The family is going to be on vacation without me from the 9th to the 20th! That means I have 11 days without the devils! I could not be happier!
In other news, I feel like the past few days haven't been awful, so those of you praying for me, keep it coming because I feel it!
XOXO,
Mandy
PS yesterday, I was gone all day, so after I got Gabrielle from school I got on the computer to check my facebook and email and what not. She would not leave me alone, and insisted that I let her play on my computer. Of corse I said no, and asked her to leave me be for 5 minutes, because I had been going, going, going, and this was my time to rest and unwind. She starts screaming that compared to her I am not busy. Because after all she has school, piano, hebrew, yoga, dance, ect.. I hope she looks back on this time when shes older and realizes how crazy un-busy with non-responsibility she was. In the mean time she'll moan about it, but at least it gives me a laugh.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I can't learn to like you if you keep acting like this.
Last night the kids went to bed super late. They were even still awake after I went to bed. I know, because I could hear them screaming and whining until I put my headphones in. Therefore, this morning, they were awful. I feel like a broken record in the morning, "get up, open your eyes, get out of bed, good morning, i mean it get up..." This morning Benjamin reluctantly got up after 10 minutes or so of my begging, and Gabrielle refused to get up. I asked her what shoes she was wearing to school and she said her Nike's, so I went all they way to her closet, found them among the 100 pairs of shoes, and set them down by her laid out body on the bed. Then she screamed. Literally it was a scream of bloody murder, and she yelled "mom-mo." All I could think is great whats wrong now? She then started saying I put dirty shoes on her bed and should be punished. Wait, wait, I should be punished for serving her lazy ass that won't get out of bed in the morning to get her own shoes? Hmm. She is making it almost impossible to even like her.
Then at breakfast, she usually refuses to eat, so I have even stopped asking her, because her response was always a whiny scream nothing. So I made Samuel and Elsa oatmeal. Then J-F comes in and takes the oatmeal I made for Elsa and starts spoon feeding it to Gabrielle. Honestly, I wish I would have taken a picture of what I watched this morning. Gabrielle was sitting in a parents chair at the end of the table, reading a magazine, as her mom brushed her hair and her dad spoon fed her the oatmeal I made for Elsa. I am so glad my job will be over long before she is a teenager. She is absolutely awful now as it is, just wait until she hits puberty. I can't say I feel sorry for J-F and S though, they are creating these monsters. If I do last and don't quit this job, 7 months of observing how not to parent your kids will make for a great book.
I am off to class in a little bit. It is my second day, and I am not all too excited after the first day. I was hoping to make friends, but I can't see any of these girls wanting to be friends with me. Who knows, maybe thats just how they are acting? After class I am going to have a picnic by the Louvre.
XOXO,
Mandy
PS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH! 14 days till I get to see you!
Then at breakfast, she usually refuses to eat, so I have even stopped asking her, because her response was always a whiny scream nothing. So I made Samuel and Elsa oatmeal. Then J-F comes in and takes the oatmeal I made for Elsa and starts spoon feeding it to Gabrielle. Honestly, I wish I would have taken a picture of what I watched this morning. Gabrielle was sitting in a parents chair at the end of the table, reading a magazine, as her mom brushed her hair and her dad spoon fed her the oatmeal I made for Elsa. I am so glad my job will be over long before she is a teenager. She is absolutely awful now as it is, just wait until she hits puberty. I can't say I feel sorry for J-F and S though, they are creating these monsters. If I do last and don't quit this job, 7 months of observing how not to parent your kids will make for a great book.
I am off to class in a little bit. It is my second day, and I am not all too excited after the first day. I was hoping to make friends, but I can't see any of these girls wanting to be friends with me. Who knows, maybe thats just how they are acting? After class I am going to have a picnic by the Louvre.
XOXO,
Mandy
PS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH! 14 days till I get to see you!
Monday, March 28, 2011
YUCK!
I just went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and Josephine had Elsa naked on the kitchen table, and then she says to me Elsa just poo poo. Yay. It makes me think, if having a cook is part of my benefits here, how hygienic is she with the food. YUCK. I would rather cook myself and have a little authority around here.
That is all.
That is all.
reinforcing how much my job sucks.
