Eeek! The Series. {Part Three}

{...because the Rucker family can't seem to keep life calm and consistent, we make multiple big changes at once. This is part three.}

We saved the biggest surprise for last!

I gave my two weeks at work on Thursday.

Yeah, that did happen.

Surprise!

In the past few weeks I have been in contact with TLC For Kids, which is the top nanny-placement agency in the STL area.

They offered to place me with a family, so that I can get back to being a "career nanny".

 I don't have placement yet, so I am picking up temp hours after I leave CTI until I get permanent placement.

This came after having one of those "super-serious" conversations with Chad.

Guys, he is awesome.

Mr. "I plan everything and budget down to the penny" is willing to step out of his comfort zone because he can see how excited I am for the opportunity and how much it would mean to me to get back into nanny life!

My last day of my office job is the 4th, and I have been interviewing in the evenings for a placement.

TLC is an awesome placement service that basically acts as my "agent", helping negotiate contacts, finding eligible families, and providing CPR, first aid, and CE credits.

And this is all at no cost to me!

In case you can't tell, I am SO excited to be back to doing a job I love.

(call me crazy, but helping raise children is much more fulfilling than filing papers and answering phones!)

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Know a nanny looking for a great new job?  Send her this link!  

https://www.tlcforkids.com/pages/nanny/tlc_jobs_list.php

Looney Bride, Part 1

Okay, so we are 4 DAYS away from saying "I do!"

I am so excited.

Like, I just drank 10 lattes from Mokka hyper.

My brain isn't shutting down for sleep tonight, so I figured I'd post about my last day at work.

With posting this, I am probably opening myself up to tons of ridicule and jokes at my expense, but I think it's important to learn to laugh about myself.

I am looney. And I intend to let you all in on that in these few days coming up to the wedding.

Lucky you.

Thursday was my last day of nannying for "my kiddos".

I've been working for them for two years.

Ever since Luke was a smiley 3 month old.

And I've seen him grow into a funny, personality filled toddler.

And Allie...wow.

She's growing TOO fast.

In the time I was caring for them, she had grown from a shy, quiet 7 year old to a mature, intelligent, sweet, and funny friend of mine.

Who will also be our flower girl.

So, anyways, on my last day of work I was in DENIAL.

So bad.

And it was SAD.

So, what did I do while Luke was sleeping and Allie was in school?

This:



If you couldn't tell, I was steaming carrots for Luke to eat.

Like I was worried his parents ans new daycare workers wouldn't feed them.

Which is ridiculous. They are fantastic parents, and now, friends of mine.

I think it was some REALLY twisted form of nesting.

REALLY really twisted.



Little buddy has gotten so big. I remember when he was too small for the chair, and now he's almost grown out of it.

When Renee got home, we both started to get teary eyed.

And that continued through talking and making plans for me to see them this summer.

Which I am SO looking forward to!

And then it came time for one last goodbye hug from the kiddos.

Luke did his normal "bye bye 'Mimi'!"

He had no clue what was going on.

But Allie seemed as sad as Renee and I.

So I got into my car, drove away, and cried most of the way home.

I can't wait to see them this weekend!

Wow. Part 1

Wow.

How did it suddenly turn into MAY?!

May. As in the end of the semester.

As in WE ARE GETTING MARRIED IN NINE DAYS!

Holy cow.

This came up quick!

But I am SO excited.

With the whole "wedding" thing is the whole "a week after that we get to leave on a cruise" thing.

And I can't wait!

Watch out Key West, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica!

I suppose I should warn Ft. Lauderdale too because we have a night on either end of the cruise there.

Its going to be a BLAST.

But getting to that "blast" thing?

That's the hard part.

I spend my waking hours nowadays doing school work, wedding planning, work, and packing up my room.

And since there is a week in between our wedding and honeymoon, I am going to have to pack a bag for that week as we travel between Columbia, Rolla, and the Lake.

My room is in various states of packed.

In one corner, there is household stuff that needs to be taken to Rolla for our apartment.

In another, wedding party gifts that are going to the Lake this weekend.

In the third, a half-packed suitcase of clothes/shoes/etc for the week between the wedding and the honeymoon.

