Thursday, November 5, 2015

Older Daughter got the job!

If you remember, Older Daughter had a fly-out interview last weekend with a family in New Jersey for a position of live-in nanny. These folks have four boys (four-year-old twins, six, and eight) and employ two nannies, a live-in and a live-out.

The interview was very successful, although Older Daughter came home with a bad cold which she is (ahem) currently passing around to the rest of the family. Illness notwithstanding, she liked the family very much and the children warmed to her immediately. She also met the live-out nanny and they got along wonderfully. Yesterday she spoke with the mother ("Jane") who offered her the job with a very generous salary. When she accepted, Jane reported her two older boys were jumping up and down and shrieking with excitement.

Older Daughter has been grinning from ear to ear all day. She'll be leaving us next Wednesday or Thursday, and two days before she leaves we'll ship out a box of her personal effects.

She's already located a church, health club, and other amenities nearby her new home, and is making plans to purchase a car (once she has enough money saved up) for herself, though she has use of a family car (with all the car seats installed) whenever she needs it.

We hate like anything to have her so far away, but we couldn't be more pleased about the quality of the family she'll be joining. When Older Daughter first decided to become a professional nanny, her one concern is she would end up working for people who just didn't like their own kids and only wanted to shove their responsibility for raising them onto someone else. This family isn't like that. Both parents are busy with careers, but they love their boys and love each other, with no strife or conflict that Older Daughter was able to detect.

Thankfully Older Daughter will be home for Christmas, but our little girl is now a competent mature adult, ready to launch herself into the world on her own terms. All we can do now is pray for her safety and that she'll make sound, sensible choices from here on out.

As the saying goes, we've raised her to know and understand the tools of life. Now it's time to hand her the toolbox.

22 comments:

  1. Congratulations! My 2 oldest daughters both nannied in New York. The older one was there for 2 years, the younger for 21/2 years because the family offered to pay for her college fees to receive her Associate degree if she would stay with them longer. Sweet deal! She went to college while the 2 children went to school. If one of the children was sick and needed to stay home my daughter missed school. It all worked out and both daughters came home with an education not gained from sitting in a classroom but from living in a new, exciting environment. Best of luck!

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  2. Congratulations! Both to daughter and parents. I both dread and look forward to the day my girls fly the nest, also.

    Just a note, I live in beautiful western New Jersey (really, there is a beautiful part of New Jersey...with farms and cows and stuff). If she is in that area, lucky girl. If, on the other hand, she is working in the urban, northern area of the state and needs a "country" break, I would be happy to show her the area. And since our family doesn't actually own any farm animals, she wouldn't be asked to muck out a barn.

    All in all, best wishes for your daughter and prayers for a wonderful first position.

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  3. Bittersweet day. I remember when each of my own children flew the coop. Prayers and good wishes.

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  4. Jeepers....

    Knowing it was coming was one thing....but seeing it happen is quite another. She's actually going. The adventure begins.

    This is awesome.

    Congratulations and best wishes all around, Lewis Family.

    A. McSp

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    1. Ditto and well said, A. McSp.

      BTW, if Older Daughter is hankering for a road trip complete with the joys of barn mucking (and/or frog-whacking) she's welcome to visit our little farmstead across the border. Our family would be honored to meet her and happy to host her.

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  5. Awesome!! Congratulations on your new journey in life. May the Lord watch over thee and guide thy steps!

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  6. And congratulations to the family that hired Older Daughter. Your children will be in good hands. Both families will be in our prayers.
    Montana Guy

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  7. Congrats to her. She will think she's entered the twilight zone being so close to the east coast. Please be sure she knows about the draconian NJ gun laws so she doesn't end up with lots of legal bills.

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  8. Congratulations to your daughter.

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  9. The mom in me knows how proud you must be of her success, and how heartsick you must be that she will be so far away.

    We have family in New Jersey if she needs to have someone to turn to!

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  10. Congratulations to the host family. They may not know it yet but they picked a winner! It sounds like older daughter has found a very nice match as well. It also sounds like the children also are happy with the pick. Good to go all around!! I couldn't be happier for you and your family.

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  11. Although I'm nowhere close to loosing any of mine from the nest, it's fabulous news that she's made such a great match. Congratulations to both families!

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  12. well, it makes me cry.

    also, we used to live in new jersey where the state hobby is horn honking. it'll throw you at first. they also run red lights, override you on the left when you are waiting to make a left turn, and they think the speed limit sign means you have to go that speed.
    lots of foreigners with their first car, too. be careful.

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  13. I know what the folks mean when they say it's sad OD will be so far away! All of mine are gone but I am so blessed with their choices in life. I do miss my sweet grands 'growing up days' a lot tho. With today's unbelievable way of communicating with Social Media including iPhones that are Smart and getting Smarter...you guys can keep up with OD! I received an email today from China and a Facebook post from Turkey! Amazing times!
    Vera

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  14. I wish for her a wonderful adventure. Thanks for sharing a little piece with us.

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  15. Ah, the bittersweet fruits of a child well-raised.

    Congratulations to all. And sympathies, too.

    I hope mine turn out so well. At the same time, I don't even want to think about it.

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  16. Congratulations to Older Daughter! Such wonderful news!

    I pray that reality is just like her fly-out, and that she will simply love this time with this family.

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  17. Is the rooster pictured the one that was killed or the surviving one? Which ever, he is mighty handsome.

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