Last night, I put the kids in bed. Benjamin awoke about an hour and a half after from a night terror, and Gabrielle assumed that gave her leeway to get out of bed as well. I sat Benjamin down and called Sandrine, and told Gabrielle to go back to bed. After Benjamin talked to his mom, he went back to bed and everything was ok. Gabrielle fought me, she too wanted to call her mom, and I told her no, go back to bed. So she goes behind my back, and sneaks a phone call to Sandrine, who told her she was allowed to read in bed for 20 minutes. This was at 10:45. All would have been fine with me, except I WAKE THE KIDS UP FOR SCHOOL AND IT IS ALREADY A FIGHT EVERY MORNING. And who lets a 9 year old stay up that late on a school night?! UGH! When I say no, the parents say yes, and when I say yes, the parents say no, NO-DUH I have no authority here.
I woke the kids up this morning, and with the time change it felt like they were getting up an hour early. It was a fight with Benjamin and Gabrielle, but Samuel was half asleep and let me dress him. At least that made it 33.3% easier for me. Gabrielle didn't want to wake up, and Benjamin was super whiny. They ate breakfast and went off to school. Then I woke Elsa up. It is easier to give her her bottle in her room and then get her dressed rather than bringing her to the kitchen to have her bottle, then bringing her back down stairs to get dressed. She is semi-sick and coughing up gunk, I know, the fun stuff. When she finished her bottle she began coughing ALOT, and in the process projectile vomited her entire bottle everywhere. Fun stuff to clean up in the morning.
After I got dressed myself and did the dishes, I too was off to school. I felt like a little kid on the way, excited to make friends, and learn some French. I got to my class, and met another au pair from Pittsburgh, she seemed cool, but turned out not to be in my class. In my class, I think I am the youngest or close to the youngest. There are 3 middle ages South Americans/Spaniards, a very stand offish Russian woman, a girl from Denmark, I believe another American (but I'm not sure), a woman from Iceland, and 2 other people from who knows where. They didn't seem to speak English, and everyone seemed to know more French than me. They all are au pairs, but I have the most kids. Well, there is 1 other girl with 4 kids, but 2 of them are over 14. They all have studio's apart from the families dwellings, got their classes paid for, and work 15 hours, at least, less than me a week. I am so sick of being the sob story, but why do I have to have it so crappy?! Before I was telling myself, at least I live in Paris, but they live here too and don't have it as bad. Maybe I can use their stories, to get paid more, work less, or gain more privacy. As soon as I figure out how to communicate that with J-F and S, I will. It's hard when they already look at me like I am doing nothing, and I get scolded for sitting and reading instead of doing heavy housework like Josephine. Home has never looked better.
On another note, the people who creep on my when I go anywhere, follow me and try to talk to me when I am noticeably not interested are starting to ruin Paris for me as well. I need to invest in a fake engagement ring to keep from getting bothered so much. At first, I'll admit, it was flattering, and now it makes me want to scream, and pepper spray all the men in Paris. Seriously just let me be. I even quit smiling everywhere I went for goodness sake. I need my daddy to come to Paris and teach them all a lesson on how not to act towards a teenage girl.
I am pretty sure I have to get the boys from school today (help me God). I don't see why Josephine can't do it, they are in far better hand with her, they at least listen to her. I hope it doesn't take Samuel running into the street and being hit by a car for Sandrine to realize I can't control him, not all the spanking, or yelling or anything has been able to break the boy and change that.
XOXO,
Mandy
I woke the kids up this morning, and with the time change it felt like they were getting up an hour early. It was a fight with Benjamin and Gabrielle, but Samuel was half asleep and let me dress him. At least that made it 33.3% easier for me. Gabrielle didn't want to wake up, and Benjamin was super whiny. They ate breakfast and went off to school. Then I woke Elsa up. It is easier to give her her bottle in her room and then get her dressed rather than bringing her to the kitchen to have her bottle, then bringing her back down stairs to get dressed. She is semi-sick and coughing up gunk, I know, the fun stuff. When she finished her bottle she began coughing ALOT, and in the process projectile vomited her entire bottle everywhere. Fun stuff to clean up in the morning.
