dressed up and ready for a birthday party :)

cleaning is evening an occasion to be fancy!

No- I'm not tired!

que sera, sera

It literally HAS NOT stopped raining since Megan left. I think it is funny, and quite possibly not completely coincidental. This morning, Audrey and I walked to school, she in her red, lady bug rain boots, holding a bumble bee umbrella. I pointed out only the biggest and best puddles and she jumped into them with true abandon. I would have joined her, but I was not so readily adorned and am also getting over a cold, hence the refrain.

Greg and Jill were in Berlin this last weekend and so I had the girls to myself, which was a lot of fun but exhausting. Teresa came over and we had a girls weekend, complete with painted nails and "High School Musical 2" the movie that Maddy can't get enough of. I am convinced that the leading male, Troy, (academic/jock extraordinaire) is actually gay and should just give up on trying to seduce Gabriela. A few weeks ago after a very fun dinner party that Jill put on, after all of the guests had gone, Jill, Greg and I sat around in the living room finishing off the rest of the champagne joking about our version of "High School Musical 3" when Troy "comes out of the closet" and East High has to cope with Troy, his new, Boy Toy and their fabulous accessories.

I couldn't believe how my hearing seemed to improve 10 fold during the 2 nights, I felt like I could hear everything from a small cough to the rustling of blankets. It just proves that parents truly do have this super power (which I was only borrowed on a temporary basis). I have memories of sneaking around my house at night, I knew where every creek was and how to step on it so that is wouldn't make a sound. Even with such "Matrix" moves, my Mom would just happen to pop out, usually catching the sleep-over victim of my choice and I, caught in the hallway with nightgowns and 1am ice cream sundaes. AMAZING I TELL YOU!

I really do like living with this family. Geneva, I am not going to lie, isn't my favorite. It is very quiet, almost all of the the time. All the people my age (20-25) well, they just don't live here. Geneva is a Mecca for families, particularly with money. I have never seen so many pregnant women! And they all carry Gucci or Louis Vitton bags. Men here, they don't walk dogs, they push baby strollers! And if they do want to walk their dog, well, the dog can go any where with them- I am serious! Shopping centers, grocery stores, tram, etc. "Man's Best Friend" - literally. The streets come alive on Saturdays, because a national law insists that all stores must be closed by 6pm on a daily basis. The exception is on Thursday nights when stores are open until 8pm. I HATE shopping on Saturday! The streets are packed with people, cramming into store after store. As most of the them work until 5-6p on a weekly basis, Saturday is the free day, the day to tie up the lose ends or restock the freezer- it is a swarm. A mad house of slow Swiss-French dialect and more children and babies than you can imagine.

There are two main stores here in Switzerland- COOP and Migros- and they control A LOT! The Swiss are very proud of their Migros (the COOP is a convenient consumer intrusion). The French class that I am attending is actually Ecole Migros (the Migros School) there are Migros bikes and banks and exchange posts. If you can't find something at the Migros, go to the COOP and visa-versa but these are your main options. And EVERYTHING is expensive! I don't have to pay for my food (luckily) but for other things like a small bottle of shampoo that will have a decent effect on your hair- 30chf. Face wash- 15chf. The amount goes up as the quantities go down, hence the great need for creativity, conservation and... packages from home :)

I didn't think that I would end up in Geneva, in a way, it chose me, or rather, God chose it for me. I can see why He did it. One of the greatest gifts of my time here has been the new Church that I joined. It is called Pope John XXIII and is full of a very warm and gracious community of people. All of the Masses are done in English, which has been really nice. The majority of parishoners are from the Philippines and I just can't get over how NICE THEY ARE! Honestly! I am stunned every time I go to Mass. Two Saturdays ago I was the singer, a friend of mine named Rachel played the guitar and piano to accompany me. I sang through out the entire Mass, "Be Thou My Vision", "Our God Reigns" and "My Redeemer Lives" were the songs I chose. But we also did the Mass parts, the "Gloria" and during the "Alleluia" I made a mistake which was rather obvious and it was so sweet, because all through out the Church people were smiling and waving at me, encouraging me. After Mass, different people came up to say "good job" and also to tell me that they "hardly noticed the mistake". Like I said I am consistently touched by the sincerity of these people. They really go out of their way to make me feel welcome and a part of a family. It is this type of Church, these people, that remind me of what the Catholic Church truly is- the Church is the People!

