Another One Bites the Dust!

This time I am referring to my nanny again. Please, please, remind me the next time I look for a nanny to hire someone who has nannied before! I am just not having any luck with this whole nanny business.

I have been on a count down for the end of the school year for quite some time. Everyone at school is, however, this time I was on a countdown for my nanny. It just seemed that she was ALWAYS sick, hurting, etc. I think I have just lost the sympathy portion of my feelings. It was always my kids. My kids have allergies according to my nanny. No, they don't. My kids had runny noses because they were getting or getting rid of colds. I know my kids don't have allergies. She has allergies and is allergic to cats and a lot of the stuff outside. I had to continually harp on her to take the kids outside.

My kids also started school right around the time she started. That meant that she worked for about an hour or hour and a half and then had the next 3.5-4 hours off! I will give her credit the three rooms they kids play in begin clean when I got home. That was the one bonus. I never came home to a messy kitchen, stove, play area, etc.

I had noticed for some time that she was more edgy and just not thrilled, overall--not just at my house. However, last Monday was the ending point. She had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, so my aunt was going to come around lunch time to take over. That morning I asked her how her Mother's Day was. She said it was bad because she had a pain in her head.

When I came home from work, my neighbor came over with the most serious expression on her face I had ever seen. She told me that my nanny had come over there and asked her if she knew of someone to take her place or if she could help her find someone! HELLO! Don't you think I should have been the one she talked to? She said she just didn't know what was going on with her body or head and that by Fridays she is just really edgy and something is just wrong. The best part-she didn't want my neighbor to tell me!? Granted, she was trying to get a replacement because she promised me that she would stick it out with me until school got out. I was very hesitant to hire her because she lived even further away than my first nanny. I was very adament that I was not going to go through this again before the end of the school year. So I guess I should be slightly happy she was trying not to walk out on me?!

Of course my neighbor was going to tell me. Who wouldn't!? The welfare of my children are the main concern here, not someone's hurt feelings. The first thing that popped into my head was Andrea Yates. I am sure the day before she killed her children she looked like a good mother. I am not going to leave my children with someone who obviously is not emotionally stable and doesn't know why she is feeling the way she does. Are you serious!? Needless to say I called her that night and let her know that she would no longer be needed. I thought she sound very relieved (and sick) on the phone. The next day I found out she called my neighbor's husband and lit into him about talking to me. I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS!

Speaking of my wonderful neighbors. Can I just tell you how lucky I am to have the neighbors I have? This couple is the most amazing couple I have ever met. They came over to my house, while I was at school, and cleaned up my whole backyard (mowing, trimming, etc.). I found the husband outside trimming one of the trees in my front yard one morning. They are the ones that took my van to get a new battery when it died on me. They are just wonderful! Before I had even gotten home, they talked it out with each other and decided that she would take over for the last 4 weeks of school. Her daughter had just finished preschool and didn't need to be driven around anywhere. It just made the whole nanny fiasco so much easier to handle. I don't know what I would have done without them.

Tara was at my house the next morning. I received an email from her while I was at school. During those hours that they boys were at school, she ran home and prepared dinner for both of our families! For four weeks I can go to school and not worry about my children. When I was looking for a nanny I didn't want to hire anyone that would be bringing a child with them. With Tara, it's not a problem at all. I know Tara would be fair and my kids adore her daughter. It's been wonderful.

It's just too bad I will have to start the nanny search all over again in August. This time I will be placing an ad for a nanny in the paper and I will make sure that they have lots of wonderful references. I am no longer going to hire someone that needs to make some money.