Mary Vs. McPhee

So all this motherly talk, has me thinking of one of my favorite characters (who my mom has also been compared to many a time)... Mary Poppins.

But recently Nanny McPhee (a huge generational gap here, I know) has entered into my fictional consciousness as well. Emma Thompson is wonderful. And I love her creed:

"When you need me but do not want me I will stay. But when you want me, but no longer need me, I must go."

Chills. Every time.

Also my husband started this running joke when the Nanny McPhee sequel trailers started running recently. During every commercial conclusion, he'd do his trailer voiceover voice: "Revenge of Nanny McPhee..." or "Nanny McPhee Strikes Back..." But now Charlie thinks this is what it's actually called, so he's at school say, "oh, yeah I saw Nanny McPhee Strikes Back this weekend," all flippant... like that's just how he rolls.

But... Mary Poppins. I mean, come on. "Practically perfect in every way!" When she's not making out with Dick Van Dyke behind a coal bin, she's powdering her nose, hypnotizing children to sleep, kicking her heels up higher than a Rockette and pulling all sorts of crazy awesome shit out of her bag. "Stay Awake" is one of my go-to reverse psychology lullabyes I sing to my boys all the time, so I have to say she even makes me a better mom.

True, compared to snaggle-tooth McPhee, Mary is quite vain...



... or should I say... vane! Get it, huh, huh?


Mary Poppins weather vane from westcoastweathervanes.com

I want this weather vane for my detached 1930's garage. It's also kind of spooky, when Mary Poppins blows in with the wind. Very "something wicked this way comes," right?

This vane would make me feel like magic was nearby all the time. Which frankly, I could use a little magic in the garage area of my home as I'm screaming at my kids. Get. In. The. Freakin. Car. And, no you can not take all THREE of your blankies with you, and stop dragging them on the freakin driveway! I just washed all THREE of them. And this is just what I'm yelling at the two-year old, you don't even want to know what the six-year-old wants to drag in the car.

So back to Mary vs. McPhee. Which is your favorite nanny?