Nannying

This week I started nannying part-time, short-term (to fill the employment gap a little). My charges are two-year-old twins. I will call them Ian and Phoebe. (To protect their privacy, I won't use their real names, but I find it confusing when bloggers protect identities with just initials, so I chose names I think fit their personalities. What can I say? I'm a name nerd.)

Let me start by saying I love two-year-olds. They're one of my favorite ages to take care of. Yes, they can be obstinate. Yes, they throw tantrums. Yes, it is uncanny how frequently they are drawn to things they should not be touching/eating/throwing/coloring. But in high school I worked at a daycare in the two-year-old classroom for two years, and I grew quite fond of that age of child. They retain their babyish adorableness, but they are so much more expressive than babies. They can verbally explain what they want or what they are thinking about. They have imaginations. They can be reasoned with (sometimes). They also sometimes say hilarious things.

At the park on Tuesday, I was pushing Ian and Phoebe on the swings, and out of the blue, Phoebe says, "Michael Jackson died."

What?

This child is two years old. Her parents do not allow her to watch TV. I have no idea how she knows that. I asked if her parents are Michael Jackson fans. She said they listen to Michael Jackson in the car. Then the conversation moved on...

Until this morning. I was reading a children's book to Ian and sort of to Phoebe, but she wasn't paying that much attention. So she says,
"Michael Jackson lives in Arizona."
Me: "I think he lived in California."
Phoebe: "Michael Jackson died."
Me: "I know."
Phoebe then points to a picture of a white woman with shoulder-length black hair on the cover of a book. "That's Michael Jackson."
I can hardly contain my laughter.
Me: "That's not Michael Jackson, but that woman does look a lot like Michael Jackson, doesn't she?"
Phoebe sings and dances: "Beat it! Beat it! Beat it! Beat it!"

This Michael Jackson thing is hilarious. I think Phoebe might know more about Michael Jackson than I do.