2300 Hours

I have an email in my inbox that reads:

1.1DODD/JESSICAERINMRS

XALTKNK 31JUL RGIGPF

3 TK 5 X MO 02NOV ISTORD HK1 X 1130 1540 CABIN YE

4 UA 768 X MO 02NOV ORDJAX HK1 1944 2300 E

FONE-QEZ-P 2122797010

2.XAL00-T SUPERRUR 2122 797010 ARZU

3.1 QIH-K 00

What does it mean? I have no idea about most of it. But what I do know is that somewhere in this jungle of letters and numbers is a beautiful arrangement of numbers reading 2300. What doe this mean? It means my plane will be touching down in Jacksonville at 11pm on November the second. Sometimes I wonder if it is wrong to be as excited as I am. Then I think, “Nope!” At dinner tonight we talked about it and I said I couldn’t stay it was too hard. Mistake. It started with the reading of a letter sent by Caitlin to the kids. After they asked if Caitlin knew I was coming home?

“Yes.”

“When did you tell her?” (Princess Peach)

“A little while ago.”

“What did she say?” (Princess Peach)

“You just got there! (Totally melodramatically) I guess Caitlin is just stronger than me. It is just too hard for me here.”

“Yes but you are kicking more harder than her.” (Benny)

“Yes I do kick the soccer ball harder than Caitlin.”

“Caitlin is not very good at sports.” (Princess Peach)

We all laughed and that was the end of it. After dinner Baba asked what was so hard about this place. I went into major back pedal mode. I informed him I was just being melodramatic with the kids. Then he went on to say you’re not even a nanny you are a live in tutor. I eventually talked him down but the conversation made me sad. I am a nanny. I watch the kids, bathe them, play with them, and manage their life. I am sad that he doesn’t realize that. I am sad that he doesn’t realize the lack of time he spends with his own children. When we were in Bodrum I kept track with a stopwatch how much time the children spent with their mother, I called it Operation Mother Goose. By the end the average time for the day was 30 minutes. Here it is slightly higher because some nights they have dinner together. I don’t say any of this to judge, it just breaks my heart that they are oblivious. It would be better if they did it on purpose and I could be angry. Anger is the simplest and easiest emotion. But I can’t jump to that place. I am sad. On the bright side they haven’t found anyone to replace me, so like it or not they will be spending more time with their kids. So even though it is not quite how I expected, God might be answering my prayer to be their last nanny. We shall see. Not my will but yours oh Lord.