Friday, March 6, 2009

What could this mean?

Today was a crazy day and a crazy night on top of that. Have I told you all that I babysit 2 other kids in the home in order to help bring in some extra money? Well, I only have one of the children on Friday which is a nice relief to say the least. Well, this little girls Mom called at 5:25 pm to tell me that she was running a "little" behind. I told her this morning that we were planning on going to a basketball game for my DH's high school kids that he teaches so she was well aware that we needed to leave at exactly 5:30 or shortly after. I don't mind if these parents are a few minutes late. I know that work can sometimes keep you a little late, but 6:30 rolled around and her Mom was still not here to pick her up. At this time I was LIVID and I normally don't get all hot and bothered under the collar, but I was pretty upset. I called her Mom and asked her where she was and how long she might be and she told me that she was 15 minutes away. Well, her 15 minutes turned into 30 minutes and her Mom didn't show up until 7 pm. Uh yeah, her normal pickup time is 5:30 and to make it all better she dropped her off earlier then normal this morning. I guess it was a good thing that I was ready. I would've thought that she would've paid more because of her inconveniencing us, but get this......she didn't even pay me my normal pay!?! What the heck? I just get tired of being taken advantage of and then for us to miss the game when we already paid for tickets. Uh yeah, I wasn't too happy and my husband was even more distraught. Isn't a few minutes - like 10-15 minutes? I didn't know that a few minutes was over an hour later. Ok, enough of my ranting.......
To make things a little better for my evening - my DH took me to the store to buy my paint for........ yep, you guessed it. My cabinets!! Ok, Janene - you can do your flips and cartwheels now, but let me grab my camera (lol). I will be starting them rather soon so stay tuned for pictures. One question for you all - do you think it is necessary for me to sand my cabinets before painting? I have heard mixed things from everyone and I am just looking for more input. Imagine that - right ladies!?! Are you as excited as I am? I am nervous and excited, but the good thing is that it is just my bathroom to start and then I will move on to the big project if I am brave enough and think I can do it AND it looks good.
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17 comments:

Val said...

I used to keep children a long long time ago when my children were small. I know what you are saying. Some just don't care to take advantage. It is sad isn't it.

•♦•©The Olde Weeping Cedar •♦• said...

Sorry about your day/evening, Lisa. My best friend had a day care, and you can not believe the parents that would not pick their kids up on time...heck, some never even phoned to tell her they would be "late"...she had to track them down and find out where they were!?
Some people are just inconsiderate of others and tend to take advantage. :(

About your cabinets:
I WOULD sand them first-for sure!!
(I think there is something you can put on the cabinets, rather than sanding...Char has mentioned it before, I haven't used that method tho. maybe check w/her!)
If there is a varnish or polyurethane finish on them now, you should sand it off so your paint adheres!
Good Luck.
I can't wait to see 'em!
Have a great weekend.
hugs!

Ann said...

I too would sand first. Having those same cupboards, I know that there is a finish on them. The paint will adhere much better if you sand them. Use a medium/heavy grit since the cupboard panels are thin. Just rough them up, they don't have to be completely free of varnish. Good Luck, can't wait to see photos. Sorry about the babysitting issue, I think I'd give her a bill for overtime. My kids used to go to a daycare center and they would charge you $10.00 per minute after closing time - a real incentive not to be late. You had to pay on the spot, or so they said I never was late! Have a fun painting, or I should say sanding weekend. ~Ann

Debbie said...

Sorry about your evening. It was very inconsiderate of her. I know my cousin runs a daycare and if parents are late, she starts charging them by the hour in addition to the regular daily rate.

I am going to be sanding cabinets today also! I'll show you mine, if you show me yours! *lol*

Hope you have a productive weekend!
Take Care,
Debbie

basketsnprims said...

Lisa,
Sorry you missed the game. When I did my cabinets I sanded them first, the paint adheres better. Then 2 coats of paint, then distressed them, then your stain. Good luck ~ can't wait to see them
Pam

Janene said...

I am first going to address the cabinet issue!
You don't have to sand them completely to the bare wood...but you need to rough up the surface for sure.
Then apply two coats of primer.
I think what Kath is referring to is a liquid deglosser. I have used this before...I didn't think that it did the job!
So get out your sanding block!

