that I forgot to send the kid's lunches with them to school on Friday! Thankfully, they have an account or something set up at school and were able to buy hot lunches. I felt like such a moron though! Their mom had even packed their lunches for them already. All I had to do was stick them in their lunch boxes and send them on their way. It just totally left my mind as we were going out the door. Oh well, the children did not starve. Other than the lunches and a some bedtime, "I miss my mommy" tears, everything went smoothly. Saturday, we spent the afternoon at my sister's house for her birthday party. I took a little video of them playing with my nephew on my sister's trampoline. Pardon the wind sounds. ;)

A Nanny Weekend

Friends, I must admit the truth. I'm completely and utterly addicted to the internet, or more specifically, social networking. I'm babysitting this weekend for the family I used to nanny. They, unfortunately, do not have internet in their house except on their laptop which the parents took with them. It's only been one night, and I'm already going crazy! I didn't know what to do with myself last night after the kids went to bed. Naturally, this is ridiculous. I had books to read, TV to watch, computer games to play, music to listen to, and any number of other things that I could have done to keep myself occupied. All night though, I couldn't help but miss all of my friends here in this online world in which I have made myself at home. I ended up going to bed around 11:30 (my normal bed time is closer to 2:30 AM), but I really didn't sleep well despite the fact that I was sleeping in the most comfy bed ever. It's kinda hard to sleep at 11:30 when you are used to being up for another 3 hours after that!

In spite of my internet/sleep deprived night, I did have a good time with the kids before they went to bed. We ended up playing guitar hero, and I had lots of fun rocking out on the vocals. I'm dreadful on the guitar, but as that was being occupied by one of my charges anyway, I didn't need to bother about it. I had taken Clark with me (my Build a Bear) and all his clothes, so the kids had fun dressing him up in his various outfits. The kids went to bed at nine and insisted that they always go to sleep with their TVs on. I'd like to think I was being played here, but I actually believe that this was true. The boy, who is older, insisted that his favorite show was on at 10, and he just had to watch it. I gave in, and let them watch TV. It wasn't worth the fight, and I'm pretty sure it really is the norm for them. I needn't have worried about them staying up too late. When I looked in on them at 9:45, they were both out, and I turned off their TVs.

The morning ran smoothly. They got up in plenty of time to get ready for school. Today was their picture day, so I got to have some fun with the curling iron on the little girl's hair. After a quick trip to Chick-fil-a for breakfast and then dropping them off at school, I had grand plans of going back to the house and doing a little cleaning. My body, however, seemed to have other plans. I ended up going back to sleep for about 2 hours. I think I needed it. I am now sitting at a restaurant and making use of some lovely free WIFI before going to work. Hopefully tonight I'll get a little more sleep!

Some Nanny Lauren Time

This weekend I am watching the little girl I used to nanny. I have really missed her, so I was looking forward to this. Imagine her surprise when she discovered Christmas in Lauren World. Amazingly enough, she had no idea that it was Christmas time. ;) Last night we watched The Santa Clause, and she got to sleep next to the Christmas tree. She asked me to leave it on for her. At one point she got a little sad and started crying for mommy, but she was OK once we put on the movie. She hadn't seen it before and really liked it. After the movie she told me, "I am still a little sad and miss my mommy, but I don't feel like crying. If I cry all night then I won't sleep, and I need to sleep!" She really must have needed that sleep because was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

This morning we slept till 9:30. I really thought she would wake up earlier, so I was very thankful. We watched Santa Clause 2 for awhile, and then made the hour long drive over to Build a Bear. I got the Santa outfit for Clark and the Snow Angel for Rilla, so finally my bears get to be dressed in their Christmas outfits. We also picked out a new outfit for her bear. After shopping for our bears we headed over to Panera for lunch. I had kind of wanted to hang around and do some more shopping, but she was ready to go back to the house and dress the bears in their new outfits. I think they look very cute. ;) Now she is playing with Samantha, my American Girl doll. It's nice to have someone play with her. Samantha was meant to be played with, but she seems to spend a lot of time lying in her bed in her nightgown. Last night we were looking at the American Girl website and I discovered that Samantha is being retired! I'm kind of sad about that, but perhaps it will make mine worth more someday...not that I plan on ever selling her.

