*little back story* My first nanny job was to a boy named Reed who I watched for a year and a half. I was let go when spur of the moment they put him in daycare (was texted the day before I was supposed to go into work that I wasn't needed anymore and could pick up my last paycheck at the dad's office). And though promised I would get tired of all the babysitting they would probably have me do... They have never asked me to watch him since. So as you might imagine... I was angry with Reed's parents for a long time for how they let me go. I've been told by friends and family alike that Reed's mom has asked about me and has said they miss me, but the only word I've heard from them was once about taxes. Anyways... I'm starting to get into a rant here. I do not miss working for them because they never appreciated me, plus their dogs were really annoying. I wish them well, though I doubt we'll ever be friends.
So what was my intended topic? Oh, I used to be Blakely's nanny. It was me this time that let go of the job. It was getting too difficult the fact that I wasn't her mom. When her dad was in a bad accident grandparents and such stepped in and took over my job where I wasn't wanted/needed anymore. At least it was like that for over a month. I rarely got to see Blakely during that time. After dad recovered enough to come home, he was going to be home a lot for a while, and personally that makes me uncomfortable having dad home while I'm watching his child. So with the situation being what it was, I took the opportunity to walk away. Blakely is 3 and has been in preschool for three months now, she enjoys it.I'm at Blakely's house now babysitting, she's currently napping. There were so many things I did while working here that.... Well you'd never know I ever did now. Before her dad's accident and I was working here full time, I almost had Blakely potty trained. I had her clothes and her toys all organized. I had the dishes done and the cabinets in the kitchen sorted. I had almost found all the pieces to some of Blakely's puzzles. All those things changed while I was gone. Even Blakely's appearance went down hill. I always kept her hair combed, her nails cut, and gave her skin lotion. Now she's always got tangles, her nails are a mess, and her skin is like sandpaper. I feel like everything I did, all that hard work... now you'd never know.
They had a puppy back then. I loved Dixie. I almost had her house broken. She wasn't having accidents nearly so often. She wasn't chewing up everything in sight. She was starting to calm down and just enjoy being in the house. I fed her, walked her, bathed her.... During the time my job was taken over by other people, all the training I had put in was for naught. She wasn't wanted, she was a hassle, she wasn't getting taken care of right. When I'd come over I'd find poop in the house no one had noticed. She was having accidents all over the place. She was always starving. She had chewed up several things, and didn't know how to listen anymore. I wanted to take that dog home and rescue her.... But I didn't. Couple months later I came over and noticed Dixie wasn't around, so I asked assuming they had given her away. But no, she got ran over in their driveway. She's dead. Even though she wasn't my dog, I feel like I'm the only one who was heartbroken that she died, and that broke my heart even more. Is mourning over a dog silly? Because I couldn't hold back the tears when I got home...
Now there's just this one little thing, a plant I've worked very hard to keep alive. I helped Blakely's occupational therapists decorate the pot that it's in by writing HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2013 on it. It
had flowers when it was given to Blakely's mom last May, but the plant was quickly
forgotten and all the flowers went away. I took the little potted
mother's day plant to what I considered my little corner of their
house (a little half bath/laundry room where I kept all the cleaning
supplies). The room had a window, so I sat it on the sink where I could
keep an eye on it. This plant has come close to death several times since I've been away, but I'm always back around in time to save it. Knowing that this plant is still alive because of me makes me happy. Knowing I haven't failed this plant, makes me smile. Today the soil was dry again and it was starting to droop... but there are a couple of flower buds! It's going to flower again and I almost feel proud of "my" little plant. This mother's day plant is not mine nor will it ever be, and when too much time has gone by and no one remembers to water it... No one will care that it's died. But for now, I hope to be around long enough for it to see another mother's day.
