Hollyn M.

“ Hi! I am a 25-year-old graduate of political science from the U. of Montana. I lived in MT for the past 6 years then moved to Truckee 2 months ago. I have loved children even since I, myself, was a child. I love to get down on the floor with them, have adventures outdoors, dress up in costumes, or let them dress me up ;), and build educational, but fun activities for them to do. After I graduated in 2009, the...

Hi! I am a 25-year-old graduate of political science from the U. of Montana. I lived in MT for the past 6 years then moved to Truckee 2 months ago. I have loved children even since I, myself, was a child. I love to get down on the floor with them, have adventures outdoors, dress up in costumes, or let them dress me up ;), and build educational, but fun activities for them to do. After I graduated in 2009, the most recent opportunity I was given was to work for a family that would be my most rewarding job experience yet. I was able to nanny for about a year and a half for an adorable 2-year-old boy, and occasionally his 5-year-old sister. I attended their 3rd and 6th birthdays, and watching them transform over the years was simply awe-inspiring. I watched him go from a shy boy, only able to speak a few words, afraid of the outdoors (grass, mud, bugs) to a child who loved getting dirty on our hikes and could speak not only certain words but entire sentences! Our many adventures, I would often come home to his parents with a face covered with mud, which certainly helped him get over his fear of the outdoors. During that time I also potty trained him. Watching him transform and witnessing the child he was becoming filled me up with a joy I had never experienced before. I had built such a close bond with him spending so much time just the two of us hiking in the mountains, building forts, going on treasure hunts, watching movies, making Christmas cookies, playing hide and seek and board games, working on his vocabulary, and giggling about everything under the sun. It was not all smiles and hugs between the two children, of course. I had my fair share of dealing with disputes between the two. I always felt that I did a good job handling them with grace and always helping them find their way back to how much they loved each other opposed to any trivial dispute. Although I did not get to spend as much time with his older sister, the family lived near the school, and everyday he and I would walk hand in hand to go pick his big sis up from school. Maybe the greatest memory I hold dear was waiting in the hallway to pick her up, searching through the crowds of children, and as soon as we saw her down the hall, he would sprint as fast as a little one could all the way to his sister with the biggest smile as she dropped her backpack and mittens to the floor to give him a giant hug. I've found it's the little things with the little ones that count.

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