Nothing...

Not one word. It has been nearly 5 days, and I still have not heard back from these people. It seems inconsiderate to me. I spent nearly 8 hours in my car to visit them. I paid for the gas to get there. I don't know if you have noticed, but gas isn't cheap! I understand if they don't want to hire me, but it would be nice if they'd at least tell me so! It's very frustrating. I emailed them as soon as I got home. I thanked them for having me in their home. I told them I was still interested in the job. And still, nothing.

I'm done ranting about this now. I don't want this blog to be a place where I come to whine and complain. That's not who I want to be. I don't even think I want the job anymore anyway.

I talked with my mom last night about the choir thing. We both thought that since this is something that has been on my heart for so long, I should pursue it. I'm not sure where to go from here, but starting next week (when I get back from Disney), I am going to talk to some homeschool moms that I know as well as some people more experienced with getting these kinds of things up and running. I may also end up crawling back to the preschool and begging for a part time job. I need money, and frankly, I need to be doing something useful with my time. Enough is enough.

On to other things...

I made dinner for my family last night. I did the pistachio crusted chicken again. It has been a hit with everyone who has had it. I'm rather proud of it as it's just something simple I concocted while trying to copy something I had eaten elsewhere. :D I also made whole wheat biscuits, homemade cranberry sauce, and oven "fried" potatoes to go with it. Sorry, no pictures this time. I picked up the latest Rachael Ray at the grocery store yesterday and found a few more recipes I want to try. If I do, I may post those at a later date.

And The Plot Thickens

My trip to meet the family went well I guess. I mean, they were nice people, and they didn't try to kill me or anything. ;) However, I am almost as unsure about the job as I was before I went. During my time there I mostly just got to know the family. We didn't really talk a lot about the job itself. They had some car troubles and things got a little crazy, so they were kind of frazzled. When I left Saturday morning, they just waved me off with a smile. There was no talk of getting in touch with me or questions about whether I still wanted the job or anything. I sent an email thanking them for having me stay with them, and I told them I was still interested. I guess I'll just wait and see. I AM still interested in the job, but I'm not totally sure. There would be a lot of really great things about it, and the area where they live is really pretty. The family is very down to earth. The parents like being with their kids when they are home. The pay is fair. It's close enough to come home for weekends if I feel a need to do so. However, as with all jobs, there are some downsides to it. I'm not crazy about the fact that they have HUGE dogs, and living with someone else's family still seems kind of awkward. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. In the mean time, I'm starting to consider some other options...

Since I graduated from college I've been wanting to start a homeschool choir and music class. A few weeks ago I sent out some emails to the heads of some local homeschool organizations to ask if they thought there was any interest. Apparently they forwarded the email to families, because this weekend I have received 8 emails from parents who are very interested in the idea of a homeschool choir. Frankly, I have no idea how to go about getting something like this started, and it kind of scares me. At the same time, this has been on my heart for several years now, and maybe it's time to step out in faith and give it a try. I doubt it could generate enough income to live on, but maybe I could find a part time nanny job or even (perish the thought) go back to the preschool. The idea of actually doing something in the field I have a degree in is kind of exciting.

At this point, I have no idea what idea what the future holds for me. I think I need to be on my knees asking for some guidance here.

A Time For Change

Friday morning I'll be making the 3.5 hour drive to meet the family that I've been talking to for awhile. I'm nervous about it, but also excited. This job sounds pretty great. I just hope that we will be a good match. It's been hard not having any idea what my future holds. I can't plan for Thanksgiving. I can't even commit to doing something next week. I'm very thankful that I've been able to get by with so little difficulty throughout my unemployment, but I'm ready for it to be over. It's time to move on to something new. I'm ready for a change.