I would now like to address the inconsiderate mother.
I too babysit for 2 children (brothers). I hate when she asks that morning if it is okay to keep them a little later. What can you say? Uh...NO?
I would have to say you need to have a talk with her. This was so rude and horrible! Was she indeed working?
Does she usually pay well?
And is it going to kill you financially to cut her loose?
If not, I would definantly cut her off!
There is nothing worse, that I can think of, than having a child later than expected. Your stress level rises and the child can sense it too! All because of some inconsiderate parents. I hate parents! LOL
Now I am going to step off the podium and bid you a wonderful weekend!

CozyGirl said...

That would be so frustrating to have someone be that late ~ very inconsiderate. I would have paid you a nice extra chunk if I were her !
I can't wait to see how your cabinets turn out ! Have a nice weekend !
Janae :-)

Country Acres Primitives said...

Ugh, sorry that she did that Lisa, that would have totally ticked me off too. I get so upset with lateness.

Can't wait to see what you do with your cabinets! Good luck!

Jen

Linda - Behind My Red Door said...

Well Lisa, you now need a late policy!! In writing.... we had one at school. We forigve the first time but then after that, it was a hefty fee for any PORTION of 15 minutes they were late. Like $25.00 - an incentive to not be late. If you need any help with making a policy, let me know!!

I am so excited for you to get your cabinets painted!! I can't wait to see them!!

carolyn@simple~primitive~devotion said...

I am a retired pre-school teacher and have pretty much seen and heard it all! I also have kept kids here at home, and was constantly taken advantage of. I ended that though. It wasn't worth the constant stress and struggles for such little pay. I did have a rule though, if the parents were more than 5 minutes late, they had to pay $5.00 for each 5 minutes that they were late. But of course there are always some people who think the rules do not apply to them! UGH! Some people may think that is steep, but their time should not interfere with your home life!

I am so sorry that you were taken advantage of like that. If I were you, I would have a long talk with her and explain what you missed and the money you lost because of her. Make sure she knows that she can NOT do this to you again!

About your painting, yes, I think you should sand your cabinets first. Why do all of that work and risk the paint not sticking or drying properly? I wish you lots of luck with it and hope they turn out great.

Enjoy your weekend!

Leslie said...

There are many reasons why I don't baby-sit and that's one of them. At some point you find you are being taken advantage of and I will not tolerate that. I just think there is more stress in trying to babysit than the money is worth....lol. Sorry to hear your night was ruined :(

I do not sand before painting. People claim the paint won't stick, like it's going to slide right off or something but I haven't seen it happen. It's up to you! I did use primer, though just because cabinets are something that get handled and beat around a lot in a day and I wanted to be sure that the paint stayed on and primer seems to help with that a bit. But if you are sealing them when done, that will really help and you might not even have to worry about that....

Have a great weekend

Leslie

Anne said...

Lisa,
In a previous post i told ya about the kitchen cabinet re-do at my mil. Stix bonder is what we used...did not sand,worked great!!

Anne said...

lisa,
forgot to mention, you can only find this at sherwin williams or benjamin moore. stix bonding primer.

ohiofarmgirl said...

You poor thing...but I would still tell you how much more she owes you and make her pay it....I too would sand..my dd works part time at Lowes paint dept. She says sand away. It will prevent it from chipping later. Dianntha

Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~ said...

I don't know why people think they could do that to babysitters. My mom babysat as I grew up and it was the same thing...taking advantage all the time. Then later I babysat when Colt was younger and the same thing. It's hard to believe they have the nerve!

Can't wait to see your cabinets painted! My hubby would say to sand them....he's all about sanding!

Tammy

Farm Field Primitives said...

Hi. We are in the middle of painting our cupboards and we are sanding them. We are going from having oil based to latex and are doing it so the latex has a little something to grab onto. We are also using kilz 2 primer. It is recommended as a good stain blocker to keep the wood grain from bleeding through. I know you are a bit nervous about painting them, but you will love them when they are done. Can't wait to see pictures. Good luck. ~Melissa

Val said...

I have a home daycare, and you cannot let the parents take advantage of you like that or they always will! Let that mom know on monday morning how much extra she owes you for your extra time, and don't make it cheap, or it will happen again-remember that overtime is usually time and a half! (P.S., I read your blog alot and love it! )