What am I worth???

Our nanny is currently on holidays - she is getting married on Saturday so has had this week off and will be away for the next 2 weeks. She looks after the boys usually on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, which are my work days, so for the time that she is away we are making alternative arrangements - actually, our 'arrangements' would be more accurately described as 'flying by the seat of our pants' and hoping that with a combination of Hubby and I taking days off here and there, and my Dad stepping in, we will get through the time ok.

Just on the nanny - she is wonderful, she loves our boys so much, and is a Christian which is great. I consider myself very lucky to have the nanny option rather than putting the Boys in childcare. When I was heading back to work when Action Man was 9 months old I couldn't bring myself to do the childcare thing so investigated nannies. Yes, it is more expensive, but the benefits the Boys get in one on one (or one on two) care in their own home with someone who has bonded with them, and the benefits we get from having a generally more organised life, and keeping the boys in their routine rather than having to get them out of the house early and home late for child care drop off and pick up, are definitely worth it. To be honest, I do have moments of jealousy - but they are far outweighed by the happiness I have at seeing the Boys happy and well cared for, and how good it is to see them developing bonds and relationships with people outside immediate family that they can trust.

Anyway, back to the three weeks that we are nanny-less. This week, Hubby has taken the Tuesday and Thursday shift, and my Dad is stepping in for Friday.

By all accounts - a wonderful day was had by all on Tuesday - the boys had their proper sleeps (more incidentally than they had yesterday which was a mummy day!), there were visits to the park and the shops, and Hubby even managed to lay our new turf in the backyard while they were asleep.

Hubby was however, to use his words "hammered" at the end of the day, and expressed his view that "there's nothing like two under two". I was sympathetic - I know this to be true! - and quite touched when he then commented that my approach of getting them into a manageable routine made it a lot easier for him to manage the day.

In later discussion, I was telling him about a meeting I had had that day with a financial adviser who represents the insurance company who manages the life insurance for my firm - as a partner, I am covered by the firm for a certain level of cover. I was telling Hubby that the amount of death cover had gone up since we last checked, and flippantly remarked that I was now worth more to him dead than alive.

He responded in all seriousness "No way, you are worth far more to me alive than dead - there's no way I could do what I did today all the time".

High praise and appreciation indeed.