NANNY MONTANA

Conflicted

2011-06-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in forever, but no one is really reading anyway, so no big deal. But I was telling some people about the blog tonight and I like the idea, so here I am resurrecting it. Maybe I'll try to promote it one of these days, too. I already have tons of promotion for my music career that I should but don't do, why would I promote an anonymous blog? I'll just worry about that later.

The main reason I haven't written is because I have moved to a new city and am sitting mostly for one family. This is a city full of musicians and music industry. (Which is why I moved here, duh.) The family I work for is involved in the music industry. In the course of my babysitting, I'm meeting all sorts of talented, creative and sometimes really famous people. This is excellent material for Nanny's blog, but if I start naming names, I won't be anonymous much longer. For instance, I was the only babysitter at a certain birthday party for the 6 year old son of a certain Grammy winning producer last month, so it wouldn't take long for someone to figure out who revealed that this producer candidly admited he loves "Baby" by Justin Bieber. You know, should I happen to blog about something like that.

So I've been conflicted about how to continue. But I'm ready to carry on. This was never supposed to be about gossip anyway. This is supposed to be about negotiating the balance of a day job and a creative dream. And that is happening as much now as it ever was. So like Hannah/Mylie, I will keep living my separate lives and only you, the omniscient reader will know my secret. And hopefully there will be a universal lesson in here somewhere, so the real names won't matter anyway.

Thank you

2010-09-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't see how my babysitting career could possibly be helping my music career. Except that it pays the bills most months and keeps me sane.

But at the end of the summer one of my families gave me a gift certificate to our local bookstore as a thank you gift. It was really nice and I had such a great time just browsing the stacks, touching all the paperbacks and new releases. It was so nice to know that I had $50 to spend on books that I couldn't spend on electric bills or groceries. So I savored the browsing and contemplated buying dozens of different titles. But when I saw The Artist's Way I knew I would get it. I've been wanting it for a long time, but for some reason have never bought the book and started the program.

But now I'm one week in and already figuring out so much about my own creative life and history and potential and my blocks. And wouldn't it just be perfect if this book gets me to the place where I write my first hit, but that I only had the book because one of the families I babysit for gave me a gift certificate to a bookstore? Yes, that would be perfect. I must write a hit so I can use that angle for the publicity tour. I can just see it now. Nanny Montanta on top thanks to babysitting job!

Kids know hits.

2010-09-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Joey is 10 years old and interested in my music career. He likes to ask a lot of questions about my crazy fans and hecklers and give me advice about attracting people to my shows, like: "You should bake cupcakes and give one to everyone who comes to see you." It's really hard to argue with that. People love cupcakes.

The other day Joey asked me to give him a little preview of what I've been working on lately. I sang him a chorus of a new song, one that I'd written with a hit writer from Nashville. Joey really liked it. He said that it sounded like something you'd hear on the radio. He said it was a lot better than anything he'd heard on my CD. He said I should get busy and record that song. And if I've learned anything from this double life, it's this: Kids know hits.

For example, I was driving recently with 4 year-old Lizzy. Taylor Swift's "Love Story" came on the radio and she had never heard it before, but urged me to turn it up. "Princesses, love, what is this?" she asked. And then we were at the library and I was trying to deal with the stroller and she was spinning in circles on the sidewalk singing "la la prince and la la princess, love story la la yes!!"

Mega #1 hit and she heard it and loved it immediately. So I'm gonna listen to the kids. They know hits.

I'm (kind of) a Belieber!

2010-04-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

After so much baby and toddler time, it's been really fun to sit for a couple of elementary girls. We do home work and piano practice and play Wii and board games. There's a lot more hanging out and less changing diapers. Ahhh...

But there is also a lot of High School Musical, Jonas Brothers and lately, Justin Bieber. I'm not a music snob, and I actually like sugary-pop music more that most musicians I know, so I was willing to give JB a try. I mean, 7-year-old Maia is totally in love with him, so how could I deny her? We all bopped along to "Little", "Baby" and that cover of "LoveFool" by The Cardigans while we painted our nails with polka dots.

And then came "First Dance." This song is hilarious. It's so clearly using "the first dance" as a euphemism for "the first time you have sex," kind of like 60's teen pop singers did. He's trying to walk the line between parent-approved wholesomeness and heart-flutter inducing sexiness, but to anyone over 10, it just comes off as ridiculous. The line that made me laugh out loud comes at the end of the bridge:

Your glass slippers in my hand right here,
We'll make it before the clock strikes nine.

OK, What? Nine? I know he's talking to pre-teen girls who can't stay out late, but this is supposed to be a fantasy. Can't we at least dream about staying up until midnight like Cinderella did?

The girls had no idea why I thought this song was funny, and I didn't want to explain it to them. They don't hear the implied meaning at all. And in the end, maybe it really is just about a dance. Maybe when you are 7, the anticipation and excitement of swaying back and forth with a cute boy is as scary and thrilling as it gets. Maybe you do hope he'll "be gentle" and "do it slowly." And maybe that's really all Justin Bieber is talking about. I kinda doubt that's all the songwriters and producers and label marketing folks were thinking, but that kind of cynicism is not for little girls. Just us babysitters.

Dan Zanes Dance Party!

