Childlike.

I'm only twenty-two years old, but for some reason, it feels like my childhood years are way back in ancient history. Almost like a former life -- and in a way that's true. Most facets of my life have changed. I've graduated, worked jobs, moved out, been placed in a new social setting, etc. But since becoming a nanny to my niece, I've gotten flashbacks from my idyllic young life. At moments I'm thrust outside of my sometimes jaded "adult" way of thinking, and I remember what it was like to be a kid. My parents visited us a few weeks ago and at one point my dad took of his wedding ring and with a flick of his finger, he made it spin round and round on the table. That's exactly what he would do when we were little. And I can't tell you how fascinating it was each and every time. Apparently Ari thought so to, because just the other day she picked up a kitchen item (I'm not sure what it was, but it looked like a small round cookie cutter) and was trying to tell me to do something with it. I didn't understand her at first but eventually I realized she wanted me to spin it. The look on her face was priceless!

I've been realizing more and more lately how some of my favorite childhood memories were simple life things, like my mom giving me baths and assuring me that she wouldn't let the soap get in my eyes, my dad playing in the evenings with us kids and twisting our two little toes together (not sure why. it was just something he always did), family Costco trips which seemed more like mini vacations to us, Kimi teaching me how to load a dishwasher, Kati explaining to me on a road trip what "half-way there" meant, getting cared for when I was sick, and even just the gullibility of believing my sibling when she said that the shampoo with the picture of the fruit on it would taste good (it most definitely did not!) Simple, real life stuff that was done with care and love and with a kid's perspective in mind (except tasting the shampoo deal, of course!) Just from nannying I know how easy it is to disregard a child's feelings and emotions. It's hard to play along sometimes when I'm in a rush to get inside the apartment and Ari wants to take her time and jump over the "crackers" (i.e. cracks in the cement), or when we are at the zoo and she is more interested hugging the animal monument than actually seeing the real animals, or standing outside in the thunderstorm as she gleefully stomps in the puddles with her new boots.... One day, I put her in her highchair and fixed her lunch. After she was all set and feeding herself, I left her to go on the computer. All of sudden I realized how horrible it was of me - making her eat all by herself! That was definitely something I never had to do growing up. I left my equivalent of adult interaction (blogs and facebook) and went back and sat next to her highchair. And my respect for my parents went way up. Even though I'm not a parent, I realize even more that building a family and making memories is not always easy or the most fun thing to do at the moment. It takes love, patience, unselfishness, and a willingness to look through a child's eyes. I'm glad Ari has such amazing parents that exemplify those qualities; her little life is already extremely blessed. And I'm glad for the opportunity to continually learn and be a small part of that precious little girl's childhood.

P.s. Thanks dad and mom. For everything.