I'm not the only one around my house who is going through some big changes right now. My aunt and uncle have just found a temporary position and will soon be moving out of our guest house and out of state. I know they are even more nervous than I am. This isn't the ideal position for them, but at least it will be some income while they look for something more permanent.

Somehow, fall always seems like a good time to make changes. I know it is the time when I become the most restless and ready for something new. It was last fall when that I decided that I had had enough of teaching preschool. In the fall, the world changes color (ok, not here, but throughout much of the United States at least), children start a new year of school, TV shows start back up, and my mom packs away all the pictures and unnecessary nick-knacks to get ready for the Autumn and Christmas decorations. Naturally, many times of the year bring big changes, but for me, it's Autumn that represents it best.

...And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come
You are autumn...
-Nichole Nordeman, Every Season

Maybe?

Well, I've sent in my application to a family about 3.5 hours away from here. I talked with the mom on the phone a couple days ago, and everything sounds pretty good. This was the same family I had spoken with about a month ago and then never heard back from. Apparently they had been involved in a car accident and had some other things come up, so they had put their nanny search on hold. About a week ago, I got an email from them wondering if I was still available. If all goes well with the application (and I can't imagine a reason there would be a problem with my background check or references) I should be heading there for a trial visit in the near future. I pray that this one works out; but I know that if it doesn't, God will lead me to the right thing.

Job Front Update

For those of you who haven't already heard, that job interview did not go well. Let's just say that I would have been "on the clock" about 60 hours a week, and they looked at me like I was insane when I asked if I was allowed to go out in the evenings after work. I'm pretty sure they expected me to be in their home all day and night just in case they needed me. Sorry if it's too much to ask, but I kind of need to have my own life. I do have something else that I'm looking into right now. I'll post more about it after I know more.

God is Faithful - Even When I am Faithless

Yesterday I found out that the job I though I might be getting is probably not going to work out. I spent the afternoon getting angry with my mom over stupid stuff, pouting, whining, worrying, and scouring the internet for a job. I just knew that I was going to be unemployed forever...that there was nothing out there for me. I'm sure God was shaking his head and sighing in exasperation over my lack of faith. He must love me though, because later that night he restored my faith. Last night I received emails about three different positions. This morning I talked to one family's previous nanny on the phone (she was the one doing the interviewing). The job actually sounds pretty good. Of course, this one could fall through too, but it is good to know that there are still jobs out there. I will find a great job, and I believe it will happen soon.

Alabama hasn't been as bad as I originally made it out to be. The weather has been beautiful and I've actually been having a pretty good time. Yesterday we went out on the lake in the boat. My parents own 1,000 feet of lake front property, but because it is so hilly and the trees so dense, you can't see the lake from the house. It was nice to be able to see more of the property from the water. I have only seen the small, cleared area where the house is. I'm not fond enough of spiders and ticks to venture into the woods for exploration (I feel fairly certain that this brings into question my pirate status).






Last night I made dinner for the family, and I'm proud to sat that it was a success. I love to cook for myself, but making food for other people always makes me nervous. I made creamy parsley and pistachio fettuccine (well, we didn't have fettuccine on hand so I actually used spaghetti noodles) and pistachio crusted chicken. I didn't have a recipe for the chicken. It was something I had eaten at a restaurant at The Grove when I was in LA. I had been wanting to try to make it ever since. I didn't measure anything, so I can't give you an exact recipe, but basically I chopped shelled pistachios in the food processor (enough to coat the amount of chicken you are preparing), put the nuts in a zip-lock bag with some black pepper, put the chicken in and shook it up to coat it. I then baked the chicken (I like my chicken absurdly well done, so I won't presume to tell you how long to cook yours. Any chicken recipe can give you a general idea of how to properly bake chicken).

