Switch Up

Our nanny decided to take off without any notice last week. Take off as in “quit.” That little B*#ch! I have bent over backwards for this woman to make sure her job was cush. We insured her job after acquiring legal citizenship to go back to Columbia for three months. Three effen months! In the corporate world, three months off meant get another job jocko! She had free reign to our home. Whatever she wanted. She had all the smoked trout to feed Alaska’s wildlife. Mostly, she had the easiest child to care for. By word of mouth, Hunter is a very low maintenance easy going child. Knock on wood. Such is life. Onward and upward, I say to myself.

After shaking my fist up to the nanny gods, I was fine. My main mantra in life is, “Things happen for a reason so deal.” Instead of crying into my no nanny fondue, I began to scour the endless craigslist ads for a spanish speaking nanny. As a side note, the nanny career is lucrative aka rip off. I was on the prowl for a bargain! I phoned the prominent day cares in near proximity, but was struck down by the year and a half waiting list, according to my calculations I had half a year to go. After hitting a few bumps of stress breakdowns on my lunch and yelling at my husband on the phone, I was done. “Shellie,” I said to myself, “Get yourself together!” I made contact with a family that just moved into the neighborhood and we were meeting with them for a coffee play date tomorrow for a possible nanny share. In addition, I had an appointment with a daycare on Sunday that seemed promising. My chest didn’t feel so heavy at the end of the day.

The Kitchens had to work fast. Fortunately, my husband had two weeks between projects, which meant that he could step in to relieve the pressure. As I thought we were free from worry, he had meetings all week with potential clients. Fate was working against the grain. After a long day of innocuous leisure, Sunday I awoke with a touch of a hangover. I made way to the gym to exert my stress and sit in the steam room for a little rest and relaxation. We made it to the daycare in Sunnyside/Glen Park and did a walk through of the facilities. As I walked through the daycare, the tension in my shoulders slowly softened. I had a good feeling about this spot. It was perfect! The backyard was kickin’ with a playground fit for kid! The residing street parking was free from residential and hourly restraints. It was a ten minute walk from the Glen Park Bart Station which means muni can kiss my caboose “ciao”! To make things brighter, we would save twelve thousand a year. We were in the clear.

I am convinced that things happen for a reason. There is nothing more useless than living in the past and using it as a crutch. I may be bruised and emotionally exhausted, I always thrive in changes. Like my lovely nine siblings always say, “Shellie your like the dinosaurs you will survive anything.” Growing up I hated that saying, but today I am proud to have self strength. I wouldn’t want to walk in shadows during my existence unmoved by change. Banal.

Monday rolled in and I dropped Hunter off at his new day care. The fellow toddlers looked in awe as Hunter was seated for his oatmeal breakfast in the kitchen. I run on intuition and it was all good. I kissed him good bye and closed the door behind me. Today is a good day. Viva la Vida!

This is Shellie throwing a penny in a wishing well back to you Bob at the studio!