Nanny Adventures

I am sure you thought I had disappeared from the NannyWorld…well almost

i am so excited because the 25th Annual INA conference is going to be May 20-23, 2010 in San Francisco, CA! Six years ago, the National Association of Nannies conference was in Phoenix Arizona, and my two friends, Angela and Penny, and I  made a trip out of it!  We stayed an additional 6 days to tour the Phoenix area and surrounding places.

During this trip we visited Sedona, AZ, took a day train trip up to the Grand Canyon, had a ride in the Pink Jeep Tour, and stayed at a spa resort for a day as well. We each picked things we wanted to do so that no one was left out of the fun.   Angela and I are going to repeat this for San Francisco in 2010!

On the San Fran area tour docket:

San Francisco Giants game

Oakland A’s game

Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield

Anheuser Busch Brewery in Fairfield

V. Sattui Winery

Castello di Amorosa the castle of V. Sattui

Muir Woods

Alcatraz Island

Ghirardelli Square

Fisherman’s Wharf

Do you have any place else you suggest we visit? We are staying at the Hyatt in Fisherman’s Wharf, so we will be able to see lots of things down that way.

Are you a nanny and want to join us at the 25th Annual INA Conference? Then check out my article on Regarding Nannies’ Financial Friday: SmartyPig can help you save for Conferences & More

Grab your kleenex for this one.  This is an amazing journey of Tara who is a professional nanny who became a bone marrow donor several years ago.

Please read her story over at Regarding Nannies and comment on the blog. consider signing up to be a bone marrow donor as well.  There are several links to other parts of Tara & Erin’s journey. 

Thank you for reading and passing it along to others.

Table Talk Thursday: Tara Lindsey’s Story

Hello my readers! I am sorry I have been MIA this summer. Having three teens at home is a handful, well actually two handfuls :)   Balancing their schedules, my schedule and our vacations.

Everyone disperses to school on Sept 1/Sept 4, so life will be getting into a new rhythm then hopefully after Labor Day!

I have several funny adventures to share with you from my summer in the coming weeks. Meanwhile I wanted to share a post from Regarding Nannies from the Wednesday Creative Nanny: Creative Cooking with Kids.  I love the number salad idea! I am wondering if I can get the teenagers to eat it :) 

If you want to read up on my financial nanny blog go to The Financial Nanny to see all kinds of things regarding money!

See you after Labor day.

During the 4th of July I was working on a new blog that was debuting on July 6.  This blog was the brainchild of Glenda, Kellie and myself.  We have launched Regarding Nannies with great excitement.   To show that excitement we are on week 3 of 4 of giving away one trial INA Partial Year Membership to either a nanny or agency. 

This weekend the three of us were recognized by INA for our work.  Check out the article on us!

So sit back read some on us, enter our giveaway and check out NannyNetwork for theirNannyplaooza giveaway for their giveaway for a Nannypalooza registration and hotel night.

I just spent an hour or so typing up a 700 word post over my work week this week and last…and it totally disappears.

For those that know what has been going on with work, you know this just goes on the pile of stuff.

I will have to rewrite it at some point.  But just so you know I have been getting to play infant care specialist and taking care of a month old baby at work!

There are just so many things happening at work right now I could write several posts and still not be done

Rewind to last week, I went away for the 4th of July weekend to my Aunt & Uncle’s house in Virginia Beach. It was very relaxing. I sat on the couch and worked basically all day Friday and Saturday on getting the Regarding Nannies blog tweaked and so forth.  It took me 6 hours to get home versus the 3 hrs and 45 mins because of all the traffic…oh well.

I got home and was greeted by some visitors downstairs, the kids cousin and her 2 daughters came to visit.  They are still here too :)  She has a newborn and a preschooler.  Yeah new age groups.

Kidlet 3 is in camp from 9-4 daily

Kidlet 2 is away at camp this week. Last week she was working on the Kaplan ACT class online.

Kidlet 1 is playing chauffer/tour guide and working.

I was doing everything else in between.  Monday we had the brick mason, Tuesday we had the mold specialist come for the leak in the kitchen ceiling, Wednesday the sub contractor came to fix the front door area that was rotten and to fix the leaking ceiling in the kitchen.   These were to be done on Friday.. But it is late Monday night and they still aren’t done.  That is a whole other post with lots of humor and tears involved.

