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Should I NOT wear a tutu in my thirties or admit that on (not so) rare occassions I eat frosting with a spoon? Should I NOT dress up in Christmas decorations and burst into the CEO's office looking like a reject from Whoville to wish her a Merry Christmas... or toast life with a purple polka dotted champagne glass (filled with orange juice) before 9 am in the office? Maybe I shouldn't but I like to think that it's part of my charm!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Battle of the Bathing Suit!


This story is a blast from the past...
an oldie but a goodie...
a tale of days gone by!

Disclaimer: *All names have been changed to protect... the innocent??

I’m so thankful that I took the time to get my Master’s degree… that I studied, applied myself and graduated Summa Cum Laude!  The $45,000 that I still owe pales in comparison to the knowledge and skill that I have gained!  That is what I thought yesterday… right before swim lessons. Yep, I said, swim lessons!  My extensive education, my love of life and learning has landed me the job of a lifetime! I am a part-time nanny!  Yesterday, I suddenly understood how books like The Nanny Diaries get written!

My little Dolly* is 3.  Her brother Bobbie* is 5.  Yesterday was swim lesson day.  I remembered EVERYTHING.  Their suits, towels, snacks, books for the time that we spend waiting for the instructor and, of course, my charming personality and wit that keeps the children entertained for hours on end!  What I forgot was to put Dolly on the potty BEFORE donning her swimsuit.  While we were waiting for lessons to begin, Dolly stood up and started to pull on the bottom of her bathing suit.  “Dis is wet!” she said with a look of disdain.  I started to say “It’s not wet” when I realized that what she was really saying was “I have to tinkle and already started!” 

“Dolly, did you pee-pee in your swimsuit?” I asked – aren’t you jealous that I get to live the life where such fabulous questions are mine to pose?  Some contemplate the deep questions of life. Others probe into, what to me, are the mysteries of the financial world.  Still others make decisions that change the courses of nations… I wonder if Dolly tinkled in her swimsuit… 

With a nod of her head and crinkled nose, she replied matter of factly, “A little bit, I did.”  Translation:  “I started to go potty in my pants but have stopped. You dear nanny, now have a brief window of opportunity to get me to the potty before it ALL comes out!”  With that, I jumped up, grabbed Dolly and ran.  Thankfully, Bobbie followed because suddenly he had “to go” too!

            We made it to the bathroom stall, Dolly finished what she had started and was in the process of pulling her suit back up when… she wrinkled her nose again and said, “Dis suit is WET!  I han’t (she cannot say her hard c’s at the beginning of words) wear dis! I want my odder suit!”  How could I have forgotten, Dolly refuses to wear anything that is wet next to her body. 

            “We don’t have another suit, honey-bunny,” I began.  “You’ll have to wear that.  You are getting right in the pool anyway.”

            “NO!” she declared more strongly. “I han’t wear it!  I han’t!” And the battle of the bathing suit began.  I tried to coherce, convince, bribe and force her to pull up her suit.  I even tried to pull it up myself.  This effort was met with an ear-piercing shriek of defiance.  Bobbie tried to help as well but to no avail.  We were about to miss swim lessons.  I was contemplating letting her swim naked but figured that probably wouldn’t fly with the instructor.  Suddenly, I had it, the idea that would save the moment.  Only my $45,000 education could be responsible for this ingenious solution.

            “Dolly, take off the suit!  If I dry it, will you wear it?”  I asked.  She looked at me skeptically and slowly nodded her head yes.  With suit in hand, I walked over to the hand dryer and began to blow dry the pee-pee.  There suddenly seemed to be a lot of traffic in the ladies locker room.  And Dolly who had never had a shy moment in her life suddenly felt self-conscious and feeling so she wrapped her naked little body around my leg and sat on my foot.  Thankfully all of the pee-pee had been… eliminated and my foot stayed dry.  With a dry suit and happy smile, we left the locker room in time to meet the swim instructor.  Dolly took one look at him and declared, “I’m NOT ‘fwimming’ today.  I NOT!”  I smiled, shrugged and said “Good luck!” adding to myself, “Hope you have a Master’s degree!  You’ll need it!”

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