I am excited to see how the rest of my time in Europe will unfold. Currently, I am waiting to see if the Swiss will give me a work Permit. About a month ago (with two months into the application process) we found out that the chances of me getting this Visa are very slim. This was definitely upsetting. We didn't think that getting an Au Pair Visa would be that big of a deal, which it wasn't until just this January of 08'. The Swiss are getting really strict about who they let into the country and people, not part of the European Union are less likely to get a Visa. Chances are even less if they are American, working for Americans (ugh!) or Brits (same Mother-Tongue). It has been three months since the application was submitted which means that we should know any day. If I get the Visa- GREAT! If I don''t get the Visa but stay any way, Greg and Jill would be charged 10,000chf and I could be kicked out of Switzerland, in other words, I won't be staying. Where will I go next? I don't know! I will cross that bridge when and if, I come to it. I guess I will just let you know when we hear something definite.

Until then, I am going to walk around in the rain. I have a bright red umbrella, my personal antithesis to combat the drear. My birthday is on Thursday, which I am excited about because ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to be 23, it is one of my favorite numbers and it was the age my Mom was, when she had me (crazy huh?!)

Hope you are all doing well! Please feel free to fill me in on how life is going where ever you are! I am always interested and happy to hear from you :)

She is the Bestie!

You know that saying "I would cross oceans for you" ? Well, Megan officially did it! I can not express to you how thrilled I was to have her come to Switzerland and visit. It was wonderful! This picture was taken at Charly O'neil's an- Irish Pub in Geneva. (I know, isn't that funny)? Teresa and I decided that if we couldn't take her to Ireland while she was here, we could at least bring her to the next best thing where Guinness runs like water and everyone know your name. (or something like that).

Meg left this morning, and I am sad :( Teresa and I were joking with her yesterday saying, "You are the bright light of our homeland". Having her here made us both a little extra homesick I think. I can't even count the number of times I told Megan that I missed my Mom. I think at one point I was brushing my teeth and suddenly peered out of my bathroom with toothpaste and all to declare the intensity of my "mother missing".This experience has been great, but there is no denying that sometimes, even in the midst of it all, you want the simple things, like a hug from your Dad, or the random familiar sights, sounds and smells that you associate with home.

When Megan was here, the three of us had a lot of time to talk about the changes taking place in each of our lives, in the lives of our families, etc. It brought me a great deal of hope and excitement about the future, and also a feeling of honor, knowing that I have been blessed with so many people in my life to love and serve God with. Then this morning, as I walked with Megan to the tram stop, we prayed together, for protection and then Meg thanked God for the the unity that He brings to all of us, all of our friends and family, as we travel from here to there. That truth, has been a stronghold for me as I have been away these last six months. Knowing that as Christ as my center, I am united with all of my friends and family who also keep Christ as their center. I know that my writing is sloppy right now, I guess what I am just trying to say is that it meant a lot.

So... in honor of Megan's visit, our conversations, prayers and laughter; her beauty and light, I will post her favorite Irish Blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Sisters, Sisters

A few Maddy/Audrey quotes:

Scene: Audrey sitting in the kitchen corner crying because she doesn't want to go to take a bath- she is wearing her favorite princess dress:
MARIE: Audrey, you better get it together.
AUDREY: If you say that again, I will turn you into a frog!

Scene: Megan and Maddy sit at the kitchen table as Maddy tries to explain how to pronounce different French words:
MEGAN: FAN-TEST-EEK?
MADDY: No, no, um... you really have to get the AHHHHH, yeah, come on girl GET THAT AHHH. FAW-TAHS-TIQUE! Now you try!

Scene: Early morning, Audrey is dressed in her school clothes and eating breakfast (we have been working on listening and attitude lately)
AUDREY: You know Mareezi, I was gonna be rude today, but I have decided that I'm gonna be nice.

Scene: Maddy and I walking home from the bus stop after school, with a perfect view of the mountains:
MARIE: Oh my gosh! Those mountains are so beautiful!
MADDY: I can't stand it! And that is the benefit of living in a place like this, it is so beautiful- you just can't stand it!

paris

the view from our hotel

my favorite restaurant (so far)

Fabulous! That's a fancy word for Great!

