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Adventures in Babysitting
Jul. 26th, 2004 06:55 pm... and doesn't that evoke memories of the '80's.
On Saturday I got the opportunity to babysit for the first time since high school (oh lo, those many years ago - do the math if it's really that important to you). And I'm not kidding, it was an opportunity. Rya is the cutest little bratling, and I'm sure there were dozens of people battering down her parents' doors, vying for the right to have Rya spend the night. And I won! Without even knowing there was a contest!
Anyway, T. asked me to babysit about a week earlier, I agreed, and then spent the next week cleaning. Really, the poor kid should not have to slog her way through cat hair and dust six inches deep just to come play at my house.
T. gave me the rundown the night before on the phone (we'll be there 4-4:30, she'll eat anything, she loves her Scooby-Doo DVD, bottle at 8-8:30, bed 8:30-9). Everything went according to plan. They got there about 4:15, showed me what they'd packed for her so I didn't have to rummage in the diaper bag in a panic, plunked her on the couch, turned on Scooby-Doo, kissed her goodbye, and left.
First surprise, no tears when momma and daddy leave. I've never babysat a kid who didn't cry about being left in a strange house. Not only did Rya not cry, I really don't think she cared. T.'s hair blocked her view of the TV for a second when she kissed Rya goodbye. I think she was a little upset about that. So yay, no tears.
We watched Scooby-Doo. (Just to be clear - a DVD containing 4 episodes of the cartoon, not the movie as I was thinking.) During the last one I started supper. Well, first I had to do some dishes, then I started supper. Every babysitter in the world knows what I made - Kraft Dinner. Easy, every kid loves it, can't go wrong. Made some frozen veggies to go with it. Set Rya up at the table after Scooby-Doo was over. Tried again with a pillow on the chair. Without the pillow, her little eyes were about level with the table. It would have made a really cute picture, but would have been messy. She ate her KD, she ate her vegetables (what kid eats vegetables?), we washed off, then we played outside for a bit. There were other kids playing on the equipment, so we wandered over, but Rya was shy. The other kids weren't. They talked and talked, wanted to play with Rya, told me their life story, etc. We only stayed out a little while, then we went back in, and Rya ate more supper. Then we coloured, watched more Scooby-Doo (tv is perfect for telling time). After the third Scooby, I gave her a bath (actually, she gave herself a bath while I watched - so cute!) and got her changed for bed. Back downstairs, gave her a bottle while we watched the last Scooby-Doo, then bed right after, at about 10 to 9. I even managed to stick to the schedule (I never used to do that with BJ - he always stayed up late.)
She went to bed no problem, no tears, not even any "No!". She was actually agreeable all night. Anything I suggested, she said okay. I watched TV quietly downstairs for a while, one ear cocked for screaming or thumping (I was a little worried about her falling out of bed.) No sounds. I checked on her at 10. She was sideways on the bed, no covers, and her feet were hanging over the edge. I just pulled the blankets over her, rather than trying to slide her up. When I checked her at 11:30 though, I did have to move her. She was at the bottom of the bed, still sideways, but her knees were over the side. I slid her up and closer to the wall. She kind of woke, but not really. Not enough to cry, anyway. The parents showed up around 12 for her. When T. picked her up, she looked really confused. It's a good thing she didn't wake when I moved her, or there would have been screaming.
So that was my adventure in babysitting, which was no adventure at all. Really, she was the perfect child. I've decided it was all a horrible plan so I'll do it again, and Rya can act up to her heart's content. (I know she can do it, too.) But I'd do it again in a heartbeat, cause she's just so adorable!
On Saturday I got the opportunity to babysit for the first time since high school (oh lo, those many years ago - do the math if it's really that important to you). And I'm not kidding, it was an opportunity. Rya is the cutest little bratling, and I'm sure there were dozens of people battering down her parents' doors, vying for the right to have Rya spend the night. And I won! Without even knowing there was a contest!
Anyway, T. asked me to babysit about a week earlier, I agreed, and then spent the next week cleaning. Really, the poor kid should not have to slog her way through cat hair and dust six inches deep just to come play at my house.
T. gave me the rundown the night before on the phone (we'll be there 4-4:30, she'll eat anything, she loves her Scooby-Doo DVD, bottle at 8-8:30, bed 8:30-9). Everything went according to plan. They got there about 4:15, showed me what they'd packed for her so I didn't have to rummage in the diaper bag in a panic, plunked her on the couch, turned on Scooby-Doo, kissed her goodbye, and left.
First surprise, no tears when momma and daddy leave. I've never babysat a kid who didn't cry about being left in a strange house. Not only did Rya not cry, I really don't think she cared. T.'s hair blocked her view of the TV for a second when she kissed Rya goodbye. I think she was a little upset about that. So yay, no tears.
We watched Scooby-Doo. (Just to be clear - a DVD containing 4 episodes of the cartoon, not the movie as I was thinking.) During the last one I started supper. Well, first I had to do some dishes, then I started supper. Every babysitter in the world knows what I made - Kraft Dinner. Easy, every kid loves it, can't go wrong. Made some frozen veggies to go with it. Set Rya up at the table after Scooby-Doo was over. Tried again with a pillow on the chair. Without the pillow, her little eyes were about level with the table. It would have made a really cute picture, but would have been messy. She ate her KD, she ate her vegetables (what kid eats vegetables?), we washed off, then we played outside for a bit. There were other kids playing on the equipment, so we wandered over, but Rya was shy. The other kids weren't. They talked and talked, wanted to play with Rya, told me their life story, etc. We only stayed out a little while, then we went back in, and Rya ate more supper. Then we coloured, watched more Scooby-Doo (tv is perfect for telling time). After the third Scooby, I gave her a bath (actually, she gave herself a bath while I watched - so cute!) and got her changed for bed. Back downstairs, gave her a bottle while we watched the last Scooby-Doo, then bed right after, at about 10 to 9. I even managed to stick to the schedule (I never used to do that with BJ - he always stayed up late.)
She went to bed no problem, no tears, not even any "No!". She was actually agreeable all night. Anything I suggested, she said okay. I watched TV quietly downstairs for a while, one ear cocked for screaming or thumping (I was a little worried about her falling out of bed.) No sounds. I checked on her at 10. She was sideways on the bed, no covers, and her feet were hanging over the edge. I just pulled the blankets over her, rather than trying to slide her up. When I checked her at 11:30 though, I did have to move her. She was at the bottom of the bed, still sideways, but her knees were over the side. I slid her up and closer to the wall. She kind of woke, but not really. Not enough to cry, anyway. The parents showed up around 12 for her. When T. picked her up, she looked really confused. It's a good thing she didn't wake when I moved her, or there would have been screaming.
So that was my adventure in babysitting, which was no adventure at all. Really, she was the perfect child. I've decided it was all a horrible plan so I'll do it again, and Rya can act up to her heart's content. (I know she can do it, too.) But I'd do it again in a heartbeat, cause she's just so adorable!
