Liz and Sam and Claire

Liz cares for our babies for a couple days every week. We met her when she came to Boston from Italy where she had been lives. Josie (Ork-Ork), her mother, had been taking care of the babies for us went to Florida to care for her father for a few months, she handed the baton to Liz.

When she started caring for Sam and Claire, they were cranky babies, winter-bound in our tiny house. I think they conspired to give her a hard time. I have never experienced anything quite like facing two infants in meltdown without anyone else around. Often there is nothing one can do but focus on, walk with, and calm one of the babies, leaving the other to fend for itself. I am pretty sure that Liz has faced this dilemma more than once with Sam and Claire. Often I came home on Thursday afternoon and heard her euphemistically describe the problems Claire and Sam had that day.

As we moved through the winter, though, the babies grew bigger and happier. Instead of hearing about the problems the babies had, I heard more and more stories about the places they went and the games they played. When she comes into the house, Sam and Claire light up with smiles and shrieks. The babies told me that when Liz is caring for them, the time just flies by. She helped them make that transition from cranky infants into little self-sufficient toddlers. They appreciate that.

Sam and Claire are already planning their trip to Italy to visit Liz when she goes back home. Sam is secretly planning to hide in Liz's suitcase.