March 23 09

last night i babysat for my niece Keira so everyone could go and see Emily belt out “The Winner Takes It All” in her school’s version of Mamma Mia. I hear she was perfect and amazing and incredible and all that jazz.

emilymia2

(i will be the judge of that tonight, when it’s my turn to weep my way through her solo see her)

when Adina asked me if i’d babysit, i didn’t hesitate, obviously, i mean, Adina was THE aunt who put in the extra aunt time. Granted, she was unmarried and unbabied at the time, but

adina1

adina2

she was ALWAYS there. i couldn’t even venture a guess as to how many diapers this girl has changed for me. how many bottles she’s given. how many songs she’s sung. how many books she’s read. how many noses she’s wiped.

no matter how much i want to, i could NEVER repay her. ever.

lucky for me, though, that the combination of Keira being, like, THE world’s most laid back child AND the fact that i have an Indiana, the job was an easy one. all i really had to do was feed her (6 bowls of pasta) and give her free access to the dog and she was happy. because i will admit, i was a little nervous. i mean, i haven’t changed a diaper in OVER A YEAR. I haven’t given someone a bottle in over two years. and occasionally, i may have this habit of making babies cry just by looking at them…

but. there were no tears. it was smooth sailing.

i did, at one point, need to remove her face and tongue from Indy’s bowl, though.

HAHAHAHA.

(and she DID point at me and say “neigh” which i’d really like to believe she was point at me as if to say, “hey! Aunt Ali! That over there is a picture of a horse!”)

(i’m the best babysitter ever. they don’t just give out those babysitting certificates to anyone, you know. i had to pass a course at the JCC when i was 12. 12! holy crap. i can’t believe that i babysat for other peoples’ children WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. i wasn’t responsible enough to get myself dressed for school on time when i was 12, yet i was babysitting for infants. infants)

keiraali

(fine. this photo IS not from ali’s babysitting adventure . but my camera was being used last night for play pictures. forgive me)

-
  1. What a cutie! Such gorgeous hair on your niece!

    Comment by Steph on March 23, 2009
  2. She is SO adorable. I would have been freaking out too – it’s crazy how fast you forget the baby stuff!

    Angellas last blog post..So What?

    Comment by Angella on March 23, 2009
  3. Yay, Emily! Wish I could see her performance.

    My own Adina is my sister Edna. When #1 was being born, she was in the labour room with my husband and me. For #2’s birth, she babysat a sick and feverish #1. And ever since, she’s been a most patient and indulgent sitter to both.
    Alas, she and her husband haven’t been able to have babies of their own. I fear I will never find a way to completely repay her.

    Comment by Nenette on March 23, 2009
  4. i bet emily rocked her solo!and what a cute baby.

    Comment by LAVENDULA on March 23, 2009
  5. What a bunch of cuties!!!

    I know what you mean about babysitting at a young age. I babysat full-time for a lady when I was 11 or 12. I watched him 9 hours a day and took him in town to get ice cream ON MY OWN.

    I guess you get what you pay for, though. She only paid me $40/week. That’s less than $1/hr!!! And before you say “that was a long time ago,” that was in 1992-93! Man, that summer sucked.

    Comment by loren on March 23, 2009
  6. Oh she’s so cute!
    Glad you two got along so well.
    And I’m hoping there’s a vid from Miss Emily’s performance to check out.

    monstergirlees last blog post..A Windy Spring Day With Sun

    Comment by monstergirlee on March 23, 2009
  7. Can’t wait to hear your take on Emily’s performance (and can I ask how a class of that age group stages a play that has a swirly center about paternity?)

    Your niece is gorgeous, but then I think both sides of your family tree is!

    fadkogs last blog post..tonight’s episode – ‘the case of the filched fire wood!’

    Comment by fadkog on March 23, 2009
  8. I babysat at 12 as well and I still can not believe people left their infants with me at that age.

    I am so owed mad babysitting when I have kids someday! I have logged many hours and even weekends babysitting for the entire east coast!

    Comment by The Bossy Yankee on March 23, 2009
  9. Super cute. I did the 12 thing too – I can’t believe people left their kids in my care…

    Comment by texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvana on March 23, 2009
  10. wow time flies!
    I could swear that this baby was just born!!
    She is super duper adorable!! And all that hair…

    Comment by Christine on March 23, 2009
  11. Enjoy your night. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s post about it.

    Comment by SciFi Dad on March 23, 2009
  12. aaaaw. thanks. but, seriously – have you seen those ridiculously cute faces??? how could i not have spent all my free time with them?!?! oh, and by the way, i think considering the free clothes for life – we can pretty much call it even! (p.s. cute pics, but i look really weird!)

    Comment by adina on March 23, 2009
  13. I can’t believe she’s sining that song – it’s one of my favorites! I can’t wait to hear how wonderful she was!

    TUWABVBs last blog post..I’m Back and In Love

    Comment by TUWABVB on March 23, 2009
  14. 50 eight year olds singing Mamma Mia? Wow. That is truly a show that only a mother could love.

    Comment by MonsteRawr on March 24, 2009
  15. I am glad things went well with Keira. I am also glad you saved her from eating dog food!

    Tell us about Emily’s performance!

    Comment by WickedStepMom on March 24, 2009
  16. That baby’s cuteness is making my ovaries ACHE.

    Comment by mamatulip on March 24, 2009
  17. I loved the movie Mama Mia – I got married right around the time it came out so it was great timing. I’m sure Miss Emily broke a leg (in the good, Broadway kind of way), and yes, I too wonder how they gloss over the “your mom slept with three men and doesn’t really know who your dad is” aspect of the plot…

    Comment by Jen on March 24, 2009
  18. It takes a true friend to babysit your kids. And help you bury the body. Not that I would know on either counts, of course. Ahem.

    Mooses last blog post..Last of the Bile, Promise

    Comment by Moose on March 24, 2009
  19. I am the best Auntie ever. Maybe the best babysitter too. But I only ever babysit people related to me, so I may be wrong.

    But I’m awesome because I let them do the things mom won’t let them do, like watch movies and eat ice cream and play Wii until their eyeballs fall out.

    Kristabellas last blog post..Bacon Thinks Stupid People Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Google

    Comment by Kristabella on March 25, 2009
  20. I never babysat as a kid, not until I had kids of my own. Man, other people’s kids make me so nervous!

    Glad it went well!

    Comment by Jennifer, Playgroups are no place for children on March 25, 2009
-

Allowed tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>