Too sad for words.

For those of you familiar with the world of Christian music, the name Stephen Curtis Chapman will be known to you. Sadly, his youngest daughter was hit and killed by a car yesterday. As if that couldn't get any worse, the car that hit her was being driven by her teenage brother. Those of you that believe in prayer, please pray for this family. She was only 5 years old, and one of the three little girls the Chapman family has adopted from China.
My hearts and prayers go out to them.

So over it!

So, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but the 3 year old (he'll be 4 next month! maybe things will get better?) has an issue with his pants. This has been going on for about a year, and it started with his shoes. They had to be SUPER tight and if they weren't tight enough he'd go into full temper tantrum mode. Now he'll only wear his Crocs and he has to wear socks with them. So then the "issue" moved to his pants/shirts. First he wanted to wear the pants that were so tight I almost couldn't button them, and for his shirts all the buttons had to be buttoned (yes even the top one on polo shirts). Then he decided he didn't like any shirts and pants that buttoned. So now all he'll wear is t-shirts and pants with elastic waistbands. His mom and I thought it was a control issue, since before her or I would pick out his clothes, so we started letting him pick out his clothes, but he still only wants to wear certain pants/shirts. Recently though even the pants that he loves, and would wear every day if we'd let him, have made him start to freak out and he says, "They're falling down!!" and collapses onto the floor into hysterics. It's really becoming ridiculous, because they fit him perfectly and we're not going to put him in stuff that is going to fall off of him.
Now with the warmer weather coming we're trying to get him in shorts (because all of the pants he likes are lined jogging pants that are winter wear, and not suitable for these GA summers) and even when he picks out the shorts it's like all hell breaks loose. His poor mom has had to tell him she's going to make him go to school in his underwear, just to get him to put on clothes that are warm weather appropriate. Yes, he'll complain about being hot, when playing outside, but when I suggest that maybe he should put on some shorts, or take off his socks, he's like, "NO." and I say, "Well I can't do anything for you then." The other day I fought with him for 45 mins about it, because he wanted to go outside and the only way he could was to wear shorts (which he picked out and then freaked out over.) I know, I know pick your battles, but this one was started earlier by his mom and I felt like I needed to follow through with it, because he already tries to play us.
So, now I'm not even sure it's a control issue, but just him being stubborn. I don't know, but it sure is getting old fast! LOL If you're reading this and have any suggestions, please comment, 'cause his poor mom and I are just dying here!

My heart hurts today for Matilda.

I know this isn't nanny related, but I was really shocked to hear about Heath Ledger's death today. He was only 28, and left behind a beautiful 2 year old daughter, Matilda. My heart just aches for her, and that she will grow up without her father there for the big events of her life. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and the rest of his family.

The life of a ten year old.

I am not a live-in nanny, but occasionally I have overnight stays, and this week I am doing one of those Wednesday - Saturday, and only a day and half in I'm ready to convert to "mean Christin," as I like to call myself. I try to be the fun nanny, but I don't let the kids get away with anything. Sometimes I think I'm stricter than some of the parents. Maybe it's the way I was raised, or maybe I'm just embarrassed by the way kids act these days.
One of the children I take care of has been complaining of a stomach ache all week, and has only been to school for two hours this week. We were hoping that today she would go back, but that didn't happen. Want to know why? Because she has two bad habits - one of those being sneaking junk food/snacks. Her other bad habit is lying. Full out, to your face, get mad if you don't believe her, lying.
I discovered yesterday that she had been sneaking food while she was sick, even though all week when she'd ask for something to eat, her mother and I both would tell her she could only have the plainest things. Yesterday I found a package of M&Ms "hiding" in the basket on the stairs. I took them and hid them somewhere I thought was safe. Then later I find an empty package of gummy snacks in the pantry. So, I'm a total softy and of course I don't want to send a kid to school if they are really sick, but this made me think that she was trying to stay sick! What am I supposed to do? Well this morning she's crying 'cause she's in pain but knows that she really should go to school, so I was completely honest with her. I told her that I knew she'd been sneaking food and that if I let her stay home today there would be absolutely NO FOOD SNEAKING! We would stick to toast, crackers, broth, and ginger ale. She agreed to this and I kept a good eye on her, or so I thought.
After doing so well all day, not sneaking food and sticking to what I told her she could eat, what do I find this evening, but the torn corner of the M&Ms bag (that I had hidden) and a missing M&Ms bag. So of course I confront her and she gets all mad and defensive and says, "It wasn't me! I don't care if you don't believe me, it wasn't me!!" I know, in my gut (you don't have to be a mom to have mother's intuition), that she ate them. She'd been holed up in the room I'd hidden them in for hours and no one else was in there alone. But I ask the older sister, who knows nothing, of course, and I know that if her 3 year old brother had opened that bag they'd be all over the floor. What can I do though? I have no proof and I'm not in the mood to get into a screaming match and have her stomp all over the house and wake up her brother, who I just put to bed. So I left it alone. Sure enough not 30 mins. later she comes, apologizes and confesses to the entire thing. Never underestimate the power of the intuition, y'all!!
She's going to school tomorrow, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and I told her I didn't want to hear anymore about a stomach ache, 'cause if she's well enough to eat a bag of M&Ms she well, period. There are to be no calls from the nurse tomorrow asking for her to be picked up, because I will tell them that she has to stay. I hate being so suspicious of someone. Yes, she knows the story of the boy who cried wolf, but I don't think she really gets it. Her mom has tried to nip it in the butt so many times, but I really just think it's something she'll have to grow out of, and let's pray that she does grow out of it.