Our nanny was admitted to the hospital last Tuesday with a rather serious health issue. I feel a bit guilty for bad-mouthing her, but her repeated sick days had nothing to do with this particular health issue, so I don't feel as bad as I probably could. Or should, for that matter. It's put us in a rather complicated situation because we, as her employers, are responsible for the UK equivalent to short- and long-term disability payments, which aren't covered by insurance here like they are in the US. It's a bit of a bind because we now have a child care vacancy and need to hire a replacement, but we can't dismiss our currently hospitalized nanny for discrimination reasons. And we don't really want and can't really afford to be paying two nannies or one nanny and one daycare center at once. So until things work themselves, I'm doing a lot of work from home and Eric's doing a little work from home. It's not ideal, but it'll have to do.*
*I pretend to be all "Se la vie" about it, but we all know this is how I'm really dealing with it:
On the flip side of the rather bothersome nanny news, Monica and Jules, friends of mine from college, came for a visit last week. The weather was actually decent, but we didn't do much; Eric was still working and I was doing my best to do work from home, so we weren't the best of hosts in the tourist trap that is Stratford-upon-Avon. Mon and Jules managed to see some of the sights, though mostly from the outside - they weren't really up to spilling money to see things like Shakespeare's birthplace or grave. They seemed to enjoy playing with the kids, though, and that's a thoroughly free activity.
Of course, Monica and Jules could just be good actors. Mon does teach drama, after all. Check out her "I'm really, really bored, Eric. Can you please move onto something other than your sinuses and the weird leakage they are currently producing?" stance. And she may have taught Jules a thing or or two; check out his "I'm a monkey" body posture. Good work, guys, good work.
And I know this smile on Monica's face is totally fake because this, this cute Let's Play Beauty Parlor And The Toddlers Can Do My Hair, yeah, it's not that much fun. It's actually rather painful. So this smile on Monica's face, yeah, it's got to be a fake.
Hey, look! I made it into a picture! I assure you that whatever was in my lap was not nearly as gruesome as my expression may suggest. And that thing that Ben's playing with - it's a Disney Princess vanity thing that talks and is almost certainly The Most Annoying Toy On The Face Of The Planet. A big thank you to the hospitalized nanny for that one.
A giant matress in the middle of the floor meant for houseguests is really: a) a cave, b) a mountain, c) a tent, or d) all of the above?
Oh, look! I made it into another one! I'm going to use this one when I win my Mother of the Year Award.
What the heck is up Eric's face?
A random picture of cuteness...
Monica and Jules left on Wednesday to go see Monica's sister, who is living in Scotland. It was fantastic to see them, but their visit was far too short. I miss you guys already! You better be Europe-bound for Christmas (Monica's parents live in Germany)!
They took the sunshine and warmth with them when they left. Please note, today is Monday the 20th of August. And please note what the kids are wearing:
Sweatshirt...
Sweatshirt...
Sweatshirt...and bandana (because a certain little girl has decided she no longer like ponytails)
And these are the leaves that have started to fall in our back yard:
These are the tomatoes that may not make it all the way to red because it's too cold:
And this is a very, very, very sad, very, very, very cold me:
(Or maybe it's what a Jenni-Monkey hybrid might look like at the age of eighty-nine.)
Good-bye to the summer that never really got around to starting. You were missed.
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