The Baby-Sitters Club

Zachary continues to demonstrate his place as an overachiver; who else do you know who has started babysitting at the age of 8 months? Friends D & D called us up earlier in the week asking if we might be available to babysit their 2-year-old son N this morning while they were taking a class. We've hung out with N many times before (even babysitting a few times before Zachary was around), though usually it's both Meh and myself. However, today Meh had to be at work, so it was going to be an all-men's day! D & D wisely suggested their place, already child proofed and flush with N-friendly/familiar activities.

We got things started appropriately for an early morning babysit by being already awake. Repeatedly, all night long. Meh took the brunt of it; Zachary was up every hour or two - we're guessing it was his teething once more, and we hope that his gums stop bothering him soon. Two teeth still look ready to come through, but we've been saying that for months (and indeed, they just look more ready every day). Anyway, Zachary and I drove over and got the tour from D & D. N started things off for us so nicely, offering Zachary a rattle he used to play with. Zachary accepted and shook it happily for a few minutes; the treaty of Seattle was signed soon after. The rest of the morning was really nice, though certainly exhausting - we did all of the following, in no particular order:

• Played with a wide variety of toys. N made a show of emptying several boxes of small parts onto the floor early into the playdate; we made small attempts to tidy things before D & D got back - mostly futile.
• N got to watch a bit of his favorite movie - perhaps 20 minutes before he got bored with it. On the plus side, this was Zachary's one opportunity for a quick nap; at other times N seemed to want to engage and keep him awake - which is not to say he wasn't always very considerate and gentle with Zachary.
• I read a few books to the boys, including one of N's written by one of Zachary's newest favorite author/illustrators. I was impressed that Zachary seemed to recognize the illustration style as similar to the books we own, and he was very happy to look at/paw at the brightly colored pictures. All of us gathered on the couch, the boys were both entranced, and it was very cute.
• I sang a few songs. N had a book about the five little monkeys jumping on the bed, and I transitioned from reading to singing the song from our Putamayo CD. Zachary recognized and loved it, and N seemed entertained as well. Similarly a book about animal sounds turned into a Laurie Berkner favorite.
• We took a walk around the neighborhood. Zachary was in the bjorn, and N was self-mobile. Well, except the occasions when he wanted to see something up high (a ladder on the other side of a fence, the buds I was pointing out on a tree, etc.), at which time I had to pick him up and carry both boys for a bit. :)

Whew! D & D returned home (the home was hopefully mostly intact) and all five of us had lunch. Zachary, still exhausted from his late night, fell asleep right in the middle of eating some blueberry/apple sauce. I hadn't seen him sleep in my lap like that in a long time, so you know he must have been very tired.

Anyway, Meh was somewhat relieved to hear that I'd fared okay with the two boys. She admitted she'd been worried that I might be overwhelmed, and that this would perhaps cast some doubt on us having a second someday. (At this point, our Zachary grandparent readers lean forward in their seats.) But fear not, we really did have a good time and I think that some day in the future, I might just be able to occasionally handle two (Grandparents ask: "Are you sure not 3? 5 perhaps?") of our own.