I heart Elia

Just want to declare it ad nauseum.  She came over for dinner.  We talked about the Upper West Side nanny that murdered her kids.  We ordered spicy pizza that I promised she would like even though she can’t do spicy- as I can’t do spicy either, she agreed it’s some damn good pizza.  We tried to find photos on Instagram of Antoinette and their mom at the White House Christmas party tonight (none posted yet).  We exchanged some Jacket stories and planned some future stalking strategies.  She heard Sandy’s farts and agreed that they sound like gun shots.

Elia is the. best. ever.

That’s all.  :)

Elia, and her adorable boyfriend Kieran, arrived just in time for gardening!

Elia, and her adorable boyfriend Kieran, arrived just in time for gardening!

One of my pre-fosterhood fantasies was that a child would connect me more to my community.  This was most definitely the case.  It’s been two years now since I found Antoinette and Elia who babysat for both Eaglet and Jacket.  They saw me at my worst and best.  They met the rounds of guys I dated.  They know that I always leave wet towels on the floor.  They witnessed crushed Cheerios being left under the dining room table for weeks (and then quietly cleaned it up while I was out).  They never judged.  They were willing to be paid below the poverty line.  They are simply awesome blossoms (ha ha, I know that you girls just cringed reading that).  Awesome Blossom Possums.  That’s right.  Sweet little flowers animals that need to hurry up and decide on a spirit animal to make your hippy, homeopathic mom proud.  So, today Antoinette, Elia and their mom and dad took me to lunch (hence, I know their mom wants them to have spirit animals).  Antoinette is in town from her fancy White House job and I learned all about “wranglers” working “movements” and being in “foxholes” or “the foxhole”, whatever it is.

One of my pre-fosterhood fantasies was that a child would connect me more to my community.  This was most definitely the case.  It’s been two years now since I found Antoinette and Elia who babysat for both Eaglet and Jacket.  They saw me at my worst and best.  They met the rounds of guys I dated.  They know that I always leave wet towels on the floor.  They witnessed crushed Cheerios being left under the dining room table for weeks (and then quietly cleaned it up while I was out).  They never judged.  They were willing to be paid below the poverty line.  They are simply awesome blossoms (ha ha, I know that you girls just cringed reading that).  Awesome Blossom Possums.  That’s right.  Sweet little flowers animals that need to hurry up and decide on a spirit animal to make your hippy, homeopathic mom proud. 

So, today Antoinette, Elia and their mom and dad took me to lunch (hence, I know their mom wants them to have spirit animals).  Antoinette is in town from her fancy White House job and I learned all about “wranglers” working “movements” and being in “foxholes” or “the foxhole”, whatever it is.

Elia just sent me this picture (I cropped it) with the comment “the ratio of photos of her [Jacket] to anything else on my phone is ALARMING.” You know what else is alarming?  That Jacket is SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER drinking straight out of the MILK JUG.  This explains a lot.  Just kidding, Elia.  :) By the way, Elia is looking to get out of the babysitting biz because let’s face it, how do you top Jacket?  She’s open to anything that’s a steady 9-5 type job, clerical, direct care work with folks with disabilities, she’s got mad style skills, and she sings and acts!  Feel free to send leads this way. 

Elia just sent me this picture (I cropped it) with the comment

“the ratio of photos of her [Jacket] to anything else on my phone is ALARMING.”

You know what else is alarming?  That Jacket is SITTING ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER drinking straight out of the MILK JUG.  This explains a lot.  Just kidding, Elia.  :)

By the way, Elia is looking to get out of the babysitting biz because let’s face it, how do you top Jacket?  She’s open to anything that’s a steady 9-5 type job, clerical, direct care work with folks with disabilities, she’s got mad style skills, and she sings and acts!  Feel free to send leads this way. 

Have I mentioned how awesome Elia is? Just had dinner with Elia, Jacket(and Eaglet)’s babysitter, to celebrate her 21st birthday.  We did a lot of reminiscing about Jacket… how much she likes books, her LOVE of spinning in circles, how funny and bossy she became.  We tried to imagine what she’ll be like when she turns 18 and we couldn’t come up with anything. We also talked about Jacket’s mom.  How, unless you’ve had her rip you a new asshole met her, you just can’t understand how much of a mind-fuck conversing with her can be.  I told Elia about the phone calls from Jacket’s mom this week, her request that I have a BBQ party and how I’m supposed to meet her “at the buses downtown” tomorrow.  Yeah, I have NO IDEA where she’s talking about but she started raising her voice and getting angry “YOU KNOW, THE BUSES, THE BUSES DOWNTOWN!” and I blurted out “Yes, sure I know what you’re talking about- I’ll be there.”  So tomorrow I am going downtown with the hope Jacket’s mom will call me from her new, blocked cell phone number and tell me what street she’s on.  If we get that far we’re supposed to go to a Children’s Museum. But back to Elia, she’s amazing and mature beyond her years.  She took care of all of those things that I just couldn’t do after Jacket left.  Like the dishes.  And dismantling Jacket’s bed, packing up the final toys and returning her library books.

Have I mentioned how awesome Elia is?

Just had dinner with Elia, Jacket(and Eaglet)’s babysitter, to celebrate her 21st birthday.  We did a lot of reminiscing about Jacket… how much she likes books, her LOVE of spinning in circles, how funny and bossy she became.  We tried to imagine what she’ll be like when she turns 18 and we couldn’t come up with anything.

We also talked about Jacket’s mom.  How, unless you’ve had her rip you a new asshole met her, you just can’t understand how much of a mind-fuck conversing with her can be.  I told Elia about the phone calls from Jacket’s mom this week, her request that I have a BBQ party and how I’m supposed to meet her “at the buses downtown” tomorrow.  Yeah, I have NO IDEA where she’s talking about but she started raising her voice and getting angry “YOU KNOW, THE BUSES, THE BUSES DOWNTOWN!” and I blurted out “Yes, sure I know what you’re talking about- I’ll be there.”  So tomorrow I am going downtown with the hope Jacket’s mom will call me from her new, blocked cell phone number and tell me what street she’s on.  If we get that far we’re supposed to go to a Children’s Museum.

But back to Elia, she’s amazing and mature beyond her years.  She took care of all of those things that I just couldn’t do after Jacket left.  Like the dishes.  And dismantling Jacket’s bed, packing up the final toys and returning her library books.

Here are some photos of Elia, Antionette and their parents taking Jacket out.  They are such an AMAZING family and Jacket and I are both really fortunate to have them in our lives! 

Antoinette began babysitting Eaglet and soon after Elia did as well.  Antoinette went off to law school (and is now interning at the White House) and Elia began babysitting Jacket full-time until I found her a daycare.  Was it just a coincidence that when I moved to Brooklyn I chose an apartment 2 blocks away from Elia…?  I’ll never know!

(there are so many more great photos but Jacket’s face is in them all)

More smokin’ babysitting shoes worn by Elia.

More smokin’ babysitting shoes worn by Elia.

Elia again rocking the babysitting shoes.

Elia again rocking the babysitting shoes.

Jacket’s awesome babysitter, Elia, has the fiercest shoes.

Jacket’s awesome babysitter, Elia, has the fiercest shoes.