summer has begun.

Here I sit, settling in for another summer of, that's right, nannying. Maybe a higher power is trying to give me a hint that I need to learn to foster relationships with children, but right now I just finished my own self-directed marathon of Modern Family. (That's right, every episode from both existing seasons. Some people are so considerate to put these things on the internet for free.) Unfortunately, this means I am neglecting my Gilmore Girls marathon and the Netflix DVD's are piling up as my mother and I attempt to make room in our schedules for us to be in the same place, at the same time, with some form of video entertainment system with DVD-playing capabilities. This summer, the nannying is for two boys, ages 13 and 10. Gone are the days of life jackets in the pool and "betending" to be kitty and "I love you." Now I sit quietly on my little chaise lounge in the sunroom and use this lovely laptop for up to ten hours a day. The boys play video games, read, watch television, or play on their blow-up water slide outside. Sometimes I take them to my pool. Right now this is the routine, but hopefully it changes soon, since I have no more episodes of Modern Family left. Earlier, I snuck into the kitchen for a snack. All the Double Stuf Oreo Cakesters are gone. Lame. I don't even like chocolate, so maybe it's a good thing I didn't eat any. It's a wonder there is food in the pantry at all, since the boys have been given free reign in the kitchen to make their own meals. For the older one, a meal could be a peanut-butter-and-Nutella sandwich. However, for the younger one, meals consist of "grazing." His mother told me he doesn't really eat meals, he just "grazes." He also has blue hair. He didn't really speak when I asked him why. This... is my summer.