Friday afternoon I planned an afternoon of fun for Nicholas and Elizabeth, beginning with a trip to my apartment to meet my roommate Rebecca. It's surprising how the simple things in life can bring such excitement to children!
After visiting with Rebecca, we enjoyed some time outdoors feeding the ducks, the fish, and the turtles in the lagoon near our apartment. Talk about exciting times! For them, this experience was euphoric! Of course it was such a delight for me to watch them interact with nature and ask questions! Getting a glimpse of the world through their eyes is so refreshing!
Last, the great finale of our afternoon was the Family Fall Fest at my school. The lawn was filled with smiling children engaging in games, crafts, face-painting, pumpkin decorating, and much more! Elizabeth and Nicholas were among them, overwhelmed by the excitement of it all! Much to my amazement and delight, neither of them ran away from me, got hurt, threw a temper tantrum or wet their pants! If you are a parent or a nanny, you know what I mean! We did have a couple of close calls when their helium balloons floated away into the sky, but I quickly responded with something like, "Now you can make a wish!". That helped turn their disappointment upside-down! Overall, I think a good time was had by all! The best part, I got paid for it!
It was the first beautiful fall day filled with soul-penetrating rays of sunshine and crisp, cool air. The kind that brings back memories in college of hiking through the Blue Ridge Mountains enjoying the beautiful foliage of fall arrayed in hues of red and orange! Following weeks of rain and the compounded stress of school and life, this was a much needed change for me as well as the kids!
