Kids. I don’t have any. I don’t want any.
But don’t say I don’t love them. I absolutely love them.
I’ve spent the past few days babysitting for my nieces (ages 3 and 1) while Kevin and Jenn are on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico), and I have learned a few things about kids:
= a sippy cup is not the same thing as a bottle (no wonder Sadie wasn’t wanting her milk!)
= Missing a nap has the opposite effect one would think – instead of being extra tired at night, they are extra cranky and sleep-deprived (Jenny told me this for fact; I learned it first-hand when Mia went to a birthday party during naptime.)
= Help is so, so valuable. Colleen spent the weekend here with me. Jeff brought me dinner at night. Amy visited with her girls and they kept Mia company. My parents visited and the girls looked forward to that all day.
= Nothing beats PBS.
= The bouncy seat with toys all around it is a perfect distraction while I’m doing the dishes or cleaning the counters.
= The whole “why” game is completely annoying. Mom, I apologize. I’ve learned it’s very difficult to explain, in 3-year-old language, why it’s not ok to play with one’s, um, privates, in public or why it’s not ok to drink bath water after taking a bath in it or why coffee is for grownups.
= Games are great for kids that won’t eat. We played the “guess how many raisins I hid in your peanut butter sandwich by tasting game” and the “if you eat four bites then you can sing your sister a song” game. It worked!
= Nothing beats hearing, “I love you, Missa. Can you stay forever?” As challenging as this has been, I’d do it again in a heartbeat …