After I got dressed myself and did the dishes, I too was off to school. I felt like a little kid on the way, excited to make friends, and learn some French. I got to my class, and met another au pair from Pittsburgh, she seemed cool, but turned out not to be in my class. In my class, I think I am the youngest or close to the youngest. There are 3 middle ages South Americans/Spaniards, a very stand offish Russian woman, a girl from Denmark, I believe another American (but I'm not sure), a woman from Iceland, and 2 other people from who knows where. They didn't seem to speak English, and everyone seemed to know more French than me. They all are au pairs, but I have the most kids. Well, there is 1 other girl with 4 kids, but 2 of them are over 14. They all have studio's apart from the families dwellings, got their classes paid for, and work 15 hours, at least, less than me a week. I am so sick of being the sob story, but why do I have to have it so crappy?! Before I was telling myself, at least I live in Paris, but they live here too and don't have it as bad. Maybe I can use their stories, to get paid more, work less, or gain more privacy. As soon as I figure out how to communicate that with J-F and S, I will. It's hard when they already look at me like I am doing nothing, and I get scolded for sitting and reading instead of doing heavy housework like Josephine. Home has never looked better.
On another note, the people who creep on my when I go anywhere, follow me and try to talk to me when I am noticeably not interested are starting to ruin Paris for me as well. I need to invest in a fake engagement ring to keep from getting bothered so much. At first, I'll admit, it was flattering, and now it makes me want to scream, and pepper spray all the men in Paris. Seriously just let me be. I even quit smiling everywhere I went for goodness sake. I need my daddy to come to Paris and teach them all a lesson on how not to act towards a teenage girl.
I am pretty sure I have to get the boys from school today (help me God). I don't see why Josephine can't do it, they are in far better hand with her, they at least listen to her. I hope it doesn't take Samuel running into the street and being hit by a car for Sandrine to realize I can't control him, not all the spanking, or yelling or anything has been able to break the boy and change that.
XOXO,
Mandy
Sunday, March 27, 2011
I'm giving it all away.
Church was great today, it was exactly what I needed. I was blessed and got to attend it with Jasmine. She's a doll. After church I wanted to go to Notre Dame for a Catholic service, but the next one wasn't until 4:30 and I had to babysit at 6. So I went to grab a cheap lunch instead. At Paul Bakery, you can get a sandwich, desert and drink for 8 something Euros, which would have been great on my budget. I have had only 10 Euros to last me the last 3 days. As I walked the streets of Paris, I failed to find that bakery, but I found a sandwich shop where I could get a panini, crepe and drink for 5,50 Euros! Even better! I was alone in the shop for a while, and talking with the sandwich man, and ended up getting a free meal! How cool! There is no telling the lengths I will flirt for something free while I am so broke. He even upgraded me to a crepe with nutella, and threw in a bottle of water. Amazing! I gave him my phone number in exchange, but looking back, I think I got a pretty sweet deal for telling someone 10 numbers. :) For now I am above begging, but I am not above batting my eyelashes and laughing at silly jokes. You're only young once I suppose.
Then I came home and took a nap. I know this is suppose to be "my home" but on my time off when I am here, they expect me to be working. I can not just hang out at home on my day off. Sad really. The kids walked into my room to tattle and etc. about 5 times during my short 1 hour nap. Blah. I cannot wait to get some real time off when they are on vacation.
The parents went out tonight, so I am babysitting. I popped in a movie and told them since I was giving them a treat, the minute the movie ended their butts better be in bed. They agreed, but I still haven't gotten that far to see if they actually obey.
In better news, Elsa has officially named me. I am no longer Papa or Mama, but now I am Ra-ra! Yay! I think it is because I like to sing her the rah-rah-ree kick 'um in the knee, rah-rah-rass kick them in the other knee cheer my dad used to sing for us. Regardless, I'll take Ra-ra over mama and papa any day!
I start classes tomorrow. I am nervous and still deciding what I am going to wear and everything! I can't wait to have yet another outlet (of fellow au pairs) outside of this house.
15 days till England to see Josh!!! The anticipation for that trip is literally what keeps me going.
XOXO,
Mandy
PS- At church today they said "let it be" was amen, which makes my tattoo on my foot even cooler I think. AMEN!
Then I came home and took a nap. I know this is suppose to be "my home" but on my time off when I am here, they expect me to be working. I can not just hang out at home on my day off. Sad really. The kids walked into my room to tattle and etc. about 5 times during my short 1 hour nap. Blah. I cannot wait to get some real time off when they are on vacation.
The parents went out tonight, so I am babysitting. I popped in a movie and told them since I was giving them a treat, the minute the movie ended their butts better be in bed. They agreed, but I still haven't gotten that far to see if they actually obey.
