JeffJournal

I installed a new version of MoveableType (finally) to combat a not-so-huge problem for WOPR (having to slimy slimevertisers), but it needed to be fixed. Kudos to the MT people for resopnding quickly as soon as they discovered the problem and releasing a new version to fix it.

Tracy’s family was here for Christmas (mom, dad, brother-n-sister-in-law, and [great-]gramma. Because of the massive snowstorm that hit Indiana, it was quite the 4 day ordeal for Harold to drive to pick up [great-]gramma from Illinois (it should have been a 2 day trip), but they got here in the end, so it all worked out.

It was nice having everyone around, and the munchkins got to meet a bunch more of their family. They made out like bandits with presents (not that they are aware of it) — lots and lots and lots of toys and clothes and things (woo hoo! Less for us to buy {;)}).

We finally hired a nanny. She lives here in Louisville and will be coming in M-F to take care of the munchkins during the day. She’s been coming in on and off during the holidays so that the kids don’t forget who she is. She didn’t work for us enough in 2004 to worry about taxes and things (i.e., we didn’t come anywhere close to the required federal/state minimums), but we’re working on all the Paperwork and Stuff for 2005.

Turns out that there is a veritable boatload of forms, identification numbers, and other miscellaneous filings that you have to do when you formally pay for domestic help. I had to file for 3 different federal and state identification numbers this morning, for example. Since she’ll formally be our employee, we have to pay medicare, social security, etc. I have to get a W-4, I-9, K-4, direct deposit authorization, and W-9 from her. I also get to issue a W-2 at the end of next year.

Sidenote: Can anyone identify what those forms are without looking them up? I’m frightened that I’m now conversant with all of these (and many more).

Luckily, there are services for helping with such things — there are a myrriad of laws, rules, and regulations that we (the employers) have to follow, and there’s simply no way that we would know what to do properly without them. Plus, they can do the whole direct deposit thing. So we’re paying for a payroll service to handle most of this stuff for us (it’s an internet-based thingy expressly designed to be and outsourced payroll shop, and is therefore pretty cheap).