April tidbits.

1. You are looking at (or in this case, reading about) the newest employee of College Nannies + Tutors, a company in Austin that hired me to be an "on-call nanny" after my classes Mondays through Fridays. I am already babysitting two of the cutest little girls, Ellie and Lia, twice a week at their home. (Today, we read Disney princess picture books and played Candy Land. I don't think it can get any better than this.) My part-time job will continue until June 15th, when I leave Austin for a few summer adventures, and will possibly pick up again after I return in August.

2. I decided that my sugar fast officially ended last week, after two whole months of attempting to avoid sweets and limit all added sugars. I didn't know exactly how long I wanted to keep up with this dietary goal, but I figured Easter was a good time to call it quits. (This may or may not be because I went a little binge-crazy at the dessert table this weekend, and figured it was probably a sign that the restriction may be doing more long-term harm than good. Y’all should have seen me—I was ravenous for the stuff.) It'll be interesting to see in the next few weeks if moderation becomes easier for me now that I’ve tried—and somewhat failed—the cold turkey route. I'm crossing my fingers!

3. I'm still in the process of reading The Hunger Games, but I saw the movie last week and LOVED it. (Have you ever met a character more badass than Katniss Everdeen?) Looks like I don't have to read the novel first to enjoy the movie version after all! OH, and speaking of movies, does anyone else want to see Titanic in theaters, or is it just me? I'm not a huge fan of 3D, but I'm dying to watch this epic film on the big screen one last time. April 14th is in fact the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking, so I think we owe it to history. Don't you?

4. Here's the thing about words. As beautiful as they can be, and as essential as they are in stringing together sentences to form graceful poems and unforgettable stories, a harsh reality is that words can also cut into people like knives. Put simply, they hurt big time. Here's a little advice from someone who's learned the hard way: Whenever you feel the pressing urge to speak negatively about another person, just keep your mouth shut. If need be, grab a journal. Because in the long run, it'll save everyone involved a lot of emotional turmoil.

5. Happy belated Easter, friends! I hope that yours was filled with endless rejoicing…as well as an endless supply of (healthy) peanut butter eggs.

Photo of our annual Easter Egg Toss.