Saying Goodbye

I am in the throes of despair.  No, it's not my waistline or the complete inability of my Turtles to sleep through the freaking night (although those certainly merit despair.)  I'm distraught because our babysitter is going away to college and next Wednesday is her last day. 

"But Mama Mama," you say, "didn't you already say goodbye to the best babysitter in the whole world last summer?"  Yes, I did but because the universe seems to take mercy on my pathetic attempt at twin parenting, I found another gem of a helper several months ago.

When I posted my ad on Craig's List last fall I was not optimistic.  We had just fired another babysitter who had as much energy as roadkill even though she came with rave reviews from a fellow parent at Vivi's nursery school.  When the replies to my ad came in,  I was certain I was destined to grieve the loss of our beloved Brown student forever.  Every single response contained bad grammar, ridiculous claims, and obvious misspellings.  I had one woman call me interested in the job only to tell me that the last children she babysat for were a couple of brats!  (I really wish I were kidding here.)

Then came Sara's response.  It was coherent and sweet.  She was obviously bright and when she showed up for the interview, I knew my prayers had been answered.  Sara has more energy than anyone I know.  She plays babies with my girls and actually enjoys herself.  She knows what needs to be done without being told and at the ripe ol' age of 18, I feel completely confident leaving her with all three of my daughters.

I think I could cope with Sara's departure a little better if my girls were not so attached to her.  At around 4:00 every day, they wait by the picture window looking for her car.  When she pulls up, Ellie starts yelling, "Herah!  Herah!"  Jude runs to the door with her arms open and Vivi has the dolls ready to go.  They adore her and Sara loves them and I can't imagine anyone taking her place.

So, as I post my ad again, I am wondering if it possible to be so lucky a third time.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Halfway There Giveaway

Image
At the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to myself and to Dollimama  (my fellow blogger and mother of twins) to take a few minutes each week for myself.  I promised that I would blog about what I did every Friday and link up to her site.   As it turns out, I was great at taking the time for myself but not so good at blogging about it.  (I know you are heartbroken to have missed my weekly missives about the YMCA.) Do not despair, fair reader, I am here to redeem myself.  I am participating in the: Cue the wild cheering and applause! I am giving away a little "me time" care package. While I won't give the specifics (who doesn't love a surprise?), the package will include something you can do for yourself, something you can do with a friend, and something that will help you do something for someone else.   To enter, please leave a comment telling me the most interesting place you have ever traveled. For a bonus entry, become a follower of this bl...
Read more

Peace and Quiet

My girls spend a lot of time together.  Jude and Elie are inseparable for all the reasons associated with young twins and, apart from when she is in school, Vivi is home with them.  Vivi will often try to engage her sisters in her games which generally consist of bossing J&E around in the name of playing "school" or "dance class" or "summer camp." The problem is that Jude and Elie drive Vivi crazy.  They don't listen.  They don't follow her directions and even worse, they are full of their own ideas.  Oh, and sometimes they just. won't. stop. touching. her. stuff.  The few harmonious moments of sibling love quickly spiral into a three-way battle for control. I've tried to talk with Vivi about some of the ways that she can deal with her sisters.  Her first step is what we have called the counter-offensive.  She put this sign on her door: JUDE OR ELIYA CAN'T COME IN!!!!! This is Aviva's room.  Onle [only] mom and dad c...
Read more

What Is a Good Mother?

For the most part, I think I am a good mother.  I feed, clothe, and clean my children.  I tell them I love them.  I give them independence and encouragement.  I read to them and play games with them and drive them places.  I try to utilize positive reinforcement. Except when I don't.  There are times when I lose it.  When I throw a (plastic) plate across the kitchen because it is 8:00 at night and I told you it was bed time and not snack time.  When the whining is so insufferable that all I can do is shout "STOP IT NOW!!!!!!" at the top of my lungs so that I stun you into silence.  When I have to ask you for the tenth time to put the god-damned markers away because I am fed-up with scrubbing ink off the walls and floors.  When I tell you, "You know what?  I don't actually like that drawing." because I'm feeling spiteful that that you called dinner "disgusting." I've done all those things.  Some of them I've done more than on...
Read more