Babysitting 101

A Very Happy Pair

My wife and I shook off the rust of several decades and became the primary babysitter for our granddaughter overnight. We offered to take care of her so Cali-Daughter and Wingman could have a bona fide night to themselves. They took us up on the offer which would represent the first time mother and daughter had been away from each other overnight since they met. It turned out to be tougher for mom than for daughter.

Nap Monitoring in the 21st Century

They left us with a well-defined guide on what was expected of us and a rudimentary explanation of the new technology they employed. That was kind of cool as they have an infrared camera which monitors the sleeping baby even in complete darkness. This is linked to an IPad so we would know when she was awake from her nap. I got home from work to find her still asleep and spent the next twenty minutes staring at the screen wishing for her to wake up. It’s different for grandparents than parents who would probably be praying for the opposite.

Cart Pushing Around the House

While her parents snuck away to a local hotel and a night on the town the First Blog Reader conducted extensive training of the grandparents.  She’s a very active young lady and my back was certainly barking at me after a few hours of following her around to make the necessary course corrections to whatever cart she was pushing around the house. When she woke up for her afternoon nap we had to tour the entire house and I got the sense she was searching for the missing parents but she seemed to take their absence in stride. I’d like to think that’s a tribute to how much fun we have together and how comfortable she’s getting with us.

The Team at Work

The Final Solution

We took a break from our walks around the house to completely re-arrange the Nativity Scene once again. She eventually settled on having a stuffed dog in the manger surrounded by all the buildings she could fit in it. I played a key role in supplying the artiste with whatever object was to be placed next. She would point and I was expected to pick up the correct one. If I picked up the wrong one she would shake her head, say “no”, and deliver a penetrating look which obviously questioned my intelligence. A correct choice was rewarded with a room alighting smile. I could have done this for hours, just for the smiles. The amazing thing was she did this all while fragrantly filling her diaper. I employed my “go to” tactic of pulling my t-shirt over my nose (used when confronted with canine flatulence) but she was having none of that. She pulled the t-shirt down each time. Apparently this was an olfactory experience we were meant to share. When she completed her task(s) she was overcome with emotion at her accomplishment(s) and started clapping and screaming in pleasure. It was the highlight of my day.

Helping with Dishwasher

We had a lot of fun at dinner where she seems to really enjoy having other people eating at the same time she does. If she feels you are not paying sufficient attention to her antics she will stop eating and stare at you until your behavior improves. After dinner she took another whack at re-arranging my wife’s spice racks and pitched in to help unload the dishwasher.

Bathtime

All too soon it was time for her nightly bath which she loves. She’s quite a splasher and likes making swimming motions with her hands underwater. After the bath I was summarily ordered out of her presence because it was the pre-bedtime quiet period and I am a known purveyor of excitement (who knew!). I spent the next half hour glued to the monitor watching her as she tried to fall asleep. Child care is so much more fun as a grandparent.