Ode to Miss Kelley

Tomorrow will be a tragic day in the B House. Although we have already said our goodbyes, we know that Miss Kelley, our regular sitter for the last four years, will be moving. Sigh.

She was the type of sitter that Vanessa posted about yesterday. I trusted her with house keys and driving my kids around town. Her mom came by and checked on her regularly. She exchanged Christmas gifts with my kids. She always texted me while I was away at work to let me know when she had picked them up. She's the one who saved my Z2 using the Heimlich maneuver. She even cooked dinner AND CLEANED UP AFTER HERSELF.

Like I said, losing her is a tragedy. I knew this day would come. I've been dreading it for some time now. While I do have other sitters that I like, as Z2 would say,"They're not Miss Kelley. . . . "

So I'm beginning the entire process again- finding a sitter. I'm digging out my sitter interview questions. I'm digging out my rating charts and qualifications. I have three more years before I can leave Z1 home alone.

So here's to you, Miss Kelley. May you do well in college in the fall. And always know, you have a place at the B House should you ever need to get away.

Yours, with a heavy, heavy sigh today,

Melissa

Thursday Thoughts-How Would This Make You Feel?

So I teach piano in my home. I have a regular sitter. This particular sitter has been with me for four years now. We love her. She's a part of the family by now and my students know her too.

I finish teaching a lesson and my student walks into my kitchen. Not unusual as the student knows my kids and they usually chat a moment or two before she leaves. As I am walking by, I hear the student whisper to my sitter, "My Mom asked me to get your phone number."

Right there, in my own kitchen, my sitter is being recruited by my student. It's not like I don't know the student's mom. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive. But couldn't the mom have asked me directly? Or had the student ask me if it was okay? I KNOW it's not like I own my sitter by any means. I know she sits for other people, too. But it all felt so sneaky. I'm sure I'm being a bit ridiculous, but it really put me on the defensive.

It's entirely possible that there are a hundred explanations that would completely diffuse any hint of territorialness. But at the moment, I somewhat feel like an unspoken, yet understood line has been crossed. I ALWAYS ask my friends before I approach a sitter that has been sitting in their home. They've always asked me. I thought that was how it worked. I need some input here. . .

Thoughts?

Yours, not getting worked up, but slightly HHMPHED,

Melissa

Review on Care4Hire.com

Review:

You know… we’re busy. And not just a little busy, a LOT busy. On any given day we can be a chauffer, housekeeper, problem solver, mediator, entertainer, mechanic, nurse, employee (or boss), dog groomer, concierge, and above all, caregiver. We seem to take care of everyone (except ourselves, but that’s a whole different issue) including our kids, our spouse, our parents, our pets, our neighbors, and even the stranger at the grocery store who needs help getting something off the shelf.

Whew! We need help sometimes, if for no other reason than to save our sanity. But where to go for this help? I’d hire someone if I just knew where to find them. Well, now there is such a place.

Care4hire.com is an online database for families and caregivers to search babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, elder/companion care, pet sitters and other miscellaneous services. A free preview of available caregivers is available to families. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to caregivers through email and phone.

So I went to Care4hire.com and entered my zip code. Here’s what came up for me within a 25 mile radius:

• 348 babysitters/nannies
• 9 housekeepers
• 8 tutors
• 16 companion/elder caregivers
• 19 pet sitters
• 17 miscellaneous helpers

WOW! Surely, even someone as neurotic and picky as I am should be able to find somebody to help me out from all these prospects. And they even offer background checks (for an additional fee) and suggested interview questions.

GIVEAWAY:

The president of Care4hire.com, Candi Wingate, has generously offered a gift certificate for 1 month of free service, a $29.99 value. The contest will end on July 15th at midnight CST, when the winner will be picked at random.

HOW TO ENTER:

Primary Entry: Go to Care4hire.com to check out what they do. Let me know which service would be most useful to you and why.

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