Nanny Adventures

I am participating in this cool Blog Block Party from Momdot.  I missed Day 1, but will pick up speed today with the Holiday Traditions Day 2.

I am a live in nanny for the past 13 years. I have lived in the DC Metro area for the past 12 years. My family is from the RDU area of NC.  My brother and his wife live in the Seattle area.  Getting together for the holidays can be a bit of a challenge with all of our work schedules. I think I do alternative Holiday plans over the past few years.

Three years ago I started dog/house sitting on Christmas through New Years. I decided then to go visit my Grandmother in Pennsylvania and my best friend Amy and her family for Christmas and Christmas Eve.  My Grandma is 82 and lives alone.  She goes every Christmas Eve to a very close family friend’s house to celebrate. I have been tagging along as well. Jean and Dale have 2 kids with spouses and one grandson.  Christmas Eve Jean prepares a large family meal, which includes fried shrimp that my Grandma helps bread and cook. My grandma and I get there early like 10:30 to help Jean cook and set up all the food. After supper is eaten and consummed we all go downstairs to open presents.  The grandson this year will be a freshman in college.  The tree is decorated to the nines and the presents are everywhere high and low.

A funny tradition over the past 3 years is that Jean and I have gotten my Grandmother the exact same gifts for Christmas: DVD player, Dale Earnhart DVD Set (Yes my grandma loves Nascar), and some other various DVDS.  I can’t wait to go this year and see what we get her

For Thanksgiving my mom, Melissa and relatives in VA Beach have been trading off on whose house to go to.  We are back in VA Beach this year. My nanny friend is going with me this as it is too far to travel home for Thanksgiving.  We will stay at a decent hotel on the oceanfront, enjoy the Holiday of Lights on the Boardwalk and Black Friday shopping!

This past Columbus Day weekend, me, my Mom and Melissa flew to Seattle to see my brother and his wife and their new house. I think we are going to try to make a semi frequent visiting schedule because it was not in the middle of winter, bad travel times or hectic holidays..kinda of our own private holiday tradition to be maybe (hint hint Mom and Thomas)