Holiday Madness

As I wait for my second batch of sugar cookies to bake, I thought I would take a moment to update ye old blog. Life has been crazy these last few weeks. Sick kids, disappearing nannies, endless work hours, parties and on and on. Ella had her school Hanukkah party on Friday. I made sugar cookies in the shape of dreidels and Jewish stars for everyone. And I made "swap-out" wheat-free versions for her to enjoy. Unfortunately, many other parents made cookies and they were served on a platter to each of the children. Ella wanted to sample each of them. And all I had to offer was a measly bag of cookies, obviously not as cool as the rest. I tried!

The ginger cookies that I have been making are still a hit. Right now I am preparing the boxes of goodies that I make for the neighbors each holiday season. I generally make gingerbread cookies for that group, and they have always been Ella's favorite. I am glad to have an alternative to offer her this year. Another safe bet is the peppermint bark that I make. Thankfully, there is no wheat or nuts in this particular confection. Phew!

We are still in the midst of our nanny transition. Because of our situation we cannot simply hire anyone to take care of the children. Illegals are out of the question. Can you imagine the scene if Ella needed to be taken to the emergency room? Forget it! And I only want someone who has medical training or AT LEAST knows CPR. But all of that comes at a price. The nanny that we have been using is so amazing. She formally took care of a certain celebrity's child. And as that may sound very fancy-in-deed, the fact of the matter is that all it did was gave our nanny a taste for the high life. We paid her what was for us, a lot of money. But still, not enough. So even though I only have 2 weeks until my job is complete, she decided that she needed to bail on us in order to interview on other jobs. Thankfully, we were able to find a short term solution. But the stress has been beyond anything that I would like to go into. So much of this anxiety has been because I am always so worried about Ella and what she might eat. I wish that I could just walk out the door and say, "See ya!" and not look back. But it is so hard. As much as I LOVE working, this is something that I will never be able to escape.

So very soon, I will be getting back to my normal routine with the children. But I will be seeking part-time help to help me remain a sane mama! If you know anyone who might be good, please let me know. One thing is for sure, I am not going to use an agency ever again. That has been a nightmare. I will not say which agency has brought me so much unhappiness, as I am afraid to get sued. But if you live in LA and would like to know, please contact me and I will be glad to tell you!

There's the buzzer! Will be posting more later!