Weekend with Marta
On Friday night, at about 11 pm, two Estonian ladies arrived at our door. Let's call them Pirja and Sirja. Pirja and Sirja were supposed to arrive at about 5 pm from JFK airport via subway, but somehow they wound up at the Estonian House, and so they got here pretty late. Anyway - as soon as they got in the house theer was something of a whirlwind of energy. I was exhausted and went to sleep, but I could hear them and Epp chattering into the night, making tea, drinking beer, drinking tea, drinking champagne, talking some more.
On Saturday we went out in our neighborhood to walk around. I let Epp go ahead and talk with Sirja and Pirja, and Marta and I hung back on the beach. The beach was really nice, as the sand isn't frozen anymore, and Marta had to be picked up several times because she wanted to lie face down in the sand, picking up handfuls of sand to hand to me. We also walked around and saw the first buds of spring on the trees and some branches that Marta mistook for flowers.
Eventually Pirja, Sirja, and Epp went out to New York City, maybe around 3 pm. And then it was just me and Martakene. This was good for me because I don't get to spend that much day time with my child. I am usually at work during the day and tired at night. So Marta and I went to the beach. And she plopped down in the sand, and I decided to put her up on my shoulders. We met a white dog and continued down the beach. There were so many kids out that day. There were also the usual seagulls hanging around. I don't know why but I don't trust them. I am afraid they will try and carry off my daughter!
So we walked around, but it was getting a bit chilly and so we went inside. I first put on the Jungle Book for her, but she didn't watch it, then some other movies, and, no success. She kept standing on Pirja's suitcase trying to pull more movies down, saying "wanna watch." I, meanwhile worked on my music website for about two hours. There was a short lived attempt to give her a bath, but she got bored and so I took her out. Then I decided that I would have to take Marta outside again. Maybe she would even go to sleep!
We went out and I took her to see the flowers outside the deli on 129th Street. I decided that I would buy two chicken cutlets from the gourmet deli and make pasta with green beans and alfredo sauce for us for dinner. But Marta passed out by the time we got in the gourmet deli. A woman commented that she wished she was Marta, and I told her that it was my plan all along to get her to go to sleep. She slept all the way home and I carried her upstairs to our bed and tucked her in, but then she woke up and started crying. I plopped her down in front of the TV and made us dinner.
Usually when we eat, Marta sits in her high chair. However, when I served dinner, I just fed Marta off my plate. Every time she wanted more she would come and beg at my leg like a dog and I would feed her. I wondered if I was raising Marta as a single parent, if it would always be this way - that I would feed her from my plate like a hungry pet.
At night we settled down to some SpongeBob SquarePants and snuggled. Marta started to get sleepy and eventually, in the dark, fell asleep. By this time it was getting pretty late and I was worried about the whereabouts of Pirja, Sirja, and Epp. Epp called once but I was on the phone with my mom and I couldn't reach Epp again. I called at 11 pm - no answer. Then at 12 am - still no answer. I was really worried about them. But I knew that my wife deserved a night out without worry. Eventually I went to sleep. At about 1 am Marta woke up and came to me crying asking for Epp. She crawled into bed with me and we slept there, me with the phone waiting to hear from the girls. I woke up at 2 am REALLY worried. Where were they? I called Epp and finally I got through. It turns out they were standing at the door at that very moment looking for the key and trying to figure out if they should ring the bell.
I stumbled downstairs and let them in. And that was the real end of my day of babysitting.
On Saturday we went out in our neighborhood to walk around. I let Epp go ahead and talk with Sirja and Pirja, and Marta and I hung back on the beach. The beach was really nice, as the sand isn't frozen anymore, and Marta had to be picked up several times because she wanted to lie face down in the sand, picking up handfuls of sand to hand to me. We also walked around and saw the first buds of spring on the trees and some branches that Marta mistook for flowers.
Eventually Pirja, Sirja, and Epp went out to New York City, maybe around 3 pm. And then it was just me and Martakene. This was good for me because I don't get to spend that much day time with my child. I am usually at work during the day and tired at night. So Marta and I went to the beach. And she plopped down in the sand, and I decided to put her up on my shoulders. We met a white dog and continued down the beach. There were so many kids out that day. There were also the usual seagulls hanging around. I don't know why but I don't trust them. I am afraid they will try and carry off my daughter!
So we walked around, but it was getting a bit chilly and so we went inside. I first put on the Jungle Book for her, but she didn't watch it, then some other movies, and, no success. She kept standing on Pirja's suitcase trying to pull more movies down, saying "wanna watch." I, meanwhile worked on my music website for about two hours. There was a short lived attempt to give her a bath, but she got bored and so I took her out. Then I decided that I would have to take Marta outside again. Maybe she would even go to sleep!
We went out and I took her to see the flowers outside the deli on 129th Street. I decided that I would buy two chicken cutlets from the gourmet deli and make pasta with green beans and alfredo sauce for us for dinner. But Marta passed out by the time we got in the gourmet deli. A woman commented that she wished she was Marta, and I told her that it was my plan all along to get her to go to sleep. She slept all the way home and I carried her upstairs to our bed and tucked her in, but then she woke up and started crying. I plopped her down in front of the TV and made us dinner.
Usually when we eat, Marta sits in her high chair. However, when I served dinner, I just fed Marta off my plate. Every time she wanted more she would come and beg at my leg like a dog and I would feed her. I wondered if I was raising Marta as a single parent, if it would always be this way - that I would feed her from my plate like a hungry pet.
At night we settled down to some SpongeBob SquarePants and snuggled. Marta started to get sleepy and eventually, in the dark, fell asleep. By this time it was getting pretty late and I was worried about the whereabouts of Pirja, Sirja, and Epp. Epp called once but I was on the phone with my mom and I couldn't reach Epp again. I called at 11 pm - no answer. Then at 12 am - still no answer. I was really worried about them. But I knew that my wife deserved a night out without worry. Eventually I went to sleep. At about 1 am Marta woke up and came to me crying asking for Epp. She crawled into bed with me and we slept there, me with the phone waiting to hear from the girls. I woke up at 2 am REALLY worried. Where were they? I called Epp and finally I got through. It turns out they were standing at the door at that very moment looking for the key and trying to figure out if they should ring the bell.
I stumbled downstairs and let them in. And that was the real end of my day of babysitting.
posted by Giustino | 6:37 PM
2 Comments:
I think it was more 3am than 2am when we came... At least I remember it was almost 5am when I got to sleep at last...
Luck you!! On March 15th, you are admiring the first buds of the spring trees, it is -10 in Estonia and it is already March 24!!! :(
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