Not this weekend.
I am babysitting my eldest grandson, Eliot, now 6 years old(or almost to his 7th birthday as he would tell you), and his two young sisters. They are Nora, age-2.5 years and Bianca who is 16 months. Their mom and dad gleefully boarded an airplane for the Grand Canyon to discover the joys of hiking down and back out over Easter weekend, along with SouthWestern sister and her husband, who planned this venture months ago. They did smile rather mysteriously as they left, I am remembering now.
I first decided I may have overstepped my abilities to survive, as mom and dad's car backed out of my driveway and Nora screamed,to no one in particular,"I'M NOT TAKING A BATH!!" I promise you, I had not mentioned my love of bathing small children.
This followed by non-stop chatter about what we were having for supper -"I don't like soup Grammy" she chirped,as I chopped up the last carrot, placing it lovingly in the chicken noodle soup-pot I'd slaved over all afternoon. No Campbell's soup for these babies, home-made, yessiree, only the healthiest for them! Eliot looked at the pot simmering on my stovetop and exclaimed, "gee grammy, Im not even hungry". Ok It was just one meal out of many, after all they were staying almost a week. I could handle this, I have raised 7 children, had various daycare experiences under my widening belt, and even now work with pre-schoolers in the private sector. What was so hard about babysitting 3 kids whom I adored,and then of course adding little man Ethan on Sunday and taking them all to church? Piece of cake, cinch, no problemo, Who are these people who retire and never care for their own grandchildren? My, my, tsk tsk.
Things went smoothly really: supper eaten,albeit reluctantly,toys cleaned up(Grammy likes a clean LR floor you know) pajamas on,teeth brushed, baths avoided for the first night I assured Nora smugly, prayers said, Jesus loves me sung, dirty clothes gathered, dishes cleaned up, bibs washed for the next meal(why is breakfast so close in time to supper I ask??), floor given over to the dog not the mop, and the need to put them to bed the exact time their mommy told me to- hardly a problem.
Except, of course, it was 7:00 pm and as I collapsed in the chair, heaved a huge sigh of WHAT? RELIEF?? me, the mother of so many who capably raised an entire brood of little chicks a mere dozen years previously?? threw my feet up, and realized I had only had them since 5:30 pm, it was now 7:30 pm and there were 5 days to go. I think I may miss church this week.
Oh my, like I said, My age is showing....
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