The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Following a successful Driver Photo experience, Hil and I proceeded to the bank to open a bank account for Miley our babysitter.

Yes. I have hired a a babysitter. I have an almost 14 year old, and almost 13 year old, and now I have a babysitter, too.

I know. Seems like a overkill for kids who could clearly call 911 for any emergency themselves.

But as the summer approaches, I have been feeling guilty. Guilty that I have a job that consumes more time, energy and most of my pleasant disposition than is fair. Guilty that I have sent my kids to full day camp since they finished Kindergarten. And by "full day" I mean from 7:30 am to 6 pm just as though they were in school and aftercare. A long day of structured, planned fun with no down time, sunshine or rain, every day of summer that we a re not on a family vacation of some sort. Not much of a summer at all. Not like the summers Charlotte and I enjoyed at our swim club with our swim team and diving team and life guard class friends. No sleeping in. No lazing around. No neighborhood pick up games of whiffle ball, or touch football, or dashing through sprinklers.

So this year, without consulting Lars, who would surely object out of paranoia and cheapness, I enrolled on Care.com, composed an ad, and began reaching out to local college students who might be interested in a very part time babysitting job.

Four to five hours per day. I didn't need to pay anyone to watch my kids sleep nearly until lunch time.
Five days per week, every other week, due to my whack-o custody arrangement.
Must have own transportation and be willing to drive kids to activities (that I would pay for) including the pool. A car. Not a bus, bike or Segway.
And speaking of pools, they'd need to supervise at the pool, and should be comfortable with young swimmers. I would spring for the nanny membership. They need to spring for keeping them from drowning or drowning each other.
Not really babysitting per se, more ensuring that no one has ice cream for lunch and neither kid does anything that they would normally try to get away with if they thought no one would find out.
Primary goal is safety, and helping them learn to be responsible. Pick up after themselves. Not traipse though the living room leaving a trail of wet clothes and towels and other debris on the hardwood floors, for instance.

The list of local sitters and their price ranges came up as soon as I placed my ad (and paid my first payment of $35 with my credit card) I skipped over the ones that were more than a couple of miles away. They'd eventually get tired of spending an hour's pay on gas just getting to my house. I vetoed the grandmotherly ones; J's mother had forever prejudiced my kids about sweet looking little chubby old ladies who were really just as mean as spit when it got right down to it. I panned the stay at home moms who would bring their children to my home or happily sit for my kids in theirs.

No. This summer would need to be custom designed to cater to my kids. I'd be willing to wait for just the right person.

Enter Miley.