Why do you keep counting to three?

I wrote this last Friday night. I’m just now getting around to posting it. Life’s that busy right now.  (And I keep counting to three because I was responsible for three children and with even that small of a number, I kept feeling the need to take a tally)

I have just put two very exhausted boys to bed. Little Sister was in bed about fifteen minutes ago, lamenting her sleepiness as she hobbled up the stairs. They’ve had a busy day, so these normally well-mannered boys have been at each others’ throats since dinner, and the whining tipped me off to the true nature of the beast. That and the fact that Little Brother almost fell asleep in the car on the ten minute drive home from dinner.

I’m sitting on babies again. When I sit on babies, they love it because I will do all the things that their parents don’t do with them very often because life gets in the way. I was greeted at the door by Big Brother and Little Sister, and hadn’t made it in to the kitchen before they were asking if we could play Monopoly. Typically, I have a strong anti-Monopoly policy, but I make an exception every now and then.

It’s great for the kids, because I don’t have to carve out family time to do what the kids want to do… it’s why I’m there.  Their parents  always do make time for them, which is why their children are so well-behaved. (The well-behaved ones are the only ones I’ll keep).  When I’m with them, I’m at their beck and call and don’t have to even think about things like the laundry and the cooking and the bills and the life things that just get in the way.

This particular trio are frequent patrons of this little side-business I have going, and have referred me to more than one neighborhood family. We’ve settled in to our little weekend routines. We have our little rituals, like Friday night pizza. I have Friday night pizza, and have introduced it to more than one family in the neighborhood. After pizza, we watch a movie. Time for a few card games, and then it’s off to bed.
Their mom said we could order a movie on the television, but they love showing me the ones they already have watched. They love saying “This part is SO funny… you’re going to laugh so hard!” And they’re usually right.

I also love sitting on the babies because I don’t monopolize on the after-bed-time to get some stuff done or watch television- I go to bed shortly after I’m sure they’re asleep. I sleep better and longer when I’m away from home than when I’m there. It’s great.

Of course, with this little trio, I have to. They’re early risers, and sleeping in for them is 6:30. That’s a.m. They let me sleep until seven (apparently their parents have trained them to sit on the couch and watch cartoons and get along with each other until one of them wakes up).

So I better get off to bed…