Risk

Friday morning I awoke earlier than Alex and had the boys downstairs eating oatmeal before she was even out of bed. Even though I had only met Ohlin and Ash the day before, they didn't seem bothered that I was the person to unlock their door and let them out of their bedroom. We ate breakfast and the boys enjoyed their freshly changed diapers. We weren't up for long before Alex joined us, and our morning was spent a lot like the morning before: walking, wading in the ocean, and watching the babies play at the park. While the babies played, Alex and I discussed the progress we'd made the night before in searching for a new home, and we worried about how we would find jobs. I just knew that if I could hold on until the fifteenth, I would be able to do anything we needed with money--I just had to wait.

When we returned home, the boys were hungry and starting to feel tired, so we fed them a snack and turned on some cartoons for them to watch  for a little while. Normally I would NEVER let the TV do my job, but when I am paid $0 to work a 65 hour week, I am willing to slack off a smidge. Diana and Christian were awake anyway, and were welcome to interact with their children if they wanted them doing something else. Alex and I went up to our bedroom and continued our search for new jobs and a new home. We filled out applications for nanny agencies and wrote emails to people with rooms for rent. We saved phone numbers to call after we put the boys to bed (so that Diana wouldn't hear us) and calculated how much we could afford to pay for rent. Our plans to leave were starting to become a reality.

Around 10:00 Alex received a text from Diana, telling her to be in Diana's room in ten minutes. As soon as Alex told me, my stomach dropped and I started feeling sick the way I used to when I would get in trouble as a kid. I couldn't help but wonder what Diana was going to say. All I wanted to say to Diana was that I couldn't stand her and that I wanted out. I wanted to tell her how messed up it is that she misled us with her job description before we had flown to Hawaii. I wanted to tell her her parenting skills were bordering along the lines of neglect. But I sat in my room and waited.

Eventually Diana came out and told me to come into her room. She and Christian sat on their bed, and Alex was sitting on the floor. I joined Alex and looked up at the couple on their bed. Diana was still wearing her pajamas, she hadn't bathed, and her hair was still curly from the beach the day before. Christian had a tired face, but he also had a resolve and confidence that I recognized in myself from when I've stood up for someone. Then they opened their mouths.

Diana began by telling me that she didn't appreciate the way I had undermined her parenting the day before. I expected that. She continued by saying that she is the mom, so she gets to decide what happens to her kids. Even though she wanted Alex and me to raise her children she still wanted to call the shots? I didn't ask. I was angry that someone like foul-mouthed Diana was my "employer" and had any power over me and that she could control my life.

I wanted to tell her off and leave. But I had no money to go home, and I had nowhere else to stay. So I listened. I considered that maybe the way I had said some things were rude. And I said so. But I also told her that as a trained childcare provider with the credentials I have, it would have been morally wrong for me to let her leave her unbuckled two-year-old on the floor of her car. I didn't care what she as a parent did, but I did care about what I as a nanny was asked to do.

I'm not sure she understood, because she then picked my character apart further by informing me that I am "rude" and "unfriendly." Christian told me that I "bring a bad vibe into (their) home." Even though from the time I had arrived, Diana had been the only person to talk besides our exchange in the car the day before, obviously I was the problem. They said this, but I had to wonder how much of the animosity between us was simply because Alex preferred to spend time with me over Diana. I knew that Diana just wanted friends, and she was probably mostly just jealous that Alex and I were the ones who weren't stuck with her life. I didn't say anything though. I was proud of myself for letting her say her piece, even if it was to tell me that they didn't like me at all and that I bring bad feelings into their home.

The logical solution? Diana and Christian told Alex and me that we were going to "fix" it by playing a board game.

We weren't even given a break to process our exchange. We were immediately herded into the kitchen to play a game. Alex didn't like their games that she had already played, so Christian pulled out Risk, and even though I knew that was a long game, I agreed to play.

Three hours later, after Diana finally beat the game, Ohlin and Ash had been given enough snack to leave crunched up crackers smeared onto every square inch of the living room, taken out every single toy and scattered them around the house, been put down for a nap without lunch, and had been completely ignored at the request of their parents so that we could play a game. Not only that, but an hour of Alex and my "break time" had been used, so we had less time until the kids would be awake. I was so frustrated that I could scream!

The logical thing to do would be to leave so that Alex and I could discuss the events of the morning in private, right? Well, when Alex and I told Diana we were going to the beach, she acted so bummed out that Alex invited her to come (even though she told us every day how much she hated the beach and the sun, which was  why we were going). The cool thing about Diana coming with us is that she told Christian to be in charge of the boys. That meant that we could stay longer because we didn't need to be back when Ohlin and Ash woke up. We stayed until around four and then went home to shower. Then Diana said she needed to go to the store, and she invited us to come. I didn't really want to hang out with Diana, but I knew that if I went I could get out of the house, so I tagged along.

Riding to the store was great. We turned the music up loud and rolled down the windows to enjoy the Hawaiian breeze. Even though Diana was still shockingly offensive every time I turned my head, I was starting to relax and enjoy my vacation. I knew that the next week would be difficult, but I also knew I could survive it.