So when I was asked to take a look after my little cousins in BK for the day, I was ecstatic. Now, in all honesty, there are few times I use that adjective when referring to children. There was this family with three young teens on Dune Road in the Hamptons who were kind, considerate, active, funny, respectful and NOT spoiled. That's a rare occurrence, for those readers who are caught unawares. But this here is family! I am trusted enough to look after my two little cousins whom I only get to see at great festivities such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. I've never really had an inside joke with any of them, but I use that phrase loosely since they are only 1-years-old and 3-years-old. I mean to say I don't have anything tangible that would relate to a special bonding experience of sorts. So I was craving some hang out time! I want to be the cool cousin in their eyes, just like their aunt and uncle were the cool cousins in my eyes. See how that cycles through quite nicely?
However, I wanted to chill with the little tykes with Mommy first. For my own well-being, I wanted to see how she handles them, what she allows and what she doesn't allow, and most importantly to see if they hate me or not. I mean, let's face it now, this is family. It's not like I can necessarily stop seeing them or excommunicate them if these seemingly glowing angels are actually out to drag me through hell and back. So, it was a test. A test for me to see how well I can play/handle/show authority with them, and how well they can play/respect/listen to me.
So after sitting in the Social Security Office for a couple hours in Washington Heights and enduring the DMV-like lines, crowdedness, wait-time and awkward space-fillers, I trekked to Brooklyn to get to know my cousins a tad bit better. (The whole thing with SS is because my parents lost my card. That's right. One moment it was in the safe at the bank, supposedly, and next moment, whooops Kristen, where did your card go? They will surely deny this, regarding the misplacement to be my fault, but that is false. For once in my life it was not I who lost something of value and it was indeed my parents. Ok, continuing.)
Their apartment is close to the subway, close to everything imaginable, annd my cousin Brendan or their uncle Brendan lives right next door, where they share the same roof! I think it's wonderful! My other cousin Jeff also lives with Brend, whom I haven't seen so far, but I hope to soon! The kids are as joyful as they are beautiful. They aren't TV junkies, and when they do watch TV it's PBS. They share, they ask please, they use their words to communicate instead of harsh, blood-curteling screams, they have small hissy fits that are quickly disarmed by a hug and kiss, and they are easily entertained, laughing and smiling a lot.Bonus: the one-year-old has a head of titanium steel, by the way. Whenever he falls, or knocks his head into things, he announces, "I'm OH-K," and giggles, deciding to put the blanket over him once more and walk into the kitchen table leg. He has little red scrapes or bumps on his forehead that materialize throughout the day, but never phase him. Anyway, all kidding aside, mom and dad trained these babes well.Perhaps I seem bias, but I've babysat many-a-child and I can't recall hearing the rule, "No TV while eating dinner," enforced except for this household. To top it all off, during a game of Shoots and Ladders, Maggie planted a wet one out of no-where right on the lips. With kiddies it was always hugs and smiles and cookies, and "so long, thanks!" Never an-out-of-the-blue-I-love-you kiss. I think Kathryn caught the surprise in my eyes. The actual sitting date scheduled for two days later seemed promising.
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Wednesday came and at 9 in the morning I was on the C, then the A and then the L to Brooklyn. (Not too long ago these letters were merely necessities of my alphabet and not forms of public transit.) I arrived 10 minutes early to a pretty-eyed Cousin Kathryn at the door, where year old William and three-year-old Maggie waited for me at the top of the stairs. I was on 2 hours of sleep, as told by my previous blog, but that actually didn't seem to bog me down. In fact, I felt the most pepped in days. Kath left for her DMB concert in Boston, while Maggie and William plopped on the love-treaded couches to watch Dino Train. Much to my original confusion it was not about trains, but it was about dinos. Both these children, even Mag-pie over here, are in love with dinosaurs. I was definitely in love with Dalmatians and hot pink crayons at her age, so I give her mad props. She definitely looked at me and spoke some Latin multi-syllabification, such as Pachycephalosaurus. Go Dino Train for getting preschoolers to learn words 96.3% of America can't even pronounce.
Well the kiddies were getting on a TV kick, watching their beloved Dino program, then a little Sid the Science Kid and finally their much anticipated Thomas and Friends show! This is how I remember the show starting when I was little: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TLINNFIGQM.
Yeah that's when George Carlin was the conductor and Didi Conn, who played Frenchie in the 1978 movie of Grease, starred in it as well.
By the time it was over, both kids were still perky, despite passing their nap time by a 1/2 hour. And they still had PB&J's to devour! Once made, I noticed Maggie biting her sandwich and spitting it back out onto her small plate. I then realized that she wasn't a fan of the crust. And here the child would rather suck it up and bear it than whine and complain? A true champ. I cut those crusts right off, but soon realized that she had the very tippy top piece of bread. You know the piece I'm talking about? The first slice of the loaf that everyone discards and manages to sidestep, taking the next piece for their precious sandwich? I did it too, it's ok. Anyway, if you recall, that first piece of bread is fully consumed by crust on one whole side. However, Maggie didn't seem to notice this and she gobbled it all up. This leaves me to wonder if she truly detests crust. Or could Maggie's crust-dilemma be influenced by a popular phase in Pre-K, where all the girls with headbands and plaid jumpers warn mommy to keep a crust free lunch or else? At any rate, it was now nap time. William went to zee crib and Maggie went to Mommy and Daddy's large bed. I thought, eh- I have nothing better to do, and I am a little tuckered out, so I crawled in next to her and we both snoozed. I mean, I can't just watch someone nap! That's torture! Hope Uncle Mike and Kathryn were uh, ok with that. Shoes were off, and I was only under the quilt. Promise.
Anyway, nap time was short lived. Soon she shot up like a cannon ball and so we played our , "Quiet activities," until Maggie lost patience and woke up William. She wanted to make this cake she's been talking about since I arrived.
The baking went well. Messy, but the cutest messy you ever did see! I've never been more suckered into washing a spoon three times due to someone's chocolatey smile continually dirtying it up. See for yourself!
The baking went well. Messy, but the cutest messy you ever did see! I've never been more suckered into washing a spoon three times due to someone's chocolatey smile continually dirtying it up. See for yourself!
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| Mags lickin' it dry. |
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| He likes to wear it more than eat it. |
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| Maggie and William chocolate-covered and loving it. Well the day had to end eventually, and it went by quicker than I expected. Daddy was home before I knew it, letting them climb all over him like they were just doing with me. He's a great dad and I'm so happy my big cousin has a happy, loving family. :-) After all these chocolate pictures you'd think I'd maybe be craving a yummy dessert, but I think I had my fair share of icing. Alright, until next time... Truly tuckered out, x0x0x0 Kristen |
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