Moving On Up

 Just when we think things are going to be calm and smooth sailing, its not. Well for me it is, for our "family of four" not so much.
   It has been a month since we moved into a new, big, beautiful home. What a difference 5,000 square feet can make! The move took Itty E a week or so to fully adjust to her new surroundings but now, she loves it! She loves finally having windows at her level to watch the guys across the street building a new house. We have found all sorts of new places to hide from mom and dad too.
  Our first few days it felt like we moved out of state, not knowing a single person and only knowing where the grocery store is. Every week we have new visitors: Appliance guys, audio and vision guys, furniture people. Itty E LOVES IT!!
   We have a large pond in the back yard which stretches over two properties. The parents joked that they would just get me a trailer to put on the other side of the pond that way I am always close by. Oh, and that I can just row my boat to work. Good laugh! I have been staying at the house during the week just to get everyone acclimated to the new surroundings. Little Girl goes to bed at 8, so the parents and I have a few hours to watch tv and regroup for the next day.

An Artist Has Been Born!!

 I have become a Pinterest fanatic! Lots of ideas for kids art projects, quotes to put a smile on your face, unique recipes, and any DIY project you can think of. I have found some fun things to do with Itty E as she gets older. With her birthday the day after Valentine's Day, we made a special surprise for mom and dad. I got a small canvas and taped out with word LOVE with painters tape. I found a recipe for edible paint (flour, water, sugar and food coloring) and Itty E went to town. Lucky enough I thought like child and had my parents come up to help, we were going to have a mess on our hands.

   Well, that we did. Itty E had no hesitations what so ever! And somehow, she even knew it was edible putting her face in the paint. With a cloth on the floor and only a diaper on she went to town making a huge mess and not giving a care in the world. Pat on my back, it was so much fun to see her love this project and see how much mom and dad enjoyed our present.

Holiday Season

  Sorry I haven't been updating. Just when I think there is nothing to tell everyone about, there are hundreds of things!! 

I won I won I won!!! I won the biggest battle of the holiday season. Christmas tree or not? What is Christmas without a tree? Where is Santa going to put my presents?
  Well, the Christmas tree went up, and being an only child this holiday season, it was decorated with all of my beautiful ornaments. The glow of a Christmas tree at night is my absolute favorite! My mom decided that since neither of my brothers would be home for Christmas, we weren't having a tree. I had the genius idea to buy a fake tree a Target and put in the place of her favorite chair in our TV room when she wasn't home. My dad loved my idea and didn't discourage me from doing so. Then finally she caved!

  Our other holiday battle was whether or not I was going to be receiving my Hallmark ornaments I have been getting every year since I was born. I was in udder disbelief my own mother would deprive her children of this tradition!!!!  My Grandma started all of her grandchild on a special Hallmark series. Mine just so happen to be the Precious Moments, which I have all but 2. I am a sucker for anything with sentimental value, if I only received one gift for Christmas it would be my ornament. It makes my heart smile knowing that My Grandma, who passed away 10 years ago, is celebrating the holiday with us in spirit. Since Hallmark also started my name sake series "Gone With The Wind" I also receive a Scarlett and Rhett ornament. I tell myself every year I am going to watch the movie all 238 minutes of it. I will one day!


I also caught up with Santa and Mrs. Clause this year. They informed me that I was a very good girl and my trip to Costa Rica was well deserved! He even gave me an extra candy cane! Better than the coal he gave me a few years back.

Oh I failed to mention that being an only child for the holiday was HORRIBLE!

Second Stamp: Nanny Vaca

 There are a few girls that I went to school with still keep in touch via skype, facebook or text. We are a sisterhood and are truly the only ones who get and understand this profession. During a Skype date with my friend Anna, who is now in Connecticut,  had something very important to ask me. "It has been a crazy year and I have worked so hard. I want to go on a vacation somewhere nice and warm to relax. I want someone to go with me who I will have a great time with and works just as hard. So, will you please come to Costa Rica with me??"  How in the world could I say NO???

Swim up bar, A place we frequented.

Watching election day results in Costa Rica sipping a Mojoito!!

