Babysitting Blues

Well, I am finding that you get what you pay for with a babysitter. I used to pay the neighbor girls to come and sit my kids. I would come home to a tidy kitchen or perhaps a folded load of laundry. But my boys got big enough to sit and I even paid for that babysitting class for both of them. I figured they might actually listen to someone else warn them of all the things Mite could choke on. So at least once a week Buck, with an assist from Half Buck, watches 2 or 3 of our kids. My favorite little getaway is currently: piano lessons. I know, did you guys actually think we went out on a date or something? Yeah, my free sitting miles are long gone before I use my teen for an actual outing. Anyway, I just get to sit by myself for half an hour reading in the car or browsing the dollar store. Bliss gets simpler as the years go by. Well after one rainy read in the van, we return to be greeted by Mite at the door. Yes the littlest one is the happiest to see me (a close second is the sitter, but for entirely different reasons). So up he comes to my arms in his little short set. I love seeing those chubby knees again. He is cold and wet and Half Buck proudly says they have been playing in the rain. It was Mites' idea of course. Yes, I well remember leaving the 17 month old in charge of things when I left!

After talking to the boys I leave them in charge yet again for a 2 hour meeting I have to go to. This is even a paid gig and Buck is in charge of bed time. He is so prompt to get them to bed so he can get back to gaming. All seems well when I return and I cough up the money. When Mite awakes in the morn, uh, well, he smells bad. Not poopy, but yuck just the same. So I go to change him and find he is still wearing his snap onsie tee from the day before and the diaper has exceeded its 23 pound capacity. Buck is, at this point, running really late to school. Gaming of course. And up too late watching a movie with dad. I make him come and change this awful diaper anyway. Then it is off to school. Later I find that Mite has moved the sand box trucks into the house. I can't believe I paid for this sitting. How do you get a refund from a 14 year old? From April 2009