I’ve struggled to find the best way to describe her time with us, but ultimately, the plot presented itself via the Discovery Home Network. Dad was surprised to learn that the Discovery Channel had expanded their lineup so far from the old days of African wildlife footage, and documentaries on the Egyptian pharaoh’s burial rituals.
Lucky for me, it was this newfangled programming that was on the TV 24/7 during her stay with us. In the process, I got my first taste of the lovely programs, Holmes on Homes, Devine Design, Clean House, and Barefoot Contessa. Boy Howdy! Let me tell you, the shows were captivating/heartwarming/uplifting/cheesy/and decidedly chick … they were great! I’m all set to now join the ranks of daily Oxygen Network, and 4PM Oprah fanatics… can’t wait!
Back to the important stuff… Nonni couldn’t have arrived at a better time, as after a week of being home alone with Mom and Dad, I was beginning to get a bit weary of their care. As new parents, they were pretty confident that they'd be comfortable handling me - but their exuberance didn't last for long... having read every pre-birth book available (among others, Babywise, What To Expect When You're Expecting, and Daddy's favorite, She's Having A Baby, He's Having A Breakdown...), they felt that despite their readings, the end result was not as advertised... there was mayhem on the "worksite", and it's a good thing help was on the way.
Imagine for a moment that the baby books were instead a newly hired home contractor; someone whom had been counted on to deliver excellent quality and integrity in their work ... Instead, they got a deadbeat whose delivered product was politely described as being that of "shoddy workmanship and overpriced garbage." Well, that's the point in the story where Holmes on Homes appeared on the TV.
For those of you not in the know, Holmes On Homes is a new home improvement program - the show offers everything one can ask for... it's got a warmhearted Canadian handyman, Mike Holmes, and his pursuit to follow the mantra "Do it right, the first time." He often refers to "the code" (building standards) in his easily understood home reconstruction examples, and helps to give the viewer a sense of "I can do that" empowerment. He's a confident leader with wisdom, (i.e. exactly what Mom and Dad needed) and that’s exactly what Mom and Dad got from Nonni.
The list of home improvements she provided was endless, be it volunteering to be the “Designated Waker” (if/when I inevitably stirred from my slumber at 3AM), to offering her cuddling services free of charge at the same all hours, she was a blessing. It was so nice to have someone in our lives who was capable of providing a clear and concise answer to the baby body language that was previously unknown to Mom and Dad. She came in and did the repairs necessary to get our home up to code!
Immediately following Holmes on Homes, came The Barefoot Contessa. Now don’t get me wrong, Mommy (when she tries) can make one excellent home cooked meal, only these days, the time just isn’t there, nor is the energy. In stepped our very own, Ina Garten.
Every night when Dad returned from his first week back at the office, he found that Nonni had concocted a wondrous assortment of foodstuffs including Macaroni & Cheese, Turkey Meatloaf, Pulled Beef Sandwiches, Pork Tenderloin and Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup … all were scrumptious, and provided a home cooked respite from the continuous stream of Delivery Men arriving at our door on a nightly basis.
After dinner came the cackle, “Who want’s a clean house!,” from the TV as the Contessa credits rolled… up came Clean House, starring Neicy Nash (of Reno 911 fame … and little else). Much to Mom’s chagrin, there were no cameos by Officer Dangle, but the cleaning inspiration was there, and the apartment was spotless on a daily basis… another nice change from the apartment that had been wholly overrun with baby equipment for the several months leading to my birth.
“Girlfriend! We need to sell all those shoes!”
Not only did this show provide the inspiration for a good deep cleaning, but also provided for my first memory of Nonni disliking something. Neicy Nash just didn’t pass the Nonni test … her sass and raspy-toned gumflapping just didn’t do anything to make Nonni care for her. That’s ok though, because 90% of the time Neicy was on-screen, Nonni had me in her arms and was introducing me to the two-arm bop (my favorite).
“So we’ve got two tickets to the used-squad car auction. Now, I know we all want these so we're gonna do this the way we generally handle these things … so-ooo … we're gonna have a scavenger hunt!”
Last and certainly not least came Candice Olsen and Devine Design. Daddy had never heard of this show before, but Mommy and Nonni were long-time fans – both became visibly excited when Olsen’s designs came to fruition. Be it a project converting a 70’s styled dreary basement into a finished living room suite suitable for private parties, or, finishing an oddly shaped attic into a themed 3rd bedroom for an undeserving teenager, Candice always delivered. This was a house favorite that found itself being TiVo’d during every showing – including the 3AM reruns.
Still though, how can we be focusing on interior design when we’re crammed into this 700 sq ft one bedroom apartment across from the Empire State Building? What “style” are we looking for other than Pottery Barn Kids within these walls? I mean, heck, I don’t even have my own room – gotta share one with Mom and Dad!
Need look no further than Nonni, who in her greatest act of generosity, had sown by hand, the bedding for my Crib… talk about style! Mommy is a huge Peter Rabbit fan, and it was using those pastel blues and Farmer McGregor as inspiration, that Nonni was able to put together a phenomenal bedding ensemble. Truly the lap of luxury, and sooo inviting after a long day of feedings and fussy fits.
Far too fast, Saturday was upon us, and it was Nonni’s time to leave. I had such a wonderful time getting to know her, and cannot wait to visit with her again over Christmas (I hear I get gifts – score!). It was hard for Mommy and Nonni to share their brief goodbyes, but the lasting indelible mark Nonni left on our household has provided for much more calm in the days since. Nonni was our Mike Holmes, Candice Olsen, Ina Garten – all in one. Truly, the best part of my first few weeks of living.
Thinking of "Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail" while strolling 5th
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