I'm a nanny!
My job is to take care of two beautiful, intelligent, independent, and strong willed boys who have quickly stolen my hugs, my kisses, and my heart. We've had a few rough moments already, and the transition from the previous nanny (who was awesome) to me will take some time, but I'm learning and they're learning. I have confidence that things will fall into place. Now if I can just get past their "testing" stage. :)
It's July 21, and the summer has flown by at the speed of light. Ok, not quite that quickly, but you get the idea. After spending two very sunburned weeks on Victoria Island with my sister and brother-in-law, I was able to go on a road trip with my sister to the Oregon coast and to Idaho. A-mazing! Decked out in our newly tie dyed shirts, sunglasses, and cameras, we took the coastal highway from Astoria to Florence. The highway hugged the coastline and provided gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. We stopped in the adorable town of Seaside where we ate at the Pig N' Pancake (which I highly recommend), drank malts, and successfully built a bonfire on the beach in the rain. Between Seaside and our next stop, Lincoln City, we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for some stellar ice cream and squeaky cheese curds. From the observation window we were able to watch the workers, who looked like little hamsters, cut and package the cheese. We then spent the night in Lincoln City where we watched the Canucks lose the Stanley Cup. Now, I don't like hockey, but I supported Esther by painting my nails with team colors, wearing team colors, and helping her scrub (and I mean scrub) the car paint off the windows after the Canucks lost. After a bonfire (minus the rain), we slept and headed to Florence. We were able to stop at Heceta Head Lighthouse where we met up with Holly, a good friend of mine. We climbed the dunes in Florence and walked on the beach. Holly let us stay at her house on Triangle Lake, and we built yet another bonfire, ate hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows. Esther bravely made the 9 hour drive to Boise, Idaho where we attended my cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding! I was able to see family that I hadn't seen in years, and we had a grand time. After leaving Idaho, we drove to Bend, Oregon and stayed with my grandparents. They treated us with a trip to Crater Lake. Alas...the trip had to end. But it ended at my parents house with home videos, and we laughed until we hurt. Was I really like that when I was little?
After the awesomeness of the road trip, I was able to spend time with ma mere et mon pere. I got to paint pottery with my mom, go shopping, walk on the beach with them, watch more home videos (yes, the videos prove it...) I was also blessed with a 24 hour flu bug...maybe blessed isn't the right word. It was also great to see my church family again along with my babies who are growing up MUCH too quickly! There was never a dull moment during my summer. David and Allie came to visit, and we saw my other grandparents, watched even more home videos, and went to some of our old hangouts. We headed up to Kelowna to see our cousin, her husband, and her a-dorable baby boy. After having lunch with them, we headed up to Salmon Arm to see our Uncle Paul and Auntie Karen and our cousins and second cousins. It was there that I did something for the very first time...camping! I actually set up a tent in the woods...ok, well, in a campground...and sat by a fire and went boating. I also got dragged behind the boat while holding on for dear life to a tube as I flew in the air and slammed into waves. 4 times. The sky was clear and blue and it was sweltering until the second day after lunch. That's when the rain came. And didn't stop. And rained us out. And I moved out of my one-person-barely-long-enough-for-a-mouse-dog-house-style tent into the 8 person mansion that David and Allie shared. And the rain continued. In the morning we took down soggy tents, packed up clothes that smelled of camp fire, and drove home through the windy mountain roads. The day after we got home, we went to a barbecue where I met even more extended family. This trip was all about family. :)
After all the excitement of road trips and camping and barbecues and tiny tents died down, I repacked my suitcases, got on a plane (well, there was a little more to it than that), and flew to New York.
I decided to stay in a hostel in Manhattan for a night so I could explore and run some errands. Mail my health insurance papers: check. Set up a bank account: check. Stand in line at the DMV for 2.5 hours only to have them tell me that my license wasn't at least 6 months old because I had just renewed it last month and so they had to turn me away: check. 2 out of 3 isn't bad...
I walked...and walked...and walked...and um, walked. And while walking a realized something: I heart NY. There is never a shortage of things to see or do. I love hearing all of the different languages being spoken, I love seeing all the beautiful architecture, I love the new smells and sounds, I love the tall buildings and the taxi cabs, I love all the different neighborhoods, I don't love the heat, and I love my new job.
Back to that. The boys are 3 and 5, cute as buttons, very smart, and all boy. We all live in a 4 story home (my room is at the top of the 51 steps) with a lot of character and charm. I think that the more places that I live, the more quickly I adapt and get settled. Life hasn't fallen into any routine yet, but in time it will. I couldn't ask for better employers, and I'll never know why I've been so blessed.
The house is on a quiet, tree lined street and is within walking distance from the schools which the boys will attend in the fall. There are quaint little shops, and it's a rather quiet area of town. One thing I noticed about this area is that there are a lot of dogs and a lot of kids. There is a huge park up the street and it has a zoo and several playgrounds. The beaches of Coney Island are only a short subway ride away, and Manhattan is also close by. Let's just say we'll never run out of things to do.
So far I've been able to see the Statue of Liberty (or Liverty, as Milo calls it) and Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Wall Street Area, China Town, Little Italy, Soho, TriBeCa, Ground Zero, Columbus Circle, some places around 34th St., and Coney Island. Everyday I fall more in love with my new home.
David and Allie decided to come up and visit me and are now staying with us. We've had a blast hanging out.
I'm so excited for this opportunity that I've been given. I've been way too blessed with this new job, and I can't wait to see what the future holds!
Peace.