Feeling Very Blessed!

Imagine my joy this morning when I received in the mail not one, but TWO $10 gift certificates for Build a Bear Workshop! I need to give a big shout out to all of you who helped me rack up the points in LA by using my card when you bought your bears. :D Thanks guys! I ordered myself a new bear online. It is a bit more fun to go to the store and make them, but the store is about an hour away, and not really worth the gas money. With my 2 gift certificates and the $5 off coupon I already had I was able to get my new bear totally FREE!! Even the shipping and tax were covered with the certificates. The website lets you name your bear and warm the heart and put wishes in it just like in the store. Of course, I didn't get to stuff it myself, but I've already had the experience and I don't really feel like I'm missing out on anything. I decided to buy the Read Teddy. I named her Rilla Anne, and she should be here in a week or so. Clark is very excited to meet her (as am I!). Unfortunately she will not have any clothes yet. I decided not to spend any extra money as things are a little tight right now, and it would have been an unnecessary expense. Perhaps Clark will let her borrow some pjs or something. ;)

We are feeling some of the effects of Ike here today. It has been windy all day and raining off and on. I'm so thankful that we aren't getting anything worse, but I know that there are many people who will not be so fortunate. These storms seem to just be piling up out there this year. After having such a calm season last year, I had almost forgotten what it is like to be constantly watching the tropics. I'm just thankful that we have been spared so far, and I pray that we will continue to stay safe.

Some exciting news...I have two different nanny job possibilities that have opened up this week. I'm still not sure about either of them, but both sound like pretty good options. I'm not going to talk too much about them on here yet, but I will keep this updated with how it all pans out. In the mean time, please pray that God will direct me in the path that is best for me.

What's In a Name? (A.K.A. PirateDiva Explained)

Before I move on to other things, I feel an issue must be addressed. I was just asked in a comment on my last post, "what exactly is a PirateDiva?" Good question! Well, I guess it's just me! At the height of my Pirates of the Caribbean obsession, my screen name in one of the chat rooms I was frequenting would change to various Piratey names...PirateCrazy, CrazyPirate, PiratesRRRhot (yes, really), etc. One day, I was being particularly snooty in some musical discussion and decided that I was acting like a diva. The nick changed to PirateDiva, and it has stuck with me ever since. So there you have it...the story of how Lauren became the PirateDiva.

Today I turned down a job in New York state. I actually did consider it for awhile and even emailed the family with some questions. The job sounded pretty good, but it didn't seem great. If I'm going to uproot and leave my nephew and niece (and baby #3 to be), I'm going to need great. The truth is, a part of me wants to go away. I'm not particularly happy at my church (not because there is anything wrong with my church, there just isn't much going on that I can really get involved in). I have very few friends here, and I spend most of my off time sitting in my room talking to friends online, reading, watching TV, etc. Those activities and online friends will be there no matter where I go, and just maybe I could find some friends somewhere that I could actually hang out with. A new environment and a change could be exciting. However, the other (and much stronger) part of me can't bear the thought of leaving. I love being close to my family, I adore being able to be a part of my sister's kids' lives, and let's face it, home is safe. The decision I have made today is that I will not (for now) be actively seeking employment out of state, but I will be open to the possibility should it come up again.

It has been such fun having my nephew and niece here this weekend. This morning my niece woke up at 6:30. I got her out of her crib, changed her, got her a bottle, and laid her down with me in my bed. We both fell asleep there (waking up off and on) until around 10:00. She was so sweet and smiley when we woke up. We just sat there in the bed and played and giggled for about a half hour until my nephew came banging on the door to see what was going on with his "baby princess." My nephew and I went swimming this afternoon. He is getting braver in the pool all the time. He can hold onto the side and walk his way down the wall to the deep end by himself. He is so proud of himself. Sigh, how could I ever leave them?

