'Happy Birthday Xana'

It has been a serious Nanny Diaries month for us, courtesy the planned, sad end of our nanny share.

The Reader's Digest synopsis: The couple we have happily shared a nanny with for nearly two years recently had another baby and moved to McLean. Roxana didn't want to choose her new home (too much pressure, she said). Are you sure, we all urged? Yes, she said. And we understood. So we very agreeably flipped a coin. Family Smith-Barnes lost said flip. And I started the painstaking process of finding a new nanny.

But before we could ink a deal with someone new, Roxana appeared at our doorstep on a rainy Saturday, flowers and middle child in tow, and asked if she could stay. She loves the other family and their sweet daughter Lucy, but she didn't want to leave her tight nanny collective, cherished Starbucks (my words!) and the park where she spends four-plus hours a day. Harry adores Roxana, we trust her, we feel we owe her our loyalty. So, with the other family's whole-hearted blessing, we welcomed Roxana to formally join our household for the duration.

Friday was her birthday -- thirty-something, I think. A Hallmark card seemed weak given all the tumult. So I spent part of yesterday morning (away from the vital concerns of sailors) in the kitchen baking. We sang (Harry the loudest of all), we blew out candles and we ate greedily.

Roxana, I hope you like us, 'cause you're stuck with us now.