Second Child

Because I'm in desperate need of things to fill my days to maximum capacity (HA!), I took on another child to watch in my pre-Khorey time (9-4). Luca is a 2 year-old, the daughter of Josiah, the Khorey's landscaper (he solicited my services last week while I was by dropping off some laundry and it seemed like a good idea at the time). Usually I'll be watching her on the rainy days when her dad will be less likely to be working in the field, which was why today was a bit of a surprise (rainy and yuck). He brought her by and she, Olive, and I were housebound save for five minutes when I took Luca out into the rain to knock on the door of the vacant house next to ours, imagining who might live inside - this was to give Olive some quiet time to fall asleep, but it was all in vain. She's been spoiled living with Rob and me, being allowed near silence during her nap times, so the incessant and irrepressible babbling of a tot was making falling asleep for her impossible. Not a comforting thought. It was interesting, though, the way having Luca over today was making me think. Not that I feel like I could or should be loving my own child more, but having someone else's in my home all day elicited an even stronger affection and attachment to my sweet Goon. Maybe it was the fact that Luca, newly in the throes of the Terrible Twos, according to her dad, made Olive seem all the more dear in comparison. When having to tend to Luca's needs I was feeling some pangs of guilt when Olive would look at my quizzically, possibly wondering about this new child with whom she was sharing me (and who was napping in her bedroom behind the closed door). I couldn't blame Luca, really, but she was bossy, not a good listener, defiant, selfish with Olive's toys, and a little short-tempered with her, to boot. At one point she was kicking her feet in close proximity to Olive and I could see that she would easily kick her if she wasn't careful. I warned her, Olive was kicked, Olive cried, then I explained to Luca that that was why I'd asked her not to kick, though I knew she didn't mean to. I asked her again to reinforce my no kicking rule, and she kicked again just to test my limits. I sat her in time out in the darker corner of the hallway, then went to get her and asked if she knew why she was there. "For kicking," she quietly replied. "Good. I'm glad you understand, " I said. "Are you going to kick again?" "Yes." Hmm. I have some work to do.

All in all, though, it was an okay day. I'm still picking up bits of apple that she spit out or offered to Ché, but it's not so bad. I've just been used to having Olive, and though I've heard that two is not much different than one, I'm begging to differ. I am seeing this as an opportunity to learn about a child this age and to gain more patience for when Olive begins to test me. So far she's given me us a pretty easy ride and we love her for it.

Note: I need to locate my camera battery charger; in the meantime readers will have to be content with being just that: readers.