A little bit of everything

I am a bit late in posting today because I am working from home and it is a bit of a mad house as I have many things going on. First my kitchen is being painted, in one of my preious posts I asked for some help in picking a color. We finally settled on one so will unveil the new kitchen look in tomorrows Hodge Podge. In addition to the kitchen being painted I have a guy coming to measure for new carpet in the family room as well as new furniture being delivered for the family room. A room make over of sorts; I can’t wait to get it all settled again.

So last night I was invited to a Gala put on by PFCU Foundation. This group raises money to help our wounded warriors heal and return back to everyday living. As I sat in this huge ballroom with my handsome Army husband by my side I couldn’t help but become overwhelmed by the young soldiers who sat at my table and the tables near me. These are kids who simply say “I was doing my job and I would do it again.” Their worlds have been torn upside down however they keep on going. Yet our government doesn’t not fully take care of them and they rely on Foundations such as these for the supplemental support needed to help them heal and make them whole again. My husband and I had the honor of speaking many of these soldiers; these men and women epitomize courage in my eyes and I couldn’t thank them enough for their service yet every conversation seemed to end with them thanking me or my husband for our support. The theme of the night was Night of Heroes and it couldn’t have been truer.

Finally I just had my last meeting with my new nanny. Yes, I am getting a nanny but before you go calling me stuck up or a snob let me explain. Yes I work fulltime and so does my husband, we love our jobs and the life it allows us to provide for our family. Both of my children were in daycare from the early age of 3 months. A couple of years ago my husband was up for orders to Korea and we were not willing to move the entire family to Korea for 3 years so we opted to stay here and hire an au pair (young student who in exchange for a place to live and schooling would watch our kids) to help me out since I would be going it alone and also because my work also required overnight business trips once a month. (Don’t get me started on the lack of family help that lives right down the street) The 1st au pair was wonderful she bonded with the kids and they loved having her around she was truly a part of the family. She and I became buddies and I still talk to her to this day. We continued with and au pair program because we loved the fact that the children were able to spend less time in daycare and more time at home. However the following 2 I had in a matter of 5 months were a disaster. So I opted for daycare again.

Luckily at this point Lauren was already in Kindergarten and was doing very well. My son on the other hand was having issues. We had many conferences and received the usually boys will be boys speech but I knew something was very wrong. We narrowed it down to one teacher and sure enough when they relocated her to another room Jackson started to behave better. This woman really should not have been a daycare provider in this center but that is a whole other story. So things have gone long but we have noticed a high rate of turnover with teachers and again the behavior issues at school, we never have problems at home.

So while talking to one of m neighbors she said you should hire Rosa, their nanny of 14 years who took care of her 2 boys from the time they were 3 months as well. I knew of her and I loved the bond she had formed with the boys and she truly is a part of their family. So I spoke with her and she was ready willing and able to watch Jackson and Lauren for the summer then in the fall she would shuttle Lauren to school and Jackson to Preschool. She is a lovely woman with a heart of gold and it gives me peace to know my kids will be with someone whom I know and trust and that they will be able to be in their own house.

However the negative side of me is scared to death that if this doesn’t work out I will have lost my place at the daycare and will be totally screwed, but worst the kids will suffer. I have made 2 back up plans just in case. I am sure that all will go fine and the kids will be happy as can be and so will we. I just have hesitation I am not big on change however I KNOW this is really a good thing.

Rosa came over to get the lay of land before she starts on Monday, she was already talking about the food she was going o cook for them the games she would play and the trips to the park. She also asked if it was ok to teach the kids Spanish. Can I just say I love this woman already!!! Who knows there might very well be a chance of baby number 3, if I know I don’t have to go back to the daycare routine. I will keep you posted.

Wow now that I am looking back over this post I had a lot to say! Hope your Thursday has been a good one!!!