The end of the saga?!?!

I sure hope so. Waldo writes in his comment that this blog would make a good reality show... Not sure how I feel about that. It would actually be nice to have a calm, boring, no events, nothing to blog about life. (And Waldo, you're right - I probably should NOT have answered the door clad only in my towel... but I HAD to see who this man was!!)

I hired a new sitter and she starts tomorrow.

A few weeks ago I was visiting a client and my sitter called: "The kids say you are firing me. Is that true?" "Umm... no. It's not true. And I'm at work, could you please only call me for emergencies?" So, as I was leaving the client I laughingly said to the home attendant: "Do you know any good sitters?" Now, what you have to know about this home attendant is that she is the creme de la creme of home attendants. She is amazing. Kind, responsible, thoughtful, takes the job seriously, has a genuine caring and affection for her clients, takes initiative, and THINKS. You may think all these qualities are a given in a home attendant - but unfortunately they are NOT.

So she thought about it for a minute and said: "My niece." She is 26 years old, lives in Brooklyn, and while not in school, is taking classes. I called the niece and we talked a bit on the phone. I told her how important it was that the person I hire be consistent. How I get crazy if I even sense that the person might not be on time to pick up the kids at the bus. And that it's only 4 hours a day. She understood and responded appropriately to all the points. But, what really sold me is she idolizes her aunt. She likes to spend all her free time with her. I feel like if this is the quality of person that she aspires to... then that's a HUGE selling point!

I met her the following week (she actually met me at my clients - with her aunt!) and really liked what I saw. So on New Year's Eve Day, when I had the kids with me at work she came over to meet them. They clicked, too. I offered her the job and she accepted.

Then I realized. I went over to her: "Melissa, you accepted the position and didn't even ask how much I would pay you! So, that means you'll work for free, right?!" She laughed, but said "I just know it's right and that it will work." So that double sold me.

I spoke to the boys about NOT telling the current sitter.. but... do I really need to write the rest? Nathan told her. She freaked. Called me Wednesday night, while I was at J's. I said "Let's talk about it tomorrow, when I see you." But she couldn't do it face to face. She said, please talk to me now - I can't do it in person and I won't be able to sleep tonight I'll be so worried! So, I fired her over instant message. Kinda surreal. I told her we had a family friend who was coming to NYC to study elementary ed & wants to sit for me for free! How could I turn that down?!?

She was supposed to come today - her last day (I was going to give her more time, like another week, but soon realized that she would not be able to handle coming back) but she told me she couldn't come to see the boys. That she would cry. So, the new sitter starts Monday.

Pray for me.

Knock three times...

I had the good fortune, this morning, of answering my front door clad in just a towel. A pink towel, a bath towel, but a towel nonetheless.

As I was drying off I heard a soft, delicate... POUNDING. On my front door. Not the usual occurrence at 7:15 am, so I ran out. I asked who it was and the voice answered that he was my downstairs neighbor... and could I please control my kids and not have them jump all over the place.

!!!!!!!

So you know, of course, I opened the door. I had to. I had to see the face of the accuser. (I also wanted him to see mine, and my kids.. but they ran away.)

He said he lived not underneath MY apartment, but under the apartment next door.. and that my kids walking and jumping, and whatever it is they do has been causing him great distress.

I apologized. I said you know, they're kids. Two boys. But I also asked: "Why did you wait so long to come up? Why did you wait until you were this angry, banging on my door at 7 am? You could have come up any time and told me. How was I to KNOW it was bothering you if you did not TELL me....?"

He muttered something and stormed away.

The boys were hiding in their room. Nathan immediately goes on the offensive: "That guy's crazy! He's always banging on the ceiling!"

!!!!!!!!! He's always banging on the ceiling?!?! I had no idea!! But then I realize that he's not even the neighbor underneath... he's one over... so that means the neighbor underneath is upset, too?!? (Imagining lynching mob appearing at my door tomorrow morning... hopefully just a wee bit later so I'm at least in some sweats...)

Max says that's untrue. That there has not been banging... that Nathan is making it up. But.....

But as I'm coming into work later I'm thinking about it... The floors are mostly carpeted. The boys are out a lot at after school stuff Tuesdays, Thursdays and often on Mondays. They leave at 6 for X's on most Wednesdays and every other Friday - and we're not even there most weekends... Also, they're in bed by 9-9:30 the LATEST. And in the morning... well - maybe from 7-8:30... but most of that time is spent vegging in front of the TV. They don't bounce basketballs, ride pogo sticks, or use jack hammers. Yes, they run around, yes they do light saber battles... BUT, aren't they entitled to live in their apartment? As long as they're NOT running a team of Lipizzaner Stallions through? They're kids. They run. It's not at 2 am. It's not even past 10 pm or earlier than 7 am!

I feel badly that I didn't stick up for them more when the guy came. But it was probably for the best that we didn't get into it at that exact moment.... given the towel situation and all...

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Omigod! How friggin' cool is this?!?!?