When I started this blog I made a commitment to spending time everyday in prayer and Bible reading. I had been doing really well, but I've slacked off the past couple days. I can't have that happening. I need to keep myself on track. Once I start slacking it get's too easy to keep on slacking, and then I notice a huge change in every aspect of my life (and it's not a good change!). Thankfully, the Lord keeps on reminding me and pushing me to do better.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A... Michigander's Life For Me????

Today my aunt in Michigan called to tell me that she has a friend who is looking for a nanny at least temporarily. She wanted to know if I was interested before asking more about the job. Am I interested? I honestly don't know at this point. I do need a job, and to be honest, a few months in Michigan during the fall doesn't really sound all that bad. I don't think I want to be a permanent Michigander, but I spent the first 9 years of my life as one and several years after that pretending I was still one. I would be close to my grandmas, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now, of course I still don't really know anything about this job. It may turn out to be another dead end, but you never know where the Lord will lead. It could be fun.

Another Day Goes By

YAY!! The new season of Bones starts in just a few more hours. Hey, when you have nothing going on in life, these little things become important.

Last night I thought I had a possible job open up, but it didn't work out. This family had basically no information about themselves or what they were looking for on the website, but they wanted me to give them my phone number. I responded saying that I would like to ask some questions before giving out my number, and she wrote back with a very interesting response. She answered my questions, and it all sounded really good until I got to the part where she said something along the lines of me not being the right nanny for her because I'm not trusting. She wouldn't want someone who isn't trusting around her child. Then she went on to say that did she mention she lived in a mansion on the water and I would have had very nice living quarters. Now, pardon me if I am wrong here, but personally I think there is a HUGE difference between showing caution and not trusting. Why on earth should I give out my phone number to a complete stranger who has told me nothing about herself? Oh well, I'm pretty sure God was protecting me here. I felt weird about it as soon as I got her email saying she wanted my number. Something just didn't seem right, which was why I proceeded the way that I did. I certainly don't want to live with and work for someone who is that crazy! No amount of money is worth that kind of frustration.

This should prove to be another long weekend. We will once again be watching my niece and nephew...Thursday - Sunday this time. My mom will be out of town, so I'm hoping my dad will help as much as he has promised! It's always fun having them here, but it can also be exhausting. Their schedules get a bit messed up by not being at home, so they don't always sleep as well or as much. Still, we will have a good time. I love being with them.

The Pirate Says, "ARRRRRRR!"

I had an offer today from a family with two girls who wanted a live-in nanny/housekeeper for $250 a week. What kind of person is willing or even able to work a full time job for $250 a week? I cannot believe how many families out there want a full time nanny to practically raise their children for them for almost nothing. Do they really not realize what an important job the nanny is doing? Do they not understand that even a live-in nanny has bills to pay and would like to be able to save for the future? I understand that people do not want their entire paycheck to go to paying for childcare, but at the same time shouldn't their child(ren) be their number 1 priority? If they cannot afford to hire a nanny, why don't they put their kids in daycare or stay home with them? Sorry for the rant. It's just that I've seen so many positions like this out there, and it frustrates me to no end. Sometimes I think I should just do something else, but I have no idea what.

In other news, yesterday I made a caramel apple layer cake. I'm pretty sure it is my new favorite cake. It was so yummy! So far, I think that every recipe I have tried from Everyday with Rachael Ray has been a hit. This was certainly no exception. I've been holding on to the recipe for almost a year, but I had never had an opportunity to make it. Last night I needed to make a dessert for my parent's home Bible study group. I was originally going to make a pumpkin swirl cheesecake (another amazing Everyday with Rachael Ray recipe), but I realized I didn't have enough time to let it chill. I remembered that I had been holding on to this cake recipe from the same issue, and I decided to try it out instead.