In better news, Elsa has officially named me. I am no longer Papa or Mama, but now I am Ra-ra! Yay! I think it is because I like to sing her the rah-rah-ree kick 'um in the knee, rah-rah-rass kick them in the other knee cheer my dad used to sing for us. Regardless, I'll take Ra-ra over mama and papa any day!
I start classes tomorrow. I am nervous and still deciding what I am going to wear and everything! I can't wait to have yet another outlet (of fellow au pairs) outside of this house.
15 days till England to see Josh!!! The anticipation for that trip is literally what keeps me going.
XOXO,
Mandy
PS- At church today they said "let it be" was amen, which makes my tattoo on my foot even cooler I think. AMEN!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
French kids are so whiny.
I thought I had just gotten a couple whiny kids in my first family. The boy there was an expert whiner. He whined every time you said anything at all to him. Then when I got fired I thought my experience with whining was over. Oh boy was I wrong...
Then I came to this family where no longer did I have 1 whiner, I had 4. Its awful. It must be a French child thing, but the whining in another language makes me crazy. They whine about everything. I know I was the master whiner as a kid, but this takes the cake. And it is not only my family where the kids whine I've observed. They whine in the school yard, and in the park. It drives me absolutely bonkers. I will have to record it and put a video up, because you will see exactly how insane it is.
Anyways, today I babysat all morning. Then I went to the Gardens at Luxembourg with Jasmine (the student from NYU). It is a beautiful place. I may even like it better than Tuileries, but it is harder to get to. 3 different metro lines to get there, makes for no fun. But I had a great day having some great girl talk for a couple hours this afternoon.
Tomorrow we are going to Hillsong together, which is always great. And remember those of you living in France, the time changes tomorrow so everything will seem an hour earlier for a while.
Tonight I am babysitting, which is never fun. I'd like it alot better if I got paid overtime, which will never happen. J-F and S are again having a dinner party here (the like zillionth since I've started working here). They take me for granted.
Oh yeah, Samuel was being especially awful today and I said, told him that because of him I was thinking about returning to the states, I asked him if he'd like to be the reason of my quitting (which is wrong) but he said yes, au revoir. The little devil. I don't know what to do to make the kids better here, since nothing I do holds any ground. But I am trying and praying. I know after this job anything I do will be a walk in the park.
XOXO,
Mandy
Then I came to this family where no longer did I have 1 whiner, I had 4. Its awful. It must be a French child thing, but the whining in another language makes me crazy. They whine about everything. I know I was the master whiner as a kid, but this takes the cake. And it is not only my family where the kids whine I've observed. They whine in the school yard, and in the park. It drives me absolutely bonkers. I will have to record it and put a video up, because you will see exactly how insane it is.
Anyways, today I babysat all morning. Then I went to the Gardens at Luxembourg with Jasmine (the student from NYU). It is a beautiful place. I may even like it better than Tuileries, but it is harder to get to. 3 different metro lines to get there, makes for no fun. But I had a great day having some great girl talk for a couple hours this afternoon.
Tomorrow we are going to Hillsong together, which is always great. And remember those of you living in France, the time changes tomorrow so everything will seem an hour earlier for a while.
Tonight I am babysitting, which is never fun. I'd like it alot better if I got paid overtime, which will never happen. J-F and S are again having a dinner party here (the like zillionth since I've started working here). They take me for granted.
Oh yeah, Samuel was being especially awful today and I said, told him that because of him I was thinking about returning to the states, I asked him if he'd like to be the reason of my quitting (which is wrong) but he said yes, au revoir. The little devil. I don't know what to do to make the kids better here, since nothing I do holds any ground. But I am trying and praying. I know after this job anything I do will be a walk in the park.
XOXO,
Mandy
Friday, March 25, 2011
SHE BIT ME!
This morning, miraculously the kids woke up before me. I had to check my watch 3 times to make sure I didn't wake up late. Then I made them all breakfast. Suddenly Gabrielle and Benjamin broke out in a really violent fight. I tried to break it up. Since Gabrielle was the one landing all the blows, I went to her to remove her. In the process she bit me. Not a little Elsa type bite, the girl broke skin and made me bleed. The parents were real nice to me after that, and the mom tried to defend her saying I am so proud of Gabrielle, she befriended a boy at school with no friends. I snidely replied, I hope she doesn't bite him too. But honestly what kind of 9 year old girl thinks its ok to bite the au pair?
XOXO,
Mandy
XOXO,
Mandy
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