Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Random Travel Notes from a Nanny

I miss blogging more....

I work a lot these days. I've taken on a couple side jobs and Hubs picks up all the overtime he can. Trying to get through the two years of our children both being in college at the same time.

Anyways, I am featuring (with her permission) darling Daughter's emails from her nanny stint in Whistler, Canada.

So Random Tuesday meets Traveling Thursday on this here Holiday Hump Day.


Day One:

The day started CRAZY! I fell asleep around 7:30 last night (so 5:30 Hawaii time-CRAZY) and I woke up around 7:30am and everyone was awake and running around. Apparently the kids have to be at ski school at 7:45ish so it was a craze.

Then the hard part, parents going up and me staying with the two year old. She. Threw. A. Fit.

I swear people thought I was kidnapping her. We had to go to the grocery store to pick up some stuff and the people there were all really nice and super helpful because I had a toddler throwing a temper tantrum screaming, "MOMMY! I WANT DADDY! I WANT DADDY!" interspersed with "you better not cry Santa Claus is coming to town" getting yelled out at me. This caused the guy stocking an aisle to sing the song for her. It didn't help. She just stared at him like he was nuts. Looking back, funny. At the time, not one bit.

Then outside the store, in the middle of the square, walking IN THE SNOW she throws her boots and socks off from the stroller.

And refused to put them back on.

Which resulted in me running through the town back to the hotel to get her inside with groceries, carrying her in my hands, and pushing a stroller. Not to brag, but I'm pretty impressed that I pulled that one off. She napped for all of 10 minutes before she wanted to go play in snow.

Day Two:

After breakfast the parents left, which led to what I assume will be a daily 45 minute screaming session. I used the time to organize the room, check my email, and do dishes. After the screaming stopped, we walked around the hotel and town with some trail mix and dried papaya slices to find Santa. We didn't find him but did get to explore the stores and go to a new coffee shop next to the grocery store. We had lunch there (veggie roll and sausage roll with hot tea) and then came back to the room. We could hear the people with their ski stuff on the floor above us and the baby kept saying it was Santa's reindeer.

Day Three:

The parents did first tracks today so they were gone by 7:15. I took the three older kids to ski school. It was snowing really hard and I was in awe but the nine year old was not amused and the five year old said she felt sick. The seven year old and two year old were having a blast though. We played in the snow until it was time for school (I got them there 45 minutes early).

We wandered the grounds which are GORGEOUS! Pretty much all my pictures today are from that block of time. Then someone had an accident and we came back to the room and had a snack and changed her clothes.

Which is when everyone else came back. We went down to the lobby and had cookies and hot chocolate by the fire for fireside storytelling.

Then, we went to the pool. One jacuzzi is inside and to get to the pool there's a little wading pool and you go through this flap and you're outside and there's another jacuzzi out there. It was warm water but my face froze. It was really pretty to look up and see the trees covered in snow and the snow falling softly down from the sky. Of course we all ran out onto the deck to go to the other jacuzzi which was full and I just about died. Wet bikini. 18 degree weather. Yeah. Not okay.

Then we went to dinner which was uneventful except our waiter failed at life kind of.

OK. It's me, Pseudo again.

While I miss my daughter, shes not missing much here. I picked up a job working Winter Break (a program for disadvantage kids).

Daughter was supposed to get ski lessons as perk to this job. The parents were going to sign her up to go to the two year old's ski school. Like a nanny/baby class. Turns out that the kid has to be three, so instead Daughter is left to entertain the young one each day. But Daughter loves those kids and has been working for the family since that child was a baby.

For more random, head on over to Keely's at the Unmom's

For travel posts, like on up:


12 comments:

Sprite's Keeper said...

Sounds like Daughter is having a blast! I hear you though, Pseudo. Keep trucking. The light is coming soon..

Joanie said...

Is this the first time your daughter has experienced snow? Is the family from Hawaii and on vacation in Canada? Sounds like she's having fun though. Don't work TOO hard!!!

Nubian said...

Brings back great memories of when I was an Au Pair. Had a wonderful family. I sympathize with your daughter and the screaming 2 year old, but it sounds as if she has it handled.

Kristan said...

Stinks about no ski lessons, but honestly it sounds like a lovely trip anyway. You know her better, of course, but to me those emails sound like she's having a good time and enjoying the moments. :)

I'm on my way to Houston for Xmas. Happy holidays, Pseudo!

Brian Miller said...

sounds like someone is having fun...very cool...love me some snow...

tulpen said...

I don't envy her one bit. The kids. The snow. The fits.

She sounds like she's got her shit together though!!

Have a good holiday Pseudo and family!

Michele said...

Ooooh 2 in college. That's tough. I can't even tell you how we got through it. It seems that I've blocked it out of my mind.

She seems to be having a great experience. I hope she gets a chance to ski or snowboard. She'll be a natural because of all that surfing.

Sharon Rose said...

Wow! Just because she hasn't gone insane from a 2 yr old throwing tantrums, there is a star with her name on it! I just know there is! If not, at craft time, we need to make her one.

Jan said...

Oh, my - not only is your daughter beautiful and talented (I have told you that before, right?), she's smart and responsible. I think I may have said that, too, at some point, but it bears repeating.

Captain Dumbass said...

Hope she's enjoying the snow because they're forecast for a bunch more.

Joanna Jenkins said...

What a great post! So glad daughter is enjoying herself but I really hope she gets to at least try skiing-- or even sled riding. She'd have a blast.

Your daughter is absolutely beautiful and sounds like she's having a fabulous introduction to a winter wonderland! Yeah!

Hope you can get some rest over the holidays, Pseudo. WIshing you and your entire family a very merry Christmas. xo jj

Eddie Bluelights said...

Just popped round to wish you a Merry Christmas, Pseudo, and a Happy New year. Beautiful daughter ~ Eddie