Kate has decided she's a Daddy's girl. Daddy P was putting her down for a nap the other day and I offered to do it to give him a break. Well, Kate had other ideas. I took her and sat down in her chair and she started to cry and reach for the door where Daddy walked through.
So, back to Daddy she went.
We offered Nanny #2 a job. And never heard from her again.
Let me back up. Friday I call to ask a couple clarifying questions. No answer, no return call. I email. Nothin'. Saturday I call and finally get her. After talking to a friend, I decided it was important to clarify that she would be able to live on what we were offering her, which, frankly isn't much. $14 pre-tax for two babies. My cali friend was paying $12/hr for one post-tax, and my Chicago friend $14/hr for one post-tax, but it sounds like this is the Texas rate so we were going with it. But really, if she's single and this is her only job, it ain't enough to live on. I didn't want her to figure this out three months in and quit.
I bring this up and she pauses. I think I said, "I don't know if you're married or single, but Daddy P and I realize this isn't enough money to live on, and we want to make sure that you are comfortable with the wage and won't be looking for another job in a few months to compensate." Long pause. Then answers, oh, it's fine. I say, "oh, then you're hired!" She gets really excited, and thanks me, etc. I ask if she can start Monday, she says she needs a couple hours to think about it and will call me back.
No call Saturday.
Sunday afternoon I call and leave a message. No call.
Still! Tuesday! No call!
Sunday night we started the interview process again. Sadly.
Our second choice is really great and I love her, but our co-nanniers asked us to interview a few more to see if we could find someone who can work longer than just one year with us. We are doing two more interviews on Wednesday. We'll be offering SOMEONE the position AGAIN by the weekend. We've been so thankful for our friends who have been babysitting to get us through this crunch, and I'm so thankful to my flexible husband who's taking time off to babysit so I can go see clients and get my act together. Hopefully we'll get this all figured out soon!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Some Firsts
Here are some pics of our little baby Kate. She's got a little bit of hair at this point. Not much. But it's enough to start spiking. :)
Little miss also figured out the toilet paper roll. And, she was very pleased about it, as you can see.
Little miss also figured out the toilet paper roll. And, she was very pleased about it, as you can see.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Nanny Interviews
I can see why people use childcare.
This is freaking hard.
We've been using www.care.com to find a nanny we can nanny share with another family. (Congrats to Pam and Tim whose baby was born two days ago!) Tuesday was our start. The first called to cancel due to food poisoning. Can't argue that one. At 4:30pm, our 6pm interview called to ask very detailed questions about scheduling, and pay. At 4:50pm she called back to see if we had a cat. She's allergic. Pam and Tim do. At 5pm, our interviewer no showed. At 5:30pm we went out to dinner since we were done interviewing before we started.
Yesterday, it was just Daddy P and I interviewing. We eagerly waited for our first interviewer at 5pm. Moments before 5pm, she called to tell us she was lost. Daddy P answered. At the time, I was on my hands and knees, blood smeared up and down my foot and hand, trying to clean up a jar of baby food I had dropped. They, well, they didn't really communicate well. I took over and directed her in. A half hour later we found out the poor woman had moved here a week earlier and had gotten a little confused by the fact that streets in town have three names. Generally mapquest only clues you into one, which can be a little tricky. She was sweet. A little flustered, a little timid, but sweet and you got the feeling she genuinely liked kids.
In contrast: our 6pm interview. What words come to mind for her... chatty. Chatty about irrelevant topics? Uninterested in baby Kate. She did not try to interact with Kate at all. And she made it clear that this was just a "filler job" (her words). Ah, hm. In the middle of the interview -- I kid you not -- she said, "I should really get a job as a waitress." And then... again, totally true... out of the blue she says, "I don't do drugs. Oh, but I do drink."
Oh, my dear...
Tonight, two more. Cross your fingers folks, because we need someone Monday!
This is freaking hard.
We've been using www.care.com to find a nanny we can nanny share with another family. (Congrats to Pam and Tim whose baby was born two days ago!) Tuesday was our start. The first called to cancel due to food poisoning. Can't argue that one. At 4:30pm, our 6pm interview called to ask very detailed questions about scheduling, and pay. At 4:50pm she called back to see if we had a cat. She's allergic. Pam and Tim do. At 5pm, our interviewer no showed. At 5:30pm we went out to dinner since we were done interviewing before we started.