This morning after Audrey had finished eating her breakfast she looked at me and said, "You wait here squirt- I have to get dressed". Squirt? Where did she learn that? It wasn't from me, I swear! I stick to normal nick names like Little Miss or Goofy head or Sparky, but squirt? This kid seriously has me laughing none stop.

I followed her into her bedroom even though I had been instructed to stay put.

"Well honey," she said, as she pulled one of her three favorite dresses out of the drawer, "Mommy has to go to work now, okay? You better be a good girl."
"Am I the daughter today?" I asked.
"Honey," she answered, "You don't need to ask me that, you know I am the Mom."

As I write this I am laughing out loud. There have been so many funny things that have happened with these girls over the last few months- they are such little characters.

I have done a pretty good job thus far at preserving my dignity when it comes to the parents. Although the girls are constantly asking for "embarrassing stories from [my] childhood" or begging me to speak in a funny accent, I try to refrain when in public or in front of relatives as that can get awkward. Last night however, I had to give in.

Jill got home from work, tired but really excited to see the girls. Maddy and Audrey thought it was about time to show Jill, what we have named, "Our Family Tradition" which is actually dancing like lunatics to the song "Hey Ya" by Outkast. We like to act out different part of the song, so when they say, "you think you got it? oohh? you think you got it?" we ask each other that very question. And when the lead singer asks "how cold is cool?" we shiver and says "ICE COLD!" And then at the very end, when the lead singer declares "SHAKE IT!" all three of us do just that!

Sometimes Audrey get distracted and bends over laughing at herself with her bum in the air. Other times she gets really itchy and that is why she has to take off random articles of clothing. Last night was no exception, but this time, she bent over and pulled her pants down explaining as she did it that she was hot and needed a rest.

Maddy and I are really excited because we are actually starting to work on her book, which she hopes will be published sooner that later, "It is going to be about my life" she says. For show and tell she is bringing in some of my notebook doodles which she has deemed "beautiful and amazing". I hope that the class is equally impressed :)

p.s. if you are in the mood for something fun to read, try one of the Fancy Nancy books. They are so great! Short and sweet and, yes for children and primarily girls- but they are our favorite!

Spanish boots of Spanish leather

Being in Spain stuck that song into my head like glue, and so Bob Dylan and I walked around Madrid and Barcelona...

Oh, I'm sailin' away my own true love,
I'm sailin' away in the morning.
Is there something I can send you from across the sea,
From the place that I'll be landing?

No, there's nothin' you can send me, my own true love,
There's nothin' I wish to be ownin'.
Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled,
From across that lonesome ocean.

Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine
Made of silver or of golden,
Either from the mountains of Madrid
Or from the coast of Barcelona.

Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night
And the diamonds from the deepest ocean,
I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss,
For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'.

I wanted to upload more pictures so you could see some of what I saw, while I was in Spain. Unfortunately, despite my past and most recent attempts, I can't seem to get more than this picture on the website, so this will have to do until we see each other and I can show you more :)

It has been fun for me to experience different cities around Europe, just like in the US, every city has its own flavor, its own energy. Madrid was HIGH! Full of color, and people, people, people! Music everywhere. Graffiti and dancing and dreadlocks- I loved it! Madrid does not sleep, at 1a.m the streets were FILLED, PACKED, SLAMMED with people going this way and that. I went to a Mojito/costume party with my friend Paz (Paw-th) and it was such an experience. I didn't realize that that was only the beginning. I was only there for 2 nights before going to Barcelona for an entire week, but my time in Madrid was definitely sweet.

I arrived in Barcelona early on Sunday morning. I took the metro to my friend's stop and began dragging my bag down a street laid with gray bricks with flowers etched into each square. The friends that I was staying with are all going to the Cinematography School of Barcelona which was so much fun for me. The first day that I was there Miguelangel and I, went to his classmates house for traditional Brazilian food and wine, and then enjoyed a casual premier of their latest short films. It was a lot of fun for me. I was happy when one of the students showcased his silent film, I understood that one the best :)

80% of the time I was communicating in Spanish, and about 95% the people around me, in the house, at the parties, were speaking in Spanish- makes sense, but sort of inconvenient for me- being that my Spanish experience is a faint memory waving to me from High School. Luckily, the friends that I was with were extremely gracious and didn't laugh too much when I would blab on and on in some rather interesting Spanglish. "Gracias- Yo pienso tu are mucho nice. para mi, this has been, muy bueno holiday." (BLANK STARE, SYMPATHETIC SMILE, PAT ON THE BACK).