I have been playing infant care specialist with the newborn. She is 4 weeks old now.  She is a really cute little one. She is normally a happy baby but apparently since Sunday she has been growing or something and been a fussy girl.  She wants to be held alot.  So today I held her for like 3 hrs while she slept.

On Thursday night , the mommy was upstairs showering, and the girls were in bed. The preschooler started screaming for her mommy and then proceeded to wake up the baby. I went and finally asked her what was wrong.  She said she needed her mommy. I asked her if I could help till mommy came down. During this kidlet #3 came downstairs and told her mommy was in the shower and she would be down in a minute.  He then snaps at me and tells me not to touch the baby and to stop talking to the preschooler.  I was thinking..you are kidding right? 

Then the next morning, I took him to camp and I asked him why he said I couldn’t touch the baby.  He says to me They aren’t your kids or your nanny kids.  I said so what, her mom lets me hold her.  The look on his face was priceless. Like one of disguist and something else.  I then proceed to tell him that on Thursday I was left home with the baby for 2 hrs while everyone went to lunch.  I was rocking and holding her while she was sleeping.  He asked me if her mom knew. I was like no, I just took her. Of course she knows silly.

Then today, I have the baby again, and he asks me if her mom knows I have her.  I said um yes.  I am helping her out, remember?  He was irked that I was with the baby again. I said well she spit up on me twice today…you want her?  Then he held her for a bit.

It was funny.  I didn’t realize me caring for his cousin would “upset” him so much.

I have been having such a blast with the baby. I have been able to “shush” her to sleep and rock her to sleep.  I even told her mom that if she keeps her up all night, to come knock on my door and I would take care of her so she can get some sleep.  

But don’t worry folks, I will not be quitting my day job with my kidlets!

Coming up next…the invasion of the house repairs!

HAP Birt Da 2 Me  aka Happy Half Birthday to me!

I just love my birthday, just ask my friends. I even had a countdown on my website once counting down my birthday. Silly I know.

I told my friend I was going to celebrate my half birthday as a joke this year. My birthday kinda of sucks as it is December 1. Majority of the time it falls the week after Thanksgiving, so people are still on Thanksgiving travel/eating overload. Plus my kidlets forget it is my birthday, but don’t you worry they know Britney Spear’s is December 2! She is after all very important!

I am going to buy a “half” birthday cake to celebrate.   Debating on what to do with dinner. Half oysters on the shell? LOL  My kids love mussels I guess that kinda of counts to “half” something.   Anyone got some other ideas for my dinner for my 36.5 birthday celebration?

This past weekend I went to the Great American Scrapbook Convention.  Kellie and I walked around the Expo center for five hours!  I saw more scrapbook paper then I ever imagined. I still couldn’t locate scrapbook paper that has the puzzle pieces for Autism.  I really want some so I can make some ribbons with my BigShot for cards.   While there I located some really neat things. I did indulge and purchase some items.

- A sizzix A2 envelope template for my Big Shot.  now I can make my own matching envelopes for all the cards I make.

-strawberry flavored envelope glue.  This was a fun splurge.

- a brad making kit.  They come with a glue type sticker, then you dip in glitter or whatever item, press it down to seal it. Then put an epoxy type cover over.  They were so neat. I was sold.   I also got a glue finetip pen to write things or get into tiny areas to put glitter etc on.

-Some strawberry brad type deals for my friend’s daughter birthday party thank you cupcake cards I have to make. Guess that needs to go on the to do list this week!

-3 different types of whimscial turtle stamps, some turtle scrapbook paper

-a new paper trimmer from cricut and some replacement blades. It was regularly 20 bucks but for the show it was 10 bucks. That was a good deal I felt.

- a stardust glitter pen..well 2 of them in a pack. These are so cool! They are like a gel pen but have glitter instead of ink!  I used them to make some butterfly cards for my friend’s birthday present on Sunday.

I think that was all. It was alot of fun. The funny thing about me going to the GASC is that I do NOT scrapbook.  The majority like 90% of the products/companies were for scrapbooking. I just watched as these ladies and even guys were piling high their baskets of scrapbook products to purchse.

I just now need to start making atleast 1-2 cards a day.

Sittercity’s blog has published my good friend Glenda’s “Tips on Leaving a Family”   please go check it out

Congrats Glenda!