We had a very busy weekend!
On Saturday we took the kids to my Zen Buddhist Temple (
http://www.zenbuddhisttemple.org/) for Buddha’s birthday celebration and "The Peace and Happiness Parade"...is there a better name for a parade then that? I think not. The parade is pretty small but fun and colorful like a box of crayons. We go around the neighborhood playing drums, chanting and yelling "happy birthday" to the onlookers. The community always seems to love the parade and so far no one has egged us.
On Sunday we took Stella and Xavier to the children’s blessing to get blessed by Sunim, the head priest. When older kids are blessed they usually get asked things like “What is peace?” or “What is love?” and it’s a littler more interactive.
Little kids that can’t talk yet get blessed for protection and to live a life of peace, love and happiness for all beings. We tried to get them blessed so that they stop acting psycho.
On the nanny front....
It appears we found a great nanny. We got two referrals from two different friends and we interviewed both. One nanny was the "backup" nanny for a couple we know in the city and the other was a nanny of a friend of a friend whose employer of 12 years is moving back to Ireland (where the band U2 is from).
Both nannies were qualified but we ended up hiring the nanny with the employer that is going back to Ireland. When we told her she got the job it was like a rainbow appeared showing her the way to a pot of gold.
New Nanny's current employer wrote her a two page referral about how much they loved her and wanted to bring her to Ireland but they were concerned she would spend all day drinking Guinness and singing Celtic folk songs and/or doing that line dance kicking crap like in Lord of the Dance.
New Nanny apparently, cooked, cleaned, did laundry, stayed over night on many occasions, drove two kids around between music lessons, dance lessons, soccer practice , gender identity therapy and who knows what else for 12 years...all without cocaine. I won't say what they paid her but it was greater than 499 dollars but less than 501 dollars a week; which I consider really low.
Hopefully, New Nanny works out so I don't have to fire another person. Although, I am past my fear of firing people and could do it all day. Is there a job where you just fire people?
GEORGE!
The sign at the front of the parade. You better spread peace and happiness or else.
Stella and Xavier getting blessed.
All the little Buddha’s that got blessed. Stella and Xavier could sit up by themselves so we had to hold them. I hope they're developmentally on track.
Mommy and the kids.
Dad and the kids. My left eye is swollen from a fight or my contact. I can't remember which it was on this day.
Stella says, "feed me woman!"
Xavier. I forgot to comb his hair for this picture.
Xavier and Stella. Too cute!
Here's Xavier Crying.
...stick a pacifier in his mouth and he is all good.
Stella is learning to be cute so she can get by in life without using her brain.
