The nanny Diaries

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN : Holiday Cheer at $10 an Hour

THE NANNY DIARIES

"Ooooooooo I just love Nanny I absolutely do . . . She is my mostly companion."
                                                         - ELOISE

PART TWO (Winter)

I turn the key and lean into the Xes'heavy front door, as has become my habit, but it only swings open a foot before getting stuck.

"Huh," I say.
"Huh," Grayer echoes behind me.

"Something's blocking the door," I explain as I reach my arm around and begin to grope blindly to identify the obstructing object.

"MOOOOMMMMMM! THE DOOR WON'T OPENNNN!!!" Grayer, wasting no time, uses his own approach.

I hear the slide of Mrs. X's stocking feet. "Yes, Grayer, Mommy's coming. I simply couldn't carry all my elfing past the door in one trip."

She pulls the door open and is revealed, knee deep in piles of shopping bags on the foyer floor --- Gucci, Ferragamo, Chanel, Hermès, and endless silver boxes with purple ribbon, the signature Bergdorf's holiday wrap.

She holds what must have been the offending item, large Tiffany blue package, under her arm and greets us.

"Can you believe people actually get engaged this time of year? As if there isn't enough to do, I also had to run all the way to Tiffany's to pick up a sterling serving tray. They should at least have had the decency to wait till January --- it's just one more month, really. I'm so sorry, Grayer, that I couldn't come to your party. I'm sure you had a wonderful time with Nanny!"

I put my backpack down in the coat closet and slip off my boots before crouching to help Grayer with his jacket.

He gingerly protects the ornament we have just spent the past three hours constructing with his classmate (and their nannies) at his school's Family Christmas party. He drops to the floor so I can pull off his wet boots.

"Greyer  constructed quite the masterpiece," I say. "He's really a wizard with Styrofoam and glitter!" I look up at her as a place in boots on the mat.

"It's a snowman. His name is Al. He has a cold so he has to take lots of vitamin C." Grayer describes Styrofoam Al as if announcing him as the next guest on Letterman.

"Ah." She nods, shifting the Tiffany's package to her hip.

"Why don't you go look for a spot for Al to hang out?" I help him up and he shuffles off toward the living room with his artwork held in front of him like a Fabergé egg.

I stand up, brush myself off, and face Mrs. X, ready to give the report.

"I wish you could have seen him this morning. He was totally in his element! He loved the glitter. And he really took his time with making it. You know Giselle Rutherford?"

"Jacqueline Rutherford's daughter? Of course --- oh, her mother is too much. When it was her turn to do snacks she brought in a chef and set up an omelette bar in the music corner. I mean, really. The rule is you are supposed to come with the snack prepared. Tell me, tell me."

"Well Ms. Giselle insisted that Grayer do his snowman according to her colour scheme --- orange, because she's spending this Christmas in South Beach."