ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING

Yesterday I babysat for the Merrils all day. I really enjoyed it! Their kids are really easy. When I got there at 3:00 David was just waking up from his nap. He is so cute! I love how he doesn't cry anymore when I'm there! I played with him, Alex, and Mark for a while. Then Alex was hungry so he had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. While Alex was eating I was feeding David. He is hard to feed because he can't have gluten and now he can't have dairy temporally. He had rice, pears, and olives. His mom said he would probably spit the olives out and sure enough he did! He wanted more olives from the bag but not his spit out ones! He ate plenty of rice and all the pairs though. After David and Alex were done eating ( it was now probably 5:00) I cleaned up the kitchen for the FIRST time. David was making a mess with everything so I got Mark and told him he could either clean up the kitchen or play with David. He chose to play with David. They went outside while I cleaned up. I unloaded their dishwasher and did all the dishes and cleaned up the floor over where David ate because he made a big mess. It was now about 5:30. Mark and David came in and Mark asks, " Whats for dinner?" I had forgotten that he hadn't eaten! I told him to find what ever he wanted and I would make it for him. He got mac and cheese out and I started to play with David again. Mark said, " The mac and cheese is sitting on the cabinet waiting to be cooked." I thought about going to cook it but then I thought David really can't be left alone cause he gets in to EVERYTHING! I told Mark again that he could either play with David or cook his dinner. He didn't like that at all but decided to cook his dinner because he said his mom had made him play with David all day. I went outside with David, he ran around, went down his slide, and explored everywhere! I took him inside to see what the other 2 boys were doing Mark was eating and Alex was playing on the computer. I looked at Mark's dinner and the noddles were still white and he had put spaghetti sauce on them. He looked at me and said, " I cooked it wrong. I put too much water or something in it. The cheese didn't mix with the noodles." I found out he had probably put the cheese and other things in with the water. He should have drained the water first, but he was happy so it was fine! Mark went back and played with his leggos ( it was now about 6:00.) I looked at the kitchen and he had made a big mess. But Alex made perfect timing! He came out and I asked him if he would take David out in his little car and take him for a ride in the backyard ( David loves riding in Alex's car.) Alex didn't want to but since they are such good boys he did! I cleaned up the kitchen again and I noticed every once in a while Alex would drive up to the door, see me still cleaning, kind of roll his eyes in a way, then take David around again. I finished cleaning and David and Alex came in. Alex wanted a popsicle and David wanted cheese, but he couldn't have any because he can't have dairy! Through out the day he would also ask for milk! I felt so bad because he couldn't have any. He cried for a while but then I gave him a type of popsicle he could have ( he can't have the regular kind.) The 2 boys and I went back outside with the popsicles, David was making a mess with it on his face, of course. David decided he was done with his and gave it to me in my hand. I took them inside, cleaned up David, played with them a little more. Alex went downstairs to play with leggos with Mark. Then David was asking for another popsicle, or as he says it, " sopicle!" I gave him another one and we went outside and wondered around again. He was messer with this one, it was dripping all the way down his legs! We went inside and he wanted to go downstairs with his brothers, but he can't with a popsicle so I took it away from him, he started CRYING! I tried to take him back outside, but he didn't like that so I just threw the popsicle away, cleaned him up and let him play downstairs. At 7:00 I had him ready for bed held him in my arms for awhile and sang some primary songs. I then put him in his crib and continued to sing to him for a while. The CUTEST thing happened when I started singing, " I am a Child of God." He started to sing with ME! He will be 2 in June! I thought it was SO cute! He didn't know all the words but he would mutter them after me. I would sing, " I am a child of God." Then he would sing the word God! When it got to the chorus he knew almost all of those words! He would sing, " Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way!" He was SO cute! When it came to the words, " Parents kind and dear," he would take my hand with his little fingers and hold it! I sang that song over and over again because of that! I left the room a little after that and let him fall asleep. It was about 7:30 so Alex got ready for bed and I read him a story. Mark went to bed at 8:30, or so I thought he did! I found him up at 9:00 still playing with the leggos. I told him to go bed, then caught him up at 9:30. He finally went to bed then. The parents got home about 10:30 and drove me home. It was a GREAT day!