(Click the picture for the recipe)



For the frosting I added a pkg of cream cheese. It did make it a bit runnier (also could have been that it was very humid in the house) but I think it was worth it. I will be working on ways to make it less runny. Any thoughts? I tried adding more powdered sugar, but this just left me with more frosting than I could use and didn't help with the consistency. It wasn't too bad though. I once made a lemon cream cheese frosting that was so runny it just fell right off the cake onto the cake plate. It was dreadful (tasted good though). This one stayed on the cake for the most part. Of course, you could just follow the recipe and make it without the cream cheese, but I love cream cheese frosting.

Back to Square One

Another week half over, and I'm still no closer to a job. I did finally hear back from the family I had been communicating with, but the answer I got wasn't really the one I wanted. Apparently they had hired a temp for the time I was out of town, and now the temp wants to stay on permanently. The mom told me she hadn't decided for sure, but I'm not going to be holding my breath. I've contacted a few more families, but so far haven't heard anything back. In the mean time, I'm beginning to grow accustomed to unemployment, and I'm not particularly happy about that.

Last night I decided to go to Wednesday night service with my parents. I generally don't go on Wednesdays as my Bible study takes place on Mondays, but frankly I'm tired of sitting around my house. I'm glad I went. It was a prayer service, and it was really nice to have the chance to pray with others and lift up the needs of my church family. After church we had dinner at Crispers - one of my favorite restaurants. I love their tropical chicken sandwich...yum!!

This morning I did some housework for my mom, and now I'm sitting around being lazy again and watching X Files on DVD. I've never watched this show before. I put it in my netflix queue one day because I couldn't come up with anything else to put in it. I'm on the second disc of the first season, and I'm finding that I actually enjoy it. I'm sure I would have hated it back when it was originally on, but thankfully tastes change in a decade and a half.


If you haven't noticed by all the Disney blogs my blog roll, I'm obsessed with Disney World. I'm a season pass holder, and I go any time I get the chance. I haven't been since May (I know, poor me) and I'm starting to go through with-drawl. If it weren't for the money I'd have to spend on gas to get there, I would go tomorrow by myself and just hang out for the day. If only I had someone to share the ride and gas with me, but alas most people have jobs and lives and can't just up and go to Disney anytime they feel like it. Maybe I should look for a nanny job close to Orlando. ;)

Happy Birthday, Jenn!

A Day For Goodbyes

Today was my last day at work. When I got there this morning the kids were still asleep but the night before they had taped up artwork all over the house for me. This picture is just the small portion of it that I brought home with me. The kids had really outdone themselves. They must have put a lot of time into it.
(Note Superman S Shield on the card :D )


Once they woke up they showed me that they had left clues around the house as a sort of scavenger hunt. I followed the clues to a bottle with a piece of paper rolled up inside. (They thought this was a very pirate-like thing to do...they know me so well.) The paper turned out to be a treasure map which they wanted me to follow.
We followed the map until I found a gift wrapped up in the blanket chest. They had given me a bracelet that says, "Be still and know that I am God." on the outside and "Psalm 46:10" on the inside.
I couldn't get a very good picture of it, but this will give you a basic idea.


We went to Crispers for lunch (one of my favorite places to eat) and spent the afternoon swimming, hanging out, and yes - sometimes even fighting. Hey they are still kids! The littlest one clung to me most of the afternoon telling me how she would miss me and how she is glad I got to be her nanny. I will miss them.

This evening I went to Starbucks with my friend. She will have left for college when I come back from my trip, so this was kind of a goodbye as well. I guess it's just the day for goodbyes. If it weren't for the fact that I am going on vacation tomorrow I would probably have to break down and cry. As it is, I'm way to excited to cry!

I pretty much have everything packed and ready to go to the airport in the morning. My flight leaves at 7:40 AM, and I will get to St. Louis around 1:00 PM. My grandma, aunt, and uncle will be picking me up. I am looking forward to seeing them!

I'm still praying about the job offer I had last night. I haven't had a chance to email the mom again, but I will be doing that sometime in this next week.

Time to get back to packing and cleaning.

Possibilities!

