Manuel's Farewell to a Nutcracker Family

The hardest thing about having au pairs is ...
saying goodbye.

We have known Manuel since September 2011.  He spent weekends with us until April of 2012 when we welcomed him as our next au pair.  At the time, we were over-blessed with two au pairs.

 Remember the joke about the woman's fantasy of having two men at the same time-- one cooking and the other cleaning?  That was me.  Ladies, it was nice.  Don't give up on the dream.

Manuel transitioned into our au pair and by mid-summer was helping me clear out, clean out, and sell everything in the townhome.  And when we finished inspection, he was the one blasted "We Are The Champions" through the empty house.

He trooped with over to Gail's (& family's) house and stuck with us as with spent 3 1/2 months sorting out the details.   Buying a trailer, learning how to use the trailer, selling the trailer.  Fixing the car (over and over), selling the car, buying a car.  The usual.

When we left in December, he was right there with us.  The first across country was 13 hours to Mammoth Cave.  I don't know why it was so long, but that is what he says.  It could be that it just felt that long.

The one thing about Manuel is that he needs space.  He can handle just about anything if he has time and space to decompress, listen to music, wind down, connect with family, and re-energize.  Driving in the car across country doesn't allow for much space.  :-)

Manuel was the chief tutor for the kids.  They soon learned that he meant what he said.   He had this way of saying, "uh-uh" with just enough firmness and still had lightness that they knew there was no more conversation.

What I have in open-ended possibility, Manuel has in practical logistics.  Loading the car so that we could see out the back window soon became his job.  Loading the top of the car evolved into his job, too.

Manuel took care of directions and researched good stopping spots based on cell phone reception.  We got lost a lot less with him in the co-pilot's seat.  (Although there was that time we almost made it to California unintentionally ....)

There is much, much more, of course.  But I have to get the kids up for school, make breakfast, teach them, run errands, make dinner, and put them to bed ... and without Manuel around to help, I better get moving.

This video is Manuel's farewell gift to us.

"Why make it sad when you can make it funny?" he said.

With all the challenges life can throw at us at times, those are words to live by.





See you later, Manuel!  We love you!