Sigh. So, of course, since I was so nervous about hanging out with these two girls today it went really well and I had a lot of fun. I am so in love with the indoor swimming pool and now that the boys no longer have soccer we are totally going every single week. I jumped off one of the boards that was 5 or so meters high, but I'm definitely waiting to jump off he 7m one until Max and Mike are there. I don't know why, but it felt like something I should do with them.

I am supposed to go back to the pool with Karinna and Natalie (I probably TOTALLY butchered the spelling of their names :/ oops.)  next weekend so yayyyy. I also got Burger King and it had been ages since I ate it and it tasted like America, haha. 

In other news, I finally got some feedback from Nicole about how I do my job and what they think of me. It didn't come up in the best of ways...but here is how it went down. 

So Mike has a jillion tests next week and he needed to bring home things to study and I was supposed to ensure he had it with him on Friday. So, I get him on Friday ask him if he has everything. Ask him again. I ask him about each individual test and if he has everything for each and every one. He replies with a very sincere yes each and every time. 

So what happens when I see Nicole this morning? 

He had absolutely nothing he needed. She then tells me that Mike told her I never go into his classroom and that I only ever ask him if he has his things once they are in the car. The first part of that is true, but only because Mike told me I was not allowed to! Truthfully I should have smelled the BS on that one, so I will take  the blame their but I ALWAYS ask when we are still at school. Why would I ask in the car? What purpose would that serve? And with the way Nicole was speaking it seems like she believes him, which is just ludicrous. Grr. Anyway, I tried explaining how things really go down and she told me that they boys see me to much as a friend. They see me as the 'best playmate in the whole world' but, to summarize, I'm pants at discipline. She also threw in an ominous "if we have time this week we should down and talk about this."

I am still somewhat pleased though. I knew going into this that discipline would something I wouldn't be very good at, so I am glad they do think I am good at something. However, I do think she was a little extreme in the criticism of how I discipline them. I make them do tons of stuff themselves (stuff that other au pairs did for them) and they have gotten to the point where they do it without me asking. Also, they know that the playroom has to be clean when they go to bed and then getting ready for bed can never go past 7:45. I'd say the school thing is my only weakness, but I also am hesitant to take too much responsibility for it because Max does absolutely fine in school. No matter how diligent I am with handing out discipline it's not going to make Mike any smarter or any more willing to be honest with me about his school work. I am absolutely going to make every effort to speak with his teacher and make sure he has everything he needs to have, but really that's about all I can do and I hope Nicole realizes that and is satisfied with it.