Besides my career as a mother, I also work part time for a large insurance company.  Over the course of my insurance career, I have  mentored 2 trainees.   I always treated them well.  Unlike some trainers, I did not use them to do my work for me.  I always answered their questions, even the dumb ones.  I always made them look good in front of the boss.  I helped them gain confidence and the necessary skills.   I always set them up for success and listened and comforted when they, invariably, had their first meltdown and maybe even cried a bit.  I took great pride in being a good trainer, a good mentor.

Well, I have a new trainee.  Meet my intern, Geetle.

She is intent on learning the ropes around here.  She is not content to be my “helper”.  No.  She wants to be my heir apparent.  She wants to be sworn in mid-air over TX (Kennedy assassination reference, did ya get it?).

I let her feed Giggles today.  A few minutes in, she pops the bottle out of her mouth, studies it and then sticks it back in.  She looks at me and reports “she needs to drink a few more ounces.”  Huh?  She does not know what an ounce is, or how many I put in the bottle to begin with!  That’s not all.   Giggles does not like Tummy Time.  Geetle tries to help her get through it by reminding her “Tummy Time is good for your muscles!”   Or when its time for bed, Geetle reminds me to wrap her up tight and give her a Nukkie.   She tells Mamaw that in order to get Giggles to burp, you have to stretch her out first…its true, you do.

I expected Geetle to fetch diapers for me.  I thought she might like to push the stroller now and then.   Cute stuff.  I did not expect her to be my understudy.  She knows what an intern is; she watches Ruff Ruffman on PBS and he has an intern, a cat named Blossom.  So, when I call her “my intern” she smiles.  She rebuts by saying I am her intern.   I think BAGD likes it because if something happens to me, Geetle will step right in and things should be OK.