The Other Women

Tanner's had many other women in his life - grandmas, Rose, Holly and the occasional flirt with the grocery store clerk.  But they're relationships have always been on my terms or at least in the supervision of my living room.  This week, he had not one, but two new women in his life.  And on both occasions of their "hanging out," he's come home smelling like another woman.  I'm not too sure how I feel about this.  Even Jason noticed.  We're not talking strong perfume or lipstick stains on the cheek.  We're talking pheromones.  Bona-fide smell chromosomal swapping.  And judging by Tanner's bright eyed smiles at the end of the day, I think he enjoyed it.  tear.

I went back to work this week. I use the term work lightly.  I'm doing a one month gig 3x/week.  While it's stressful just like any other job, I'm not putting in the grueling 40-50 hours/week some of my mommy friends are.  So I get no sympathy.  Before I get back to the stories of Tanner's other women, I want to give props where their rightfully deserved: the working mother.  I have a new found 110% respect for my own mother and my working friends.  How do you do it?  I come home from my 8 hour work day completely drained and my mind still racing.  The last thing I can think about are the words to Itsy Bitsy Spider, the overflowing laundry or what we're gonna eat tonight.  (Frozen pizza again, anyone?)  It's hard.  Real hard.  Don't get me wrong, I'm really liking the new job.  I forgot how much I miss using my brain and having conversations that don't involve "do you have a stinky stinky?" But it's hard to switch gears and turn off  when I get home.  I'm really starting to hate modern technology and the beckoning call of the illuminated Yahoo Mail screen.  On Thursday night around 10pm, Jason and I were sitting on the couch, watching TV and both checking email on two separate computers.  Ugh.  I actually had to make a conscious effort to move the computer back to the dining room so I could attempt to turn off.   I know, I get no sympathy. It's only a one month gig, part-time.  I just wanted to point out how surprised I was at how difficult it was to go back to work, even part time.   Thank you, Mamma Kressner for somehow managing to make it work all those years.  I really don't know how you managed to work, watch my tennis matches and make meatloaf for dinner each week.

Okay, back to Tanner's women.  Renee and Corinne.  Renee is a local mom, living 4 blocks down the street.  She has two boys of her own (2.5 years and 4.5 years).  When she connected with me asking to watch Tanner once a week, I was perplexed as to why a woman with two kids of her own, wanted to watch mine.  I was even more perplexed when she showed up to pick him up in Porsche SUV.  Clearly the motivation isn't money.  The thought actually crossed my mind that this woman makes a living offering to babysit babies and then selling them to support her expensive car habit.  (Sorry Renee if you ever read this).  Nope. She just misses having a baby.  And she was awesome.  I think it's her Texas roots.  Knowing that I was having a bit of a difficult time my first full day away from Tanner, she emailed me pictures of him playing all day Wednesday, along with updates on his food intake and bowel movements.  It was just the support I needed to get over my night before jitters and lamenting to Jason "what if he misses me and I won't be there for him?"  I'm proud of myself.  I didn't even cry.  In fact, I did what all my other mom friends said was going to happen.  I appreciated him and loved him even more.  Before going back to work these past 9 months, I was done with Tanner by 6pm, after a full day of being a mom.  Now it's different. I can't wait to see him, play with him and smell him. Okay, maybe I can pass on the smelling thing.  I also think our Nanny/Babysitter's are cursed.  On her way to pick up Tanner, Renee got into a car accident.  Luckily nothing serious, but the bumpers took a beating.  

As for the other cursed Nanny situation, it happened with Corinne on Thursday.  Corinne is my friend Jody's nanny.    Jody's sharecare family is out of town for 6 weeks, so the timing was perfect to share Corinne.  Corinne came to our house on Thursday since Jody was out of town.  (Next week both babies and Corinne will be at Jody's house).  Long story short, Corinne was nice enough to want to wash a soiled Tanner outfit.  So she started up the washing machine.  But the washing machine was out of order and not hooked up to the plumbing at the time.  Thus the flood in our laundry room and the garage.  I came home midday to bring Tanner to the doctor for a 9 month checkup to my landlord, Pia handing me dried towels.  I was confused.  Why would Pia have my towels.  All she said was ask Corinne.  No damage done, but it made for a pretty wild Thursday and good blog content.  

I'm hoping that next week might be a little smoother for me and the Nannies.  Luckily Tanner's still the happiest little boy alive.  Not even one crying bout for either of the Nannies.   Maybe it was just time to introduce him to some new women in his life.