Well, I just got back from my last day of babysitting little Olivia, (at least until next m0nth), the daughter of some friends of ours, and once again, I am worn out but very happy. How can you not love a job where you don’t even have to brush the bed-head out of your hair… and you get to hang out with that little bundle of crazy sweetness?
I tried once again to get her to eat healthy foods… and I failed… and I caved in and made her more cinnamon toast… because I am weak… and she has those eyes…
Yeah… those eyes…
I get to hang out with her, and be her friend, and make her laugh, make funny sounds, work on her talking, and explain the world to her…
And we get to look for airplanes…
We go on walks…
And then I carry her when she is done walking.
I get to help her work on her signature modeling look… the ‘squishy face’…
And I get to give her tips on Muppet grooming.
That is her ‘I like you’ gesture, pointing and hugging her hand to her face… seriously… and I get paid for this…
Pouring My Art Out 
You taught to poor child about life? She’s probably going to have nightmares about crack squirrels now.
not about my life…
Phew!
I would never do that
She is a cutie.
yup
I hope you’re not teaching her any bad habits Art…
no… words… animal sounds… colors… recognition, precognition… okay, there was the one game where I would grab her wrist gently and clap her hands together while saying ‘clap clap clap’ and moving my face slowly closer, and then when I was close enough, I would smack her hands of both my cheeks and say: clappy face!’… but I soon… after doing it a hundred times because she squealed with joy when I did it, I realized that her mom or dad might be holding her and she would suddenly smack them on the cheeks, so I stopped, told them about it when they got home… and apologized.
Ha! I’m sitting here laughing. that is funny. I’ve often gotten into trouble babysitting by either teaching something or allowing something. Ha! When our kids were about 4 and 6, they would still wander into the master bedroom at night. Marie wanted this stopped so I put inside door locks (you know the type where the knob pops in to lock) on the doors. After I did this i realized that the master closet that had a door into the bathroom, could conceivably have a locked door on both sides. This would result in anyone inside the closet being locked in. This bothered me so I showed both kids how to pop the locks from the other side with a paperclip or coat hanger or anything wire-like. I made them promise not to do it unless they were locked in or it was an emergency. Of course it was the next day that the young lad walked into the locked bedroom while my wife was dressing. ha! He ratted me out and she railed on me for showing them how to unlock all the doors. Oh well.
Even I draw the line at teaching kids to break and enter…
Ha! But what if they had gotten locked in/
it is called ‘learning at the school of life’… you would have come home sooner or later and let them out.
Ooooo, you’re a meanie Mr. Grinch. ha!
It is called survival of the fittest…