One night, I was invited to a Flamenco show. When Teresa and I arrived at the venue, we were surprised to find the opposite of what we were expecting. It was as if we had been thrown back into a party from the mid 90's complete with grunge hair, clothes and attitude. This seemed to be the general vibe of Barcelona- if it looks weird, doesn't fit right, smells funny, well- then wear it! We walked into the room where the flamenco show would be, and there wasn't a stage. Just a small little platform with microphones and a drum set. On the wall behind the platform hung a red cloth with white polka-dots. It was clear that there would be NO Flamenco dancer and this confused me, as my friend Cristina had invited me to the show for just that- Flamenco. We waited, Teresa and I, in this room filled with smoke of many kinds and bodies pushing and crammed. A hush came over the ever growing crowd as a few scrawny men walked onto the platform, the lights went down and then one of them shouted "UNO, DOS, TRES!" and just like that everyone went wild. We were suddenly enveloped by amazing Flamenco style music, dressed up in bass and trumpet and guitar. The music was loud and stuck to me like sweat, as I danced like mad with people who I didn't even understand. Everyone in the room knew the words to all of the songs, and at one point, one of the singers became really quiet, and I watched the crowd around me crouch down to the floor and then suddenly, all of them POPPED back up and started cheering. It was SO MUCH FUN!

I got a letter on a lonesome day,
It was from her ship a-sailin',
Saying I don't know when I'll be comin' back again,
It depends on how I'm a-feelin'.

Well, if you, my love, must think that-a-way,
I'm sure your mind is roamin'.
I'm sure your heart is not with me,
But with the country to where you're goin'.

So take heed, take heed of the western wind,
Take heed of the stormy weather.
And yes, there's something you can send back to me,
Spanish boots of Spanish leather.

(for more pictures and stories from barcelona you can go to Teresa's blogsite: www.teresainswitzerland.blogspot.com)

SOLDIER BOY! OHHHHHH!

I am on the tram a lot, going from one side of Geneva to the next and there is always one thing that I can count on. Will the tram be on time? hopefully. Will I get a seat? wait and see. Will there be a couple sitting near me kissing and cunoodling through out the entire duration of my trip? ABSOLUTELY! Honestly! This never, EVER fails! One way or another, I seemed to be smushed, next to, in front of or behind, a male and female who feel it their responsibility as human beings to shower the rest of the world (me in particular) with the love they feel for each other. Last night was not exception. The couple got on the tram, they kissed, I glared, the old, familiar routine.

Sometimes, if I am lucky, there will be a musician on board. I say this with a great deal of sarcasm, as no genevan (?) musician has ever struck a chord with me. Last night, again, on the tram stood a man smack in the middle of everyone. He had a little piano strapped to his waist and a violin in hand. I knew we were all in for trouble when he pressed the "play" button and out came a sound like a circus performance on acid. His violin squeeked and he danced. The boy behind me who looked perfectly normal at the beginning of the trip had turned a shade of green and now had a wad of tissue up his noes. The music had most likely given the kid a noes bleed. I would have been right there with him had it not been for my stop!

Now on the next train, I walked down the isles looking for an empty seat. I finally found one. An empty seat was waiting patiently for me, straight across from a Swiss Army boy. At first I was excited, some of those boys are cute. I want to fold them up and put them in my pocket, like little Swiss Army Knives. However, after a few months here, I have decided that Swiss Army boys aren't that cool. Cute- maybe. But that isn't the adjective you want describing your national army. And they aren't really that intimidating. Have you ever heard of the Swiss invading anywhere? No! When it comes time to train, I am guessing that they have REALLY INTENSE chocolate eating competitions! Yeah! Yeah, that is what they do!

I was entertaining myself by thinking about the silly things Swiss Army boys probably do to PREPARE FOR BATTLE (bean bag tosses, gunny sack races, etc.) In the midst of thought, I dropped my cellphone. I immediately got down on all fours to try and collect it. AH-HA! I found it, and in my childish excitement forgot about the little table above my head. I went to stand up and was immediately hit back down to the ground. I burst out laughing and tried a second time. It was a success! The Swiss Army boy- he did nothing. He just stared at me, I mean, at least do something! A US Marine would have at least laughed.

