Babysitters

I haven't taken the opportunity to call many babysitters for my kids (minus grandma Debbie who bails us out almost every time and grandma Carol) because I have always been nervous to leave them in hands that I don't know I can completely trust. A bit overboard and protective I know. I am easily disappointed I guess because of high expectations. I have thought a lot lately about my babysitting experiences. I used to have a special bag I would take to my babysitting jobs with coloring books, crayons, prizes, toys for them to play with. They loved it because it was something new. I would always clean up dinner by putting the dishes in the dishwasher or sink if the dishwasher was clean and do my best to have the house descent. These days I feel like the girls just turn on a movie and then another movie. I have Ella calling me every hour asking when I'm coming home because they are watching ANOTHER movie. It makes me feel bad. Maybe I need to do some babysitter shopping huh?

When I was a younger girl my dad hooked me up with this babysitting job for a family I had never met. They had a little toddler girl who threw up on the floor. I tried to stay calm, but never observed how to clean up puke so I found some Lysol which I had the older boy spray directly in my face while I scooped up the chunks with plastic baggies on my hands as gloves. Then I pulled out the vacuum and sucked up the rest. Needless to say they didn't call me back.

I must have liked baggies because another time my cousin did a little poopy in the tub and so I had his older sister get some baggies and she and I scooped it and threw it in the toilet. Handled that one better I would say.

Another one that stands out is when I was watching 3 little boys. The little toddler had footie pajamas on and was in the bathroom standing on the toilet lid (not sure why now) and slipped off and hit his head. He had a small seizure and completely freaked me out! I slapped his little cheeks and called my mom. He came to and seemed completely fine. I was happy to know after talking to his parents that I hadn't scarred him - he had reoccurring seizures. Would have been nice to know before hand. :)

Good times..

I have lots of memories of babysitters growing up. I was the oldest girl so I remember many times my mom taking me in the other room before she left and giving me all the instructions that she would soon be giving to our teenage babysitter. It made me feel important.

I do remember one experience when there was a bad storm and the power all went out. A teenage neighbor girl who was older walked over to find us home alone with a younger, but very capable babysitter. We were scared and we all knelt in the living room and said a prayer. I was touched by that experience and have never forgotten it.

Anyway, the whole reason for this post is I was thinking of one of my favorite babysitters. Who was my grandma Bateman. She was always the next best thing when I couldn't have Mom. She used to let us have a bath almost every time we came to her house and for some reason her tub was so much better than ours. She would let me lay my head on her leg and she would brush my hair for as long as I wanted her to. I LOVED IT! I will always cherish that memory. She always took such good care of us and would drop everything she was doing to meet our needs. Pretty spoiled.