2010-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

Maggie and Mikey and I seriously rocked out to an entire Dan Zanes album the other day. Jumps, rolls, kicks, spins, flops, sways. And then when I told them that one of my friends had been in Dan's touring band for a while, and that in fact, they had probably seen her when they went to his show, I was a little bit of a star for a minute, too.

If I were a Dutch Nanny

2010-01-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Nanny Montana has been AWOL, sorry about that. Actually I was on tour in Europe, being an actual rock star for a change and I didn't have much to say about kids.

I loved being in Europe, the venues, audiences, food and beer were much better than I'm used to stateside. So I got to day-dreaming about what it would be like to live in, say, Amsterdam all the time. Would I be able to play music full time, or would I still need to babysit? And if I had to babysit, the kids would probably speak more languages than I do. And would I have to learn how to bike around the city with kids? Wow.

After that, I payed close attention to how people carried kids on bikes. It really freaked me out. No helmets! Sometimes the kids would just hang on the the back. Lots of people had one kid in front and one in back, or these really cool bikes that had a kind of wheelbarrow or stroller in front. I even saw a woman with a baby car-seat carrier bungie-corded to the fender rack. That baby couldn't even sit up. I can not imagine any American parent allowing me to ride with a baby like that. Cultural differences are so fascinating. I'd better start biking around by myself for a while, get my balance working, just in case I get huge in Holland.

Shuffle and Share

2009-10-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sally and I were playing songs for each other from our iPods today. Sally is 2 and her iPod was actually a calculator. It was full of hits like "Wheels on the Bus," "ABC song," and "Twinkle Widdle Dar." I played for her a little Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson 5, and Loretta Lynn.

Then she played me an exclusive preview of the Dixie Chicks' brand new single. And I really wished we weren't pretending. I miss them.

I guess with 8 kids between them, the Chicks need a break. But when a new DC album does come out, I really hope it doesn't have "Wheels on the Bus" on it.

Practice Practicing

2009-10-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd try to play a little mandolin for George. A lot of kids can't really sit still to listen to a song, but I figured since he can't do anything BUT lay still, he'd be a captive audience. And I really needed to practice.

I forgot that he can also cry. And while I don't think it was my playing that upset him (though I do have a lot of work to do), he just got all fussy every time I got going. I'll try again. Hopefully he'll get out of this phase where he wants to be held while he's sleeping and I'll start working on helping him sleep through anything. Even the melodious twinkle of my mando strings....

Editorial Comment

2009-10-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend requested that she be called "Perry" instead of "Ellie." It's short for Periwinkle and it is apparently her soul name. Now her true essence will sparkle through this dramatization of her life.

I've been thinking a lot about names as I try to re-name the kids I'm writing about. Would their parents like the names I've chosen for them? Will I be able to keep them all straight? Or start calling them by their fake names when I see them in real life? Also, what's my name going to be? Nanny Montana, of course, but don't I need another name, too? Any ideas?

Tired

2009-10-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I so wish I could work from my bed today. With the electric blanket on.

But there is a baby mama that needs me. Here I go, grumble, grumble.

If I were a full time rock star, I could sleep in! Actually, I'd probably have an interview on Good Morning America or The View or something, so I'd have been up hours ago getting made-up and blow-dried. Isn't that just the way? You think life is going to get easier and it just gets harder, busier. I should be happy for the chance to sleep until 8.

That's what I'll tell myself today anyway. Plus, I'll probably get to take a little snooze along with snuggly George if I play my lullabies right.

Sleeping like a baby

2009-09-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

So I pulled my double babysitting shift, picked up my girlfriend Ellie, and made it to Boston in plenty of time to see the show. I did not have spit-up on my shirt. Actually little George soaked my thigh with a milky burp, and I didn't have a change of pants, but no one noticed.

The show was great, so much energy and big drums. Most of the crowd was college aged which made me feel old, but I had some nice conversations with the artists afterward, and left feeling inspired to write. Thanks to a big Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee and a stack full of new CDs, I stayed wide awake the whole drive home. I was actually too wired to sleep and made faces at myself in the mirror for a while, then about 2:30am I decided it was time to try to wind down in bed.

When I snuck under the covers, Ellie snuggled over close and flipped her leg over me, pinning my legs together down to the mattress. At first I was annoyed and uncomfortable. How would I toss and turn now? But then I started to calm down, really relax. I remembered how earlier that day baby George was trying in vain to fall asleep and I held him tight to my body. When he cried and tried to kick out or punch or arch his back, my arms were firm, keeping his limbs in place. And I felt that each time he tried to squirm, but met the resistance of my embrace, he relaxed a little. When he felt sure that I wouldn't drop him, that there was a stronger someone holding him safe, his wails turned to little murmurs and hums and he was sleeping like, well, a baby.

And then I was, too.

Big Day Tomorrow

2009-09-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

In the morning I've got to get up early and pull a double shift babysitting. I just picked up 4 more hours in the afternoon, even though I'm planning to drive to Boston to see a show. I just can't say No. If I can possibly squeeze it in, I feel like I should. For the money, but also because the parents seem like they really need it.

So I'll spend 4 hours with 2 year old Mikey and then drive straight to over to snuggle baby George for 4 hours, then try to psych myself up to drive the 2.5 hours straight to Boston. I'm going to see a group tour of musicians from Tennessee, one of whom I'd really love to record a song I wrote. I'm not sure if I'll have the courage to ask her, or to give her a demo.

I hope I don't have spit up on my shoulder. I'll have to remember to take a change of clothes.