My name is Madeleine!

"Marie, if Audrey is like monkey or lion, then what am I?"

I was sitting there, trying to say something nice about the type of animal my little friend would be when she interrupted my thinking,

"A cat! I would be a really calm, cuddly cat!"

Perfectly stated.

Everyone should have someone like Maddy in their life. At age 7, she is has so much depth and insight. Sometimes I forget that she is only 7, and then all of the sudden she will do something to remind me of the fact that she is just a little girl. The world is such an exciting place for her. To read a book, go for a ride on her scooter, or just cuddle up on the couch- these are things that she loves and that make her happy.

She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, but is also planning on writing a book. With that constantly in mind, she spews out little ideas about book endings or perfect plots. I wonder if I will get a spot in the story: "and then there was the big haired nanny who like to dance to outkast in the kitchen and always burned the cookies".

Maddy is EXTREMELY articulate! Her accent is very cute, enunciating every syllable, with a hint of French here, or a bit of her Dad's British accent there.

When she is about to do something, she very calmly explains why, that way I "don't have to wonder". And if I am doing something, well, that gets commentary too. For instance, yesterday, I decided that is was time for a bit of good ol' exercise. So there I was, in my bedroom with yoga mat and palettes ball watching Susan something on the T.V. screen as she instructed me on how to do this and that. Maddy, sat on my bed and watched me struggle, pausing the DVD on occasion to adjust my arms or say something innocent like, "She is a lot taller than you. She is pretty strong. This must be hard for you, huh?"

Walks to the school bus are more like musicals, and that is partly my fault. I was humming one day, a song that she recognized and ever since we have been "do re mi fa so-ing" from one place to the next. We will be busy with in the next couple of months because we have a book to write and a play to organize, and then of course there is the dancing and painting and occasional trips to "Princess Land" in between.

It has been so much fun for me to get to know Maddy, and everyday I am seeing more and more of her personality unfold. She is such a joy to be with. Plus, I'm not going to lie, I love being a girl! So this is a perfect fit!

the Audrey-ism

Audrey is 3 1/2 going on some age of divine wisdom. Nothing gets past her. She is very quick and funny. I have this little black book that I carry around with me everywhere. In it, I have a picture of my brother Luke. Some how, Audrey got a hold of it and was flipping through the pages. When she came to Luke's picture, she stopped, stared and then said, "well, he is quite lovely himself".

Last week, we were walking to her preschool and fog was everywhere. "Why are the clouds down here?" she asked me. How do you explain to a three year old the science of fog? You don't, you can't, so you just make something up (at least that is what I do).

"Last night, the clouds, the clouds... they were playing, yeah playing - A LOT! And now they are so sleepy, and so they are resting here on the ground until they are ready to back up to the sky"

After a long pause she said, "Did you just make that story up?"
"Well, yeah..." I replied, slowly, trying not to let her know that I was laughing.

It is hard to predict what Audrey will say or do next. "Woof! Woof!" It has been a week now, and Audrey is still a dog. She occasionally turns into other things like a princess or beaver. Two nights ago she was the Mama Fish and I was the Baby Fish. As I gave her a bath she showered me (no pun intended) with what she liked to call "Fishy kisses". She would pucker her lips up real tight and squiggle through the water until she POPPED out to give me a very sloppy, fishy kiss. When I got her out of the bath she turned into a beaver hiding under a rock, and when I "found" her, she popped up, dancing around her bedroom naked singing, "i'm da mama fish, your da baby fish, i'm da mama fish, your da baby fish".

Being heard is very important to Audrey and she will make sure that you hear EVERYTHING that she has to say, which means that if you don't answer her right away, she will repeat it over and over and over and over and over and... so when she says something like, "I'm da pwincess wite". You have reply right away, or it will turn into something like this:

Audrey: "I'm da pwincess wite? the pwincess? yeah, me, I'm da Pwincess, I'm da one wite? THE PWINCESS - IT ME WITE? YEAH? ME? THE PWINCESS IS............."
everyone: "YES! YES, AUDREY- YOU, YOU ARE THE PRINCESS."

Audrey: (with a big smile on her face) "Yeah, i'm da pwincess. I AM DA PAW-WIN-CESS!"