I have a possible nanny job lined up! It's not for sure yet, and I plan to get some more info before accepting it. However, I'm excited to just have a possibility. The family lives about 2 hours south of me and has 3 children. The pay is decent, the hours are good, and I'd be able to come home Thursday nights and go back Monday mornings. I'm going to take some time to pray and ask more questions before I accept. Thankfully I have a week of vacation coming up where I will be able to do that.

Today I took the kids to see Space Chimps. I went in with very low expectations. It looked like another stupid humor kids movie. I was pleasantly surprised though. It actually turned out to be a pretty cute movie, and I enjoyed it. It's certainly not going in my favorite movies list, but it was a fun way to spend the afternoon.

My sister has not been feeling well, so we have the kids for another night. Tonight I gave my niece a bath, and while I am very experienced in most areas of childcare, I must say that I have never bathed a child that small before. The kitchen sink wasn't available and we don't have a baby bathtub here, so I had to make do with just the regular bathtub. She was so precious though. I felt like a clumsy, incapable auntie, but she never made the slightest fuss. She actually seemed to enjoy being in the water, even with her Auntie letting her little feet slip all over the floor of the tub!

I'm so excited about my trip. It will be fun to see my family and friends and my old college campus and some of my old hang-outs. I should probably get started on packing so I won't have to do it all tomorrow night.

Faith, Children, Pool Guys, and Vampires

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

The job hunt continues. I have one possible lead, but so far it's going nowhere. I should be stressed and freaking out, but instead I feel strangly calm about the whole situation. Then again, maybe it's not so strange. After all, God has never given me a reason to doubt that He will take care of me. Why would he stop now? When I look back on my life, I can see His hand guiding me at every turn.
I am certain that this will be no different. The verse I quoted at the top of this post reminds me that if I am faithful in following the direction of the Lord, he will guide me along the right paths. Now, if only I can keep myself from trying to go my own way instead of paying attention to where He is leading!

On another note, I had a nine year old try to set me up today. Am I wearing a sign that says, "please find a man for me"? I sure don't see one! A guy came to clean the pool at the family's house where I nanny. The 9 year old looked outside and whispered something to his sister who said to me, "Miss Lauren, the pool guy's left hand is free." I was puzzled by her comment and asked her what she meant. Her brother whispered to her again, and she said, "His ring finger is empty." At this point I got what was going on and started laughing. Needless to say, I did NOT rush outside and try to seduce the poor, unsuspecting pool guy.

Confession: I am in love with the Twilight Saga. I did not plan to fall in love with these books, and I was certainly a bit late in jumping on the bandwagon. However, once I started reading them I knew they were going to be the kind of books that I would devour in one sitting. Who knew I would ever be into vampire stories? Tonight (or tomorrow morning-however you choose to look at it) the fourth book is being released at midnight. My friend, who hasn't even read the books, has agreed to go with me to the release party. I'm sure it will be an insane event with squeeing teenage fangirls, but I don't really care. I always wanted to go to one of the Harry Potter release parties but never did. Maybe this will help to make up for it. I am not, however, planning to dress up for it. That would be crossing the line. Of course, if it were a pirate party, that would be a different story. ;)

Doors and Windows

I never really thought I would start a blog. I don't think I have that much to say. However, I figured it might be fun. So, here goes...

I have been working as a nanny since January. The job has had it's ups and downs, but in general I have loved it. The children are, well, children, and they certainly have their difficult moments. However, I love them both very much, and they are really very sweet. Monday morning when I came to work, my boss told me that she has decided that she needs to be home with her children after school each day. So, when school starts in a couple weeks I will no longer have a job. I can understand her reasoning. If I had children of my own I do not think I would be able to leave them in someone elses care everyday. I'm happy for the family. I believe this will be a good thing for them. It just kind of sucks for me. However, as Maria says in The Sound of Music, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." I'm not sure where this open window is, but I believe that it is out there, and I plan on finding it!