Adventures in babysitting

I did something yesterday I haven't done in a long, long time.

I spent five hours with a 2 year old.

Give me 25 hormonal thirteen year olds and I am generally fine. No butterflies in the stomach. No paralyzing fear of 'what if they cry for five hours straight?'

but a 2 year old....  :-)

My niece and nephew just had their second baby, which came quite early and has been hanging out in the neonatal unit. They live about 30 minutes outside of the city and she's been having to drive back and forth so she can spend time with the little one, while at the same time trying to juggle a 2 year old who can't go in the unit. Unfortunately both sides of the family live 90 minutes away and people can't get in as often as we would like to help out.

Enter Jolie, with nothing but time on her hands. So I volunteered to go in and spend the day to free up mama to go to the hospital. Now this little one doesn't really know me all that well and the few times she's seen me she  has run and hid (ouch). So there was a risk of a really long day, but hey, what is life without risk.

Off I drove and arrived about 10:30. We spent a few minutes together before mama left. Much to my surprise, we had a great day. She learned to say my name and said it about 500 times throughout the day. I learned to interpret her baby speak, mostly. We played and played and played, mostly outside. They have a sandbox with the softest and smoothest sand I have seen in a long time. Very therapeutic actually. She kept stealing my shovel though :-)

We played with her puppy, who hasn't has as much love as he probably would like with the busy schedule of a new baby so he was happy. When I sang silly songs to her she put the shovel against my lips. I laughed and told her 'aunty likes to sing. lots. so get used to it'

I actually cried a bit when we were playing in the sand as I realized that her grandmother ( my sister) would never be able to do simple things like this with her, with her advancing MS. It just doesn't seem fair.

I was scared to leave her in the house to go in the yard to get anything as I had flash nightmares of her locking the patio door and me begging sweetly for her to let aunty into the house. Next time I ask for a key LOL

I was slightly disturbed by the Wiggles. It was my first time being forced to watch them. They were wearing leather pants. I found that difficult to process :-)

It was a great day. mama got time with her new baby without worrying about getting home. I got to bond with a great 2 year old who blew me kisses as I left.

Cost for the day - 1 tank of gas.

Mental and psychological boost - priceless