Last night, after her bath, Audrey walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of sunglasses- upside down. She had a big blanket dragging behind her as she pushed her baby doll in its stroller. She was talking to the baby as she walked into the kitchen, "welcome to am-ewicka, i will be wite back". She left for a few seconds, only return with more blankets, some plastic jewelry and a purse.

I really do wonder what she is going to do when she gets older. When you ask her, "hey Audrey what do you want to be when you grow up?" she looks at you like you are an idiot and says, "well, i'm dunna be big!" An answer like that, is a typical Audrey-ism.

She is endearing, honest, sassy and sweet. I am happy when I get to spend time with her. There is NEVER, EVER A DULL MOMENT!

"I am actually quite impwessive" she said, as she pretended to take pictures of Maddy with my camera.

and that is why, you don't say hi

One thing that I have notices about Geneva is that people don't smile at each other. I found this to be true while in England and Italy as well. In the states, we are all smiles, but here, not so much. A few time I have just smiled at someone, and they have looked at me as if I were crazy. It is funny, they just give me this blank stare. My friend Teresa told me that it is best to just go with the flow of the city, keep your smile to yourself, and it is probably best not to say anything either. This was too much for me to comprehend, so last week I decided to take matters into my own hands. I quickly learned the importance of listening to my friend's advice. While at the tram stop, I saw a friendly looking woman who I thought would no doubt appreciate a greeting and... smile.

"bonjour" I said, smiling as I sat down on the bench next to her.

She just starred at me.

I waiting, thinking "okay, that was awkward, maybe she will warm up".

About a minute later she just started spewing out words, and I didn't understand anything, because let's face it the extent of my French goes as far as the following: bonjour, merci and... well, that is it. Then, she looked at me, well, stared at me, and then she started touching the tip of her tongue to her bottom lip, then her top lip, then her bottom lip, then her top lip. She did this repeatedly, French gibberish filling the breaks in between her lip licking. The whole time that she was doing this, she just stared at me.

The whole time I just kept on thinking to myself, "why Marie?! Why can't you just listen to people, when they give you their WISE ADVICE!" But no, no, I needed to revolutionize Geneva. Never again! Never again I tell you!

Next time I smile at someone, or try to strike up a conversation, believe me, it will be Helen Keller.

Maddy, Audrey and Me

little monkey, big giraffe

ahhh... okay, let's try this again.

So much has happened, I sit here thinking, "what do I write?" because there is so much to say. It is hard to believe that it has been just over a month since my crazy move to Switzerland. Even as I write that I think "switzerland? how did i get to switzerland"! I suppose the "getting here" really doesn't matter. The point is I am here now, and excited to be the new Au Pair for a wonderful new family.

I was able to call home the other night and talk to my Mom for a while. It felt so good to hear her voice. I take great pleasure in saying the following, "so... guess what I can see from my bedroom window? France!" And it true! I used to get a thrill out of saying things like, "And just across that road is Wisconsin!" I never thought anything would compare... until now.

Yesterday we went sledding (in France) on a mountain whose name I can't remember. It was beautiful! Greg, Jill, Maddy, Audrey and I all drove up the mountain to get to the sledding hill. As we drove, zig-zagging our way up, we were surrounded my hundreds of trees, each enveloped in snow. The individual branches with gloves of white, like lady's fingers.

I had wanted to bring my camera but left it behind because the batteries were out. "You don't have no more bapperies on your camma?" said 3 1/2 yr old Audrey, as I set it down on the table before leaving :)

Once we were on the mountain top, my breath was taken away. The view was amazing. The snow covered alps all surrounding with lake Geneva below, the blue sky with the clouds floating around us. It was beautiful! I couldn't stop thinking about everyone at home, especially wishing that my brothers and sister could be with me. As Maddy and I went down the hill I had a flash back to when my siblings and I would pretend to be on the Jamaican bobsledding team, ode to the good old days.

Today was my first official day of work. I woke up and brought Audrey to school. She was so cute. Eager to hold my hand as we walked, and her chocolate covered cookie in a zip lock bag held in her other hand.

I dropped her off, meeting her teacher for the day and then getting a series of kisses before I left.

"Goodbye little monkey!" she said to me, waving as I walked outside. "Goodbye big Giraffe!" I replied, as these were the animal names we had assigned to each other the day before. I was a monkey because I am silly. She was a giraffe because she is so BIG AND TALL.