Yesterday, it was just Daddy P and I interviewing. We eagerly waited for our first interviewer at 5pm. Moments before 5pm, she called to tell us she was lost. Daddy P answered. At the time, I was on my hands and knees, blood smeared up and down my foot and hand, trying to clean up a jar of baby food I had dropped. They, well, they didn't really communicate well. I took over and directed her in. A half hour later we found out the poor woman had moved here a week earlier and had gotten a little confused by the fact that streets in town have three names. Generally mapquest only clues you into one, which can be a little tricky. She was sweet. A little flustered, a little timid, but sweet and you got the feeling she genuinely liked kids.
In contrast: our 6pm interview. What words come to mind for her... chatty. Chatty about irrelevant topics? Uninterested in baby Kate. She did not try to interact with Kate at all. And she made it clear that this was just a "filler job" (her words). Ah, hm. In the middle of the interview -- I kid you not -- she said, "I should really get a job as a waitress." And then... again, totally true... out of the blue she says, "I don't do drugs. Oh, but I do drink."
Oh, my dear...
Tonight, two more. Cross your fingers folks, because we need someone Monday!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Back Home
We arrived home on Saturday to the unfortunately familiar 100+ temperatures. Kate did well on the flight. She was exhausted, but after a quick nap on take-off refused to sleep since there was too much to see. Luckily for us there was a very nice couple sitting behind us who loved to play with Kate and kept her happy and occupied the entire time.
I am definitely a fan of Southwest after these flights. Both SW flights we were able to keep an extra seat next to us with her carseat in it so she could be strapped in for take-off and landing. And, since we are blessed with a crib sleeping baby who will NOT fall asleep anywhere else but crib and carseat, the carseat was a savior to preserve some napping on the plane.
Kate has shown a lot more interest in walking since she's been around so many little kids. She even turned one of her "standing" toys into a walker.
Now that we are back in real life, Daddy P is working. Today was his first day getting up and starting work! We interview nannies tomorrow and Wednesday and hopefully one will steal our hearts so that I can also start "work." Our friend Anne is being nice enough to babysit this week for me so I can go see my one client (woo hoo!).
We continue to tease ourselves with open houses. We saw one yesterday that was allllmost perfect. Very cheap, relative to what we've seen. A small, three bedroom house with an efficiency garage apartment (kitchen, full bath, one room), and a workshop wired with electricity. Something like that would allow both Daddy P and I to work from home, which would mean a huge savings on rent. The only downside was the relatively small house! It only had one main family room, but did have a screened in porch. The kitchen was totally redone and beautiful, but also tiny. So it's a tough one. The money we'd save on rent, and the cheap mortgage might make it possible to bump out the family room. Just not sure if we're up for such an endeavor!
I am definitely a fan of Southwest after these flights. Both SW flights we were able to keep an extra seat next to us with her carseat in it so she could be strapped in for take-off and landing. And, since we are blessed with a crib sleeping baby who will NOT fall asleep anywhere else but crib and carseat, the carseat was a savior to preserve some napping on the plane.
Kate has shown a lot more interest in walking since she's been around so many little kids. She even turned one of her "standing" toys into a walker.
Now that we are back in real life, Daddy P is working. Today was his first day getting up and starting work! We interview nannies tomorrow and Wednesday and hopefully one will steal our hearts so that I can also start "work." Our friend Anne is being nice enough to babysit this week for me so I can go see my one client (woo hoo!).
We continue to tease ourselves with open houses. We saw one yesterday that was allllmost perfect. Very cheap, relative to what we've seen. A small, three bedroom house with an efficiency garage apartment (kitchen, full bath, one room), and a workshop wired with electricity. Something like that would allow both Daddy P and I to work from home, which would mean a huge savings on rent. The only downside was the relatively small house! It only had one main family room, but did have a screened in porch. The kitchen was totally redone and beautiful, but also tiny. So it's a tough one. The money we'd save on rent, and the cheap mortgage might make it possible to bump out the family room. Just not sure if we're up for such an endeavor!
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