Guest Blogger: Ryan

This summer we had the most spectacular summer babysitter. Thursday was Ryan’s last day – school is starting for her; school is starting for us; all good things must come to an end – and the bambinos were so upset to have their days with her come to a close. We had Ryan over for lunch on Friday to celebrate the end of a fantastic summer. When it was time for her to go, the three kids were so sad. Meera was actually crying and tried to lock herself inside Ryan’s car. Kyle and Owen constructed a pile of rocks and gravel at the end of the driveway hoping that Ryan would “get a flat tire and have to sleep over.” Ryan did manage to get out of our driveway and as she drove away and I held Meera (who was crying hysterically), Owen said, “Mommy, it is just so sad to have it end.” Over the course of the summer they bonded intensely with Ryan and came to genuinely love her. We all came to feel like she was part of the family. Although we’ll hopefully have a life-long connection with Ryan, it is still bittersweet to have this chapter end. Pictures taken after lunch on Friday afternoon:

I asked Ryan if she wanted to do a Guest Blogger Post for the blog, and was so happy when she said she’d do it. Here’s her post:

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By Ryan – September 5, 2011

This summer I had the true privilege of hanging out with the Johnson-McCormick family. When I first received the e-mail that Heather was looking for a babysitter I seriously thought about whether or not to apply. I am currently a graduate student and felt that my summers should be more academic, but to tell you the truth I was really looking for a little challenge, the opportunity to relax my mind, and the opportunity to have fun, thus, I thought babysitting would be perfect. I have been babysitting since I was 15 and thought that this was business as usual… as I quickly discovered babysitting Meera, Kyle and Owen was not business as usual. Although they did provide me with a challenge, my mind was never at rest, but at then end of it all, I had a tremendous amount of fun and an exciting two months with three amazing children.

During the two months that I hung out with Owen, Kyle and Meera I knew that we had a good time together, but I did not know it warranted a spot as a Guest blogger on the Johnson-McCormick blog. To be honest, I am a little stumped about what to write. Seeing that this blog serves as a memory of Kyle, Meera and Owen’s childhood I decided to use it as a platform to write them short messages about how they each helped to make this a great summer for me. For those who do not know them personally this may be difficult to follow, but for those who do, you will completely understand the messages and hopefully feel the emotion that I am trying to express.

Meera:

Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader. It was virtually impossible to be sad when you are around. From the scream of excitement when I walk through the door every morning, to the words of “more!,” “higher!” and “jump!” (with a slight southern twang) resonating in my ears when I went home, you are undeniably a ball of joy. Thank you for moving to the beat of your own drum, you couldn’t care less about trying to be one of the boys, you are a big girl princess (in all the good ways). Thank you for going against the societal grain and not wearing clothes, I think we made it through a whole week in which I never saw you in more than a diaper… and to that I say POWER ON! Meera you are a kind and gentle soul, as evident through the care that you give to your dolls and stuffed animals. You are genuinely affectionate and loving and your smile and laughter bounce off of everything. Thank you Meera for helping make this summer an awesome one for me, and my hope for you is that you continue to grow and blossom while keeping all the things that make you amazing.

Kyle:

Thank you for being sweet. I know boys don’t like that word, but what I am trying to say is thank you for being thoughtful, selfless and considerate. Kyle, you are not only an amazing athlete, but also an amazing person. Thank you for making sure that whatever we did, we did it together. I truly admire the way you value, respect and protect your brother and sister. Your actions demonstrate your enormous heart and the strong bond your family shares. Thank you for doing your best to try to keep me in shape by constantly making me play some type of sport outside, although I was designated pitcher who barely moved 5 steps most of the time…you tried. Thank you for helping in the kitchen. I could always count on you to assist me in finding whatever I needed. This is to Kyle and Owen both: thank you for taking such good care of my dog Sammy and exhausting him whenever he came over for a swim. Kyle, I see you growing up to be an amazing young man, one that is smart, kind and talented. Thank you for hanging out with me, and teaching me all about driveway baseball.

Owen:

Thank you for being a prince charming in the making. Thank you for always complimenting my hair and nails. Thank you for always making me feel like, in your own words, an “amazing woman.” Thank you for being considerate of your brother and sister, and thank you for ensuring Meera was happy so that I would not have to deal with a temper tantrum (I’m specifically referring to you writing Meera’s name all over her body like tattoos with purple marker). Owen, thank you for displaying energy and happiness in every movement. Thank you for making me smile, most of the time, and frown occasionally. Thank you for the hugs of forgive and forget and the hugs of pure joy. Owen I am 100% sure that you will develop into an amazing man. You have the gifts of leadership, boldness and intelligence, which when coupled create magic. I look forward to the day when I see your name in bright lights…thanks for an amazing summer!

Heather and Braydon:

Thank you for entrusting me with your kids. Thank you for never freaking out about paint on the floor, in their hair or on their clothes. Thank you for not stressing about missed naps or too much sugar. Thank you for making me feel so comfortable in your home, and most importantly, thank you for hiring me. Heather and Braydon you have three amazing amazing amazing kids…thank you for allowing me to spend my summer with them.

Of course I do not know how to conclude this entry so I will end by saying, when I left the Johnson-McCormick house on Friday everybody said “thanks for the best summer ever” and my response was awww thank you. What I should have said was Thank you for an incredible summer and thank you for helping me to remember why kids are so awesome! See you later alligators, after while crocodiles.