Babysitters And Other Thoughts

I would tell you how hot it is today, but I think I've really exhausted that subject for awhile. Instead, let's go with this – it's Friday!!! Yay! Friday!

Before we go any further, let me just tell you that older daughter and her hubby left this morning to go on a cruise. For a couple of days, hubby's mom has their two kids – as of Sunday, it's our turn to have them. For a week. So if I don't get around to writing any blogs next week, please understand – I'll be held hostage by a 4-year-old whirlwind and her 14-year-old brother! We're really looking forward to the time with them, but I'm sure it'll be different from our normal day-to-day activities!

I decided I'd feel better today if I got all my instructions for next week consolidated – my kids are so much like me! Older daughter emailed me a three-page document on the details of the kids' normal days. Beyond that, there were five emails between when I touched base with her Wednesday night around 8 and yesterday morning. Add to that numerous text messages last night, and I felt better after going through everything piece by piece and getting all notes together. I feel ready to handle things.

My parents didn't really believe in “babysitters” when I was a kid. One fall, I have vague memories of Dad working for the State Highway Department on a temp job that overlapped with Mom's job. A few years when I was small, she did seasonal work in the fall at a toy factory in Braymer. For a few weeks, our good neighbors up the hill babysat me during the day.

I wasn't very old, but I had been going to their house since I was born – they were my stand-in grandparents. They had no children or grandchildren of their own, and it wasn't very far up the hill to their house. In fact, that was where I went when I ran away from home. I was as comfortable at their house as I was my own. Legend has it that one day that fall they were headed to town for groceries, through the gravel roads. At a four-way intersection in the country, where you could see a long way in every direction, the husband went through the intersection only to have me inform him that I believed S-T-O-P spelled “stop”.

My paternal grandfather lived in Bogard as far back as I can remember. My paternal grandmother, though, lived in Independence until I was 12 or so. Also, my maternal grandparents lived in Jefferson City until I was 12. I didn't see any of them often, so having the substitute grandparents up the hill was really nice. And it was comforting having them as babysitters for that short amount of time, even though I can barely remember it.

The only other time I remember having a “babysitter” was, I believe, my Mom's 15^th high school reunion. They left me with her cousin, who lived half a mile down the road, for the evening. What a wonderful time! I visited with these cousins all the time – but during the day they were as busy as you might imagine for a farm family with seven kids. But on a Saturday night, all the chores were done and everyone was available for playing outside all evening. I had a blast. I often wished Mom and Dad would leave me more – especially if I could spend the time at that house!

In late fall of my senior year of high school, a cousin on my Dad's side of the family had a horrific car wreck. It really changed the course of the entire family. He was in ICU at Menorah Hospital in KC for weeks, then transferred to University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia until mid July. His brother stayed at his side in the hospital for a long time. My folks took me to stay with his wife and kids for the next night. That wasn't really babysitting – unless you figure we may have been babysitting each other! No one wanted either of us to be alone. That was a really long night. We weren't sure when the phone might ring with bad news, so it was really hard to go to sleep. We sat up until very late watching TV, then slept very sporadically.

When my kids came along, I didn't use babysitters regularly when they were small. But I was all too glad to have an occasional break away from them! I think it did us all good.