See Diemers Grow: Christmas 2017

Oh December...

What an interesting month you are. Festive and fun, for sure. But yet, full of tasks and deadlines like one couldn't imagine. My to-do list (the realistic one, not the wishful thinking one) is always about a dozen items deep. But come Christmas time, that thing explodes and multiplies.

This year....I had trouble keeping up. More than usual.

The pressures of returning to work post-maternity leave. Kale's big "cavity discovery", resulting in 4 separate trips to the dentist. Combined with the stresses of holiday shopping, card-sending, meal-planning, and decorating. All topped off with a little bit of nanny drama.

We had some fun. We had some tantrums.

And, of course, we made some memories.

These are pictures from my first week back in the office. I snapped the photo while home for lunch one day. It was the beginning of our family's nanny journey. With my new hire trained and on the job for the first time, I wanted to check in on things and see how it was going.

No concerns.... at least not yet....

But it would become apparent over the next few weeks that we had a little problem on our hands.

We didn't like the nanny.

The process of choosing a nanny is grueling. I bought a membership with a care site online, posted details about the position, established pay, vacation, and sick policies. Then I responded to dozens of applicants through email and instant message. I then interviewed my top 8 candidates over the phone. Finally, I selected my 3 favorite people and invited them to the house for face-to-face interviews.

The first girl I offered the job to negotiated for a higher salary. I was hesitant to pay more than I had advertised. But I liked her. So I suggested she and I "meet in the middle." But it was a no-go for her. So I moved to my 2nd candidate. She accepted. And we set a start date.

But it wouldn't take long for some red flags to appear...

Not all was bad. The children were safe. The house was relatively clean. And she was actually quite punctual.

But the kids were bored out of their minds. She didn't play with them. She didn't read with them. They watched far too much TV. And even after I established an official schedule for the kids, she was still barely meeting my expectations for interaction and stimulation. She would send them outside to play, but never went out with them. She would send them to the basement for toys, but never had any suggestions or ideas for games. I would set out art supplies and puzzles in the morning, and it would all go untouched.

The kids didn't bond with her. I didn't bond with her. She seemed totally disinterested in the job. There was no enthusiasm, no spark, no creativity, no energy. This was not a good fit for my boys.

I started to feel so sad that I had removed my kids form their preschool, where they had access to art projects, sensory tables, playground equipment, obstacle courses, libraries, and friends. Ugh! I called my mom in a panic more than once. And I knew I would have to fix the situation. But how does one fire a nanny? I mean, you really don't want to upset them. They do watch your most precious possessions....

Well, in a fit of rage one day, I decided to take action. I posted a new ad for a new nanny. My plan was to quietly find a replacement, then let our current gal go very gently. I would give her lots of time to find replacement work. I wouldn't rush her through the process. But things unfolded so differently.

She saw the ad within minutes of me posting. Her feelings were hurt. She never returned.

And just like that. Poof! She was gone. She was with us for only 6 weeks. And I learned so much about how to manage a nanny and set expectation in that time. An incredible opportunity for growth! I was determined to screen my candidates much more thoroughly the next time around.

Unfortunately, it would take me a full MONTH to find a new caregiver. Matt and I were extremely creative in covering our bases during that month. We took the baby to work, while Sage and Kale went back to their old school for a premium cost. My mom flew out for a couple days. Matt worked from home. Aunt Alison took a shift one day. I hired some babysitters at the recommendation of my friends. And I took some time off as well. A kid juggling nightmare!

But we survived. And we came out the other side with the most wonderful nanny ever.

And yes, she did ask for higher pay than I advertised.

And by god, I gave it to her.

But enough about nannies...

Let's get on to Christmas.

This December was warm. And no complaints from me. It allowed us to do all the key Christmas traditions without being bogged down in heavy winter gear.

We went as a family to Bath Gardens to pick out our Christmas tree. While there, we saw reindeer, ate popcorn, and drank apple cider. Always a treat!

We didn't waste any time setting up the tree.

The kids wouldn't allow it.

Sage kept us moving at lightening speed throughout the whole season. "More decorations, more lights, more trinkets!" he ordered.

He is a decorating master. And he refuses to stop till every box is emptied.

She's a beaut, Clark!

The sunshine and mild temperatures allowed us to really ramp up the exterior illumination this year. Normally, we're freezing cold. So we rush to finish. Ladder up, lights up, ladder down.

But this year, we could play with it a bit. We added several layers to our existing light display. In fact, several neighbors did. And the cul-de-sac was really something to be proud of! Every house in our nook had lights on it, for the first time in 8 years!

If we could get the guts to climb to the 2nd story, the house would really pop. But.... no one ever seems to want to volunteer for that role.

Christmas movie night in the living room!

A lovely hike out to Riverbend Ponds.

Love wearing Rowan in the wrap!

We stumbled across these cat tails. Oh my goodness. What fun we had with these!

Mother Nature didn't want to give us any real snow....

So we made our own!

Another little outing.

Get it in while you can! Winter was somewhere around the corner for sure...

Mama out and about with the 3 kids.

Wearing one. Pulling two in a wagon.

I was sweating profusely by the time we got back home.

And another fantastic December excursion!

(If winter wanted to skip Colorado this year... I think I would have been ok with that!)

Leftover from my festival days...

These items have been recycled as dress-up accessories for the children. The circle of life.

And then...with just about a week to go...

We went to see the Big Guy in Red!

Yes, I did color coordinate all of them in green shirts.

Sometimes I impress myself....

Meeting Santa was pretty cool....

But what the kids have STILL not stopped talking about is getting pretzels from Auntie Anne's.

I had a snow-tubing retreat with the team from work.

An exhilarating day of plummeting down icy hills at speeds that seemed entirely unsafe.

Sage and I went to the store to pick out sprinkles for our annual cookie decorating extravaganza.

Mr. Elf on the Shelf slowly made his way around the house all season long, selecting many creative locations. This was one of the kids' favorites. An American Girl doll bed, tucked next to the Christmas tree.

And then we got to the baking part of the holiday!

And it was during all the cookie chaos, that we heard a knock on the door.

Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Jack arrived in town!!

And they joined in on the decorating fun.

On Christmas Eve Eve, we had a magical (and bitter cold) excursion into Old Town.

We walked from the Elizabeth Hotel to Austins for a lovely dinner.

Old Town was lit up. Just like you'd see in a Christmas card.

And the snow was falling....

And it wasn't just the trees that had lights on them...

Grandma never disappoints!

Fancy fingers. And a hat long enough to sweep the floor.

She's a lady of style!

Christmas Eve....

The house quiet. The presents all placed.

The photos below time-stamped at 1:30 in the morning.

Sage would be up at 5am.

Very little sleep for Ma and Pa Diemer.

It's a parental right of passage, I suppose.

But I was so tired I couldn't see straight the next day.

It was Sage's first experience of "being so excited he couldn't go back to sleep." And that's pretty special to witness.

Age 5. It had finally sunk in.

Let the gift opening begin!

Some of Santa's gifts, in the special earth-toned paper handcrafted by his elves, are pictured below:

POKEMON!!!!!

I've never seen a reaction quite like the one this child gave us.

He wrote to Santa asking for everything he needed to be a Pokeman Master.

And Santa delivered!

Sage's reaction to his magic set was just as awesome. He was like a little rocket ship. His hands and arms started vibrating, he let out a long-winded squeal, then erupted into a big explosive

YYYEEESSS!!!!