blessed Friday

La La La! I am so happy here! Yesterday I got Elsa from daycare, and was the first one home. She is getting a cold and I feel so bad for her, everytime she forces a cough, it breaks my heart. 30 minutes after I got home, the boys arrived with Josephine. Josephine is very easy going, but likes things her way, I am finding it difficult to adjust to taking directions from her, especially when I know my way is better for the children. Its ok, I will just take it, afterall I have only been here for a week, and she has been with the children far longer. I bathed the boys, who thought it would be a good idea to play with water guns and shoot each other. I ended up drenched, but the boys had fun so its ok. I got them dressed and they played bowling with legos. Benjamin is so smart, setting up games to play with Samuel and keeping him entertained.

Eventually Gabrielle came home, she has acting class after school on Thursdays. She came home in a bad mood. Upset and overwhelled at all her activities. She did not want to go to dance, so she called her father and whined on the phone. He told her she had to go. She got dressed for dance, then called her mother and whined some more, she said Gabrielle could miss dance because she was in a bad mood and had alot og homework. Fine with me, sometimes its easier to give in rather than battle. So, she took a bath and came up for dinner.

For dinner we had rice and chicken in a curry sauce. It was good, I think Thursdays are the clean out the fridge and serve leftovers day. I didn't mind, it was delicious. Josephine likes that I do the dishes after dinner. I'd rather she'd help, but I want to make her like me so that she stops undermining me. At dinner Samuel said he was tired and didnt want to eat, unless I fed him. After dinner, I said, since your tired, lets go to bed, he had an absolute fit!

I read him a book, and he calmed down, so I got him to lay down and just as he was about to go to sleep, Josephine came down and told him to get up and play, because his mother wasn't home yet. Great, I thought, now I'll have it do this whole thing all over again. Yay. J-F handed me Elsa and told me to put her to bed, so I got her in her baby papoose thing she sleeps in. She was all relaxed and I was just about to lay her down when again Josephine came in, took her and said not until Sandrine gets home. Ughhh, I am really getting frusterated. I tried to explain that J-F said to but her to sleep and she smiled and said no.

Then Sandrine got home and the children all played. Eventually Sameul went to bed, and Josephine put Elsa to sleep. Gabrielle and Benjamin were allowed to read until 9. The parents left for their date, along with Josephine. I let the kids read until 9:10 and still Gabrielle fought me when I said it was time for bed. She wanted to finish the book, she had just begun. I said no, put a bookmark in and sent her to bed.

After all the kids were tucked snug in their beds, I watched Nanny McPhee, which seemed only fitting. :) 30 minutes into the movie, Gabrielle and Benjamin came up to tell me Elsa was coughing alot and crying. Gabrielle told me to make her a bottle with warm milk and honey to soothe her cough. I did, but she didnt want it. She went back to sleep, as did the other 2. I heard her cough all through my movie, but she wasnt crying. I felt so bad.

After my movie I went to sleep. Nanny McPhee was quite funny! I am very happy though these kids are a bit wild, they are no where near as naughty as the kids in the movie.

This morning I got the kids up, who were tired from their later than usual night. Sameul was up stairs with his parents, so I didnt have to play the dress the limp 'sleeping' 4 year old game this morning. The kids got dressed and Elsa woke up early. Her nose was extremly crusted over, and her cough was wet. Poor Elsa. I brought her up to the kitchen and gave her her bottle. Then made the kids breakfast. And they were off to school. J-F showed me how to shoot saline solution up Elsa nose and then suck the boogies out, so she could breath easier, she did not like it one bit, but it helped the sound of her cough almost instantly.

Today I dressed her in the cutest pink and white overall's, on top of her pink long sleeved onesie, with a pink and navy striped sweater. She looked just like a doll. Her mom took her to day care, and now I'm here with Lyn.

I am thinking about enrolling in a cooking course to help the days from being so boring and to learn something I love - food. I am also in the mood to write letters, so if you email me your address, I will send you a beautiful post card, or letter from Paris. (amandarosedunn@gmail.com).

Kisses to all,
Mandy