Hanging with the Little ones

I baby sat this morning after class. Yes, I know, kind of out of character BUT it was actually fun. In junior high and high school I would baby sit here and there but HATED it most of the time. Most kids just annoy me, especially when they know that I'm "in charge" for the time being. I like kids when someone else is taking care of them and then I can just entertain them. The thing is when you are "the baby-sitter" it becomes this game with the kids where "ooohh let's be bad and make the baby sitter mad." Yeah that game is annoying. You also have to deal with the kids fighting over your attention, the kids beating on each other, the kids beating on other objects, the kids screaming, crying and throwing tantrums JUST FOR KICKS - nothing legitimate ever really happens to allow for such obnoxious behavior.

Last summer and the one before I would Nanny for a sister and brother, Conor and Megan, but it was the coolest ever because they were older - like 7 and 11. It was sweet because I got paid to take them to swimming, play games like basketball, baseball and soccer and help them with their mathematics, have them read, play video games, watch movies, watch the Discover Channel - my favorite. They were incredibly well behaved and mature for their age.

Well today's experience wasn't too shabby. The women's team had a meeting at church and I got to hang out with Tommy and Kalley. Notice how I say "hang out" not "babysit." They were so cute and fun to play with. I guess Kalley is just like how I was when I was younger - my mom told me this - I reminded her, though, that I really didn't know how I was when I was little. But I do know that, from pictures, Kalley and I looked a whole lot alike. The best part was playing hide and seek in the new auditorium - ofcourse I made the sound booth and stage - and other areas - off limits (for those of you who are freaking out about the expensive equipment). I loved the contrast in expression of how sad Kalley would be when she couldn't find where Tommy and I were hiding and how it turned immediately to extreme excitement when she would find us laying across the pews or crouching under tables. Well after playing farmer, cook, "baby-protector," constructor, artist, eating snacks and having a stuffed animal fight, the Mom's were done. Tommy and Kalley parted with their drawings saying "thank you tentical" -which could be translated to tent-nical, tent-nicole. and nicole. - I also got tagged "pizza girl"... I suppose their mother told them she saw me at Papa John's when she came to pick up her order.