Playing House

This weekend I have volunteered to take care of my two nephews, 6-year-old Ramire and 15-month-old Jaylen. They will be with Eduardo and me from Friday to Sunday. Ramire has stayed with us many times before, but we have never had the baby overnight. I'm no fool when it comes to kids-- 8+ years working at a Montessori school makes me a self-declared expert. But babies are a whole other matter. Eduardo and I are messy. We leave papers on the floor. Sometimes pennies and dimes turn up on the carpet. We have candles in glass jars on the coffee table. We are not "baby-proofed," as it were. I am going to try to make some modifications to our living space before Jaylen arrives, but this could prove to be a very interesting weekend. Much harder than taking care of a sack of flour or a raw egg for sex ed class, but I anticipate just as much of a learning experience/incentive to keep one's knees shut.

This is not to say I don't love these kids. They are wonderful, smart, funny, cuddly, and gorgeous. Ramire is also very responsible and a great big-brother-helper. If I am unable to locate all the things in my apartment which Jaylen may find appetizing, I know that my Ramire, in all of his 6 years of glory, will step up to the plate and make sure all of my loose change is secured away so that it does not become Jaylen's bedtime snack. Here goes nothing...