   Well.... Anna and I carefully picked the perfect week in November to fly south. She asked me about this trip shortly after I started with my new family so discussing vacation time so early on I was nervous about. They were 100% all about me going insisting that I take Itty E with me. Definitely a good laugh!

Vacation partner in crime

My favorite bartender who makes the most delicious margaritas

Ecstatic to have some Buckeye pride hanging at the Monkey Bar in Costa Rica.

Friends from California! LOVE THEM

   We had the BEST WEEK EVER! It was great to be out of the country with my cell phone not working and getting to do whatever I wanted. I arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica first, Anna arrived an hour after. Once she came through the doors to find our cab I was the one screaming, jumping up and down running to Anna simply because we were both SOOOO excited about this trip. We decided that the week was a free for all, nothing planned, get some sun, and enjoy as many adult beverages as we can.

Zip lining.

  Anna and I had facials at the spa, road on a catamaran during sunset, and went zip lining. We made lots of friends (imagine that!) from all over the place too! Our first day we woke up bright and early at 7am heading to the beach for a horseback ride. Totally worth it! Though our horses had personalities of their own, Anna and I laughed the whole trip. My horse would see the others galloping and speed up. To which I would hold on a little tighter screaming for fear I would fall off. Oh, did I mention I have never been on a horse for more than a 10 minutes?? What an experience that was and I am sure a sight to see for everyone I passed. The oddest part was being in bed by 11pm and waking up by 8am.

Costa Rica treated us well and we are looking forward to our next trip with more our nanny friends.

At the airport at 5am after a crazy night

. Oy vey!

This sums up our week.

Quacks McGee

Watching TV while JK and I are working hard.

Shit or get off the pot!

My friends and I went down to Little Italy for the 5 day feast celebration. While standing in the street enjoying our delicious desserts minding our own business, a guy (older than me by 30 years) approaches me (of all people!) telling me how much he would love for me to have this duck/chick blow up animal. Immediately JK named it and said how I had to keep him. So.... Quacks McGee has become the 3rd roommate to the apartment doing all sorts of crazy things while we are gone. He listens to our crazy stories and enjoys our delicious dinners too!

Itty E Update

Itty E is 7 months old and all over the place! She is doing the bear crawl all over the place and getting into anything she can. She loves play with her toys, hit balls and crawl after them, knock over towers, and to read books (Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear are her favorites.) Her personality is developing as well as her voice. She LOVES LOVES people and any attention she can get, as if she doesn't get enough between her parents and I. Itty E has been eating delicious organic pureed foods that I make for her, loves her fruits, not crazy about her greens. Her doctor said there is no holding back as far as table foods go. When she sees a plate, she is reaching for it!

Baby Girl in a nutshell. She sat and watched the guy wash the windows until he disappeared.

Day One I was a baby food making machine! Anything  I could get my hands on was streamed and pureed.

  We are getting ready for family vacation in Florida. Looking forward (and a little scared) to Itty E's first plane ride, what Disney World will be like with a baby, and to spend a whole week with mom and dad. 
 

What A Year

What a year it has been. There has been plenty of laughter, emotion, stress and happy times. Never did I think I would be where I am today, right back where this whole adventure began.

  Figuring out what is right for me came with trail and error, some heartaches and lots of tears but it only made me a better and stronger person. There was plenty of lessons to be learned this last year but the one that was most important was being true to who I am. Standing my ground. Make my voice heard. I have stepped outside my comfort zone, learned from others and made decisions that only make me happy.

  Recently I was talking with my mom how much it surprised me when a friend of my brother's asked me how the new job was going and just went wrong with the last one. It then had me thinking, does everyone in Stark county know?  Which then has me absolutely blown away by the concern and support of every individual who has crossed my path in my 28 years. Yes, being an nanny is an unusual profession, but people voicing their opinion and glad to see that I am back in Ohio makes me realize I made the right decision.

 But now, the past is in the past. On to bigger and better things, like planning Itty E's first birthday bash!




 And for the record.... I was never homesick. South Carolina was absolutely amazing! It was the family that put me over the edge. :)