In the top of the closet, my also half packed honeymoon suitcase.

In the bottom of the closet, clothes, shoes, makeup, nail polish, jewelry, and hairpiece for the wedding week itself.

It looks like a bomb exploded in there.

My OCD tendencies HATE that.

And so does my momma.

So I just told her to keep the door closed and not go in.

Because it will all be gone in 9 days.

Wow.

Updates from Nanny-land.

 I am now the proud (?) nanny of two guinea pigs.
 Luke named his Mater and Allie named hers Nibbles.

Luke is fascinated by them and always wants to get them out and play (no surprise).

I texted Chad this afternoon and made him promise our kids could never get rodents as pets because they're smelly and messy, and I'm pretty sure I'd have a heart attack if they got loose in my house.

Like the good man he is, he agreed.

That's all from nanny-land this week!

Mommy Days

Today is a Mommy Day.

Meaning a day where my appreciation for mommies grows a TON.

Days like these I didn't expect to have for another, I don't know, 10 years?

When Chad and I have our own little ones?

Today...wow...my brain and body are running on "E" so forgive me if I make zero sense.

I woke up early today feeling pretty good.

I was able to get some things done before an easy drive to work.

And then I walked in the door.

And little man took one look at me and started to throw a tantrum.

Throwing himself on the floor, screaming, crying, the works.

So. Very. Two year old.

And then Allie walked in the door from her sleepover and the first words out of her mouth were, "Guess what?! We stayed up until 1am!!"

And she has another sleepover tonight.

And her mommy had set up for us not only to dye 2 dozen Easter eggs, but ALSO bake cupcakes.

Mini cupcakes.

In this little cupcake maker that Allie got for her birthday but never used before.

The one that only makes 7 mini cupcakes at a time.

You can do the math to see how long that could take.

So of course, little lady was tired and becoming hyper active to counteract that so as we are starting to get the egg dye out she was literally shaking and spinning around the kitchen.

Have I mentioned that it has been so long since I've dyed eggs that I had to read all the directions because I didn't remember?

As the child is spinning around the kitchen?

I also talked to my mom during this time and she had 2 pieces of not so great info for me that I was trying to process.

So as we get deep into egg dyeing, little man wakes up from his nap screaming.

Of course.

So I got him out, tried to change his diaper but they were all gone.

Ugh.

So then it was his lunch time as "Sissy" kept dyeing eggs, as well as her shirt and fingers.

So I got his lunch all made and he wasn't wanting to eat, which was strange because normally he's a big eater and wouldn't eat breakfast.

Mom called again and I was telling her how crazy things were around here.

And then I went over to Allie to help clean up the dye mess that had been made while she started violin, and then I heard the sound...

You know, THE SOUND.

The one we all dread.

Yep, sure enough, little man threw up all over himself and high chair.

Cue panic, running a bath, notifying his mom, and bathing him.

With amateur violin artist is playing in the background, for 45 minutes. Loudly. 

I checked his temp and it was 99.2. Not bad, but still not normal.

And as I am doing all of this, little lady finished up her violin.

As I was wrestling little man back into clothes (and I diaper I thankfully found!), she asks me,

"Miss Amy, can we bake the cupcakes now?! I'm bored!"

I actually kept my cool.

But I won't tell you how much caffeine I'm running on.

Adventures in Nanny-land.

Moms and dads, as you read this you will probably laugh.

Little man is currently sitting in his calm down (time out) corner.

Why?

Well, because he did this:

I'd like to call this little thing Luke vs. diaper cream.

He supposedly was napping, like he should.

But really, he was massaging diaper cream into his clothes, hair, sheets, crib, and books.

And as I went in to get him from nap I saw it.



Cue "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" in my head.

Little man has yet to understand that this was NOT cute.

I then called my mom.

Being the smart lady she is, when she answered to me whining, "MOMMMMMYYYY...." she immediately asked what happened.

And then she laughed.

Because Lindsay did a similar thing at this age.

And told me how to pre-treat to get the stain out.

Post-mess. I was in too much shock and frustration to take a damage picture.

Lesson learned:
I'm always going to need my mommy to whine to when days with the kids aren't what I'd like them to be!