Further Adventures in Babysitting

It's been a pretty busy week for me. I can't even remember what I did on Monday at this point. I wanted to blog so badly yesterday, but there just wasn't any time.

So... yesterday I found myself in that very professional, responsible, and adult role of ... BABYSITTER. Yes, I got to babysit! And it wasn't even for family this time. My friend is working a lot at her new job, and she needed me to watch her little guy *K*. If you know me, you know how much I enjoy babysitting, but I agreed to help pretty quickly.

*K* just turned 2, so he's the youngest charge I've had in quite a long time. We get along very well, though, because... well... he loves me! Yeah, he is somewhat infatuated with me for some odd reason. My friend thinks it's funny that he picks the one person who is not so "into" kids to gravitate to. He's been known to walk through a large crowd of people only to come directly to me and raise his arms up, asking to be held.

(Here we are at the start of our relationship. You can see he was much younger, and my hair was much shorter.)

Anyway, *K* and I do need to work on our communication skills, though. He told me all sorts of things yesterday. About what? I have no idea. It kinda went like this:

*K*: Assiiiii (pointing out the window)

Me: Outside?

*K*: Assiiiiii!

Me: Outside? What's outside?

After awhile he took me upstairs because he wanted to see the kitty. We found kitty napping on the sectional, and we woke her up. Kitty went to eat, and we went and watched her. Then we decided to watch Nemo. We were somewhat fascinated with Nemo, enough to keep our attention. Finally, *K* climbed up next to me, and we watched it together. Our favorite part was when Dory told Marlin to "just keep swimming...swimming...swimming... just keep swimming". We looked at each other and laughed.

When it was time to go downstairs to get ready for the relief babysitter to pick him up, we almost had a bit of a spill. *K* wanted me to carry him down the stairs. I told him to slide down the stairs like he had just done awhile ago. Nope, he wanted to be carried, so he stood there at the top of the stairs holding his arms out to me. I'm trying to grab him before he takes a flying leap, while holding two cups and something else I can't remember, and as I lean in to brace myself against the steps, I fall to my knees on the step. Ouch!! *K* laughs. I laugh. Oh boy... (sigh) We both managed to get down the stairs in one piece.

Piece of cake!

Wordless Wednesday

Margaret Becker in concert

Brushing Up on Scripture Memorization

Having grown up attending Christian school and church, I've memorized much scripture. The problem is I know a verse here and there but not entire passages. I also must confess that I've let much of my memory verses go, having forgotten them long ago. I know that memorization is important because Psalm 119 says hiding God's Word in our hearts will keep us from sin.

So this year God has impressed upon me the value of scripture memorization, partly due to John Piper's book When I Don't Desire God. He teaches many ways to use God's Word in our fight for joy, and memorization is one of them. He cites another book that gave him a systematic way to memorize entire passages, An Approach to the Extended Memorization of Scripture by Andrew Davis. I started using his memory method, and it has been the most beneficial system I've ever tried. I've never had much difficulty memorizing, but this has been even more effective for me, especially as it pertains to whole chapters and then some. I want to share it with you, in case you might find it helpful. I'll explain it here, but you can also go to the website and read the book. You'll find this information on page 117 of the pdf file in Chapter 8.

The basic plan is to read a verse with the reference 10 times, then recite the verse 10 times. The next day you recite that same verse. Then you read the next verse 10 times and recite it 10 times. The following day you recite both verses. Then you read the new verse 10 times and recite it 10 times. You just keep adding a verse a day and recite all the previous days' verses together.

I've personally been working on the entire chapter of Romans 8. Today I am through verse 31. It just blew my mind this morning when I realized I have memorized 31 verses. THIRTY-ONE! Mind you, I don't have all of them perfect yet, but it will come. It is okay to look at the verse when you hit a snag. Eventually, it comes.

I believe it's biblical to pray over your memory work. Ask the Lord to use His Word to work whatever He wants to accomplish in your life. It's amazing the new meat you will find as you meditate on His Word in this manner. You'll see things that you haven't seen before, and then when you are sitting under preaching and teaching, you'll find many things that relate back to that memorized passage.

Excuse Me While I Rant a Bit

I'm feeling a bit miffed at a blog I read last week, and I've decided to sound off about it a little. I wish I could find the link to where I read this, but unfortunately I haven't been able to locate it again. The blogger is apparently a blog "expert", and he gave a list of 20 some things that you should not use on your blog to keep it clean, interesting, and cause readers to come back for more.

One comment he made, though, really set me off. He said something to the effect of ... A blog is not a personal diary. Nobody wants to hear about your daily life because that's not interesting.

I think that's just stinky! The definition of a blog, according to Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, is...

an online diary; a personal chronological log of
thoughts published on a Web page

Seeing that a blog is defined as an "online diary", I'm not sure where said blogger gets off saying it's not a diary.

I personally find lots of personal blogs very entertaining. Most blogs I read are written by moms telling about life with their kids, and I don't even have kids. Yet I still find them interesting. You should see the list I've got going on My Yahoo, and I don't know any of these people personally. Yet I find myself watching for their latest posts, so I can go read them. In fact, I can hardly stand it if OhAmanda hasn't posted in more than 24 hours. (She's my favorite!)

As to why I find all of these strangers' lives interesting... that's still to be answered. Part of it has to do with the WAY they write. They're amusing! I also enjoy the spiritual aspects. I want to know what Christians out there are thinking and learning. I would also say that they help me learn to blog. I read about other people, and it jogs thoughts in my own mind. That aspect has helped me tremendously. So I guess you could say I read blogs to blog. Yeah.

So here are a couple of my favorites, just in case you might be looking for an entertaining blog to read.

1. Discovering Liz (That's mine. Did you think I would leave it off the list?)



2. OhAmanda!



3. Because I Said So (She's writing a book & was recently made famous by her eBay auction)



4. BooMama



5. A Coach For Life

So, fellow bloggers, keep it up!

Preparing for Christmas Blogging

It bugs me that I haven't written a thing since Thanksgiving. It isn't that I haven't tried to, but it's more like I've been feeling some weird emotional stuff that sort of caught me off guard. I want to get back at this writing thing, though, so here I am. It'll be a quick one because it's Sunday afternoon, and you know where I will be - napping! Need to get that in before I go back to church for choir practice.

Over Thanksgiving I was able to scrounge through photo albums at my parents' house, and I found some good Christmas pictures from childhood. Unfortunately, I also found some old school pictures that I would just as soon forget about. (sigh) Back to the Christmas stuff... the memories have been stirring, and I'm going to have some to share in my December blogs now and some photos to show, too. You're welcome to come back for the ride down memory lane with me.

Thanksgiving Day

Well, another Thanksgiving has arrived. It's hard to believe that time flies that fast. I'm getting ready to cook in a little bit. I just have a pie to throw in the oven, corn bread to cube for my Cornbread Apple Stuffing, and I need to look over my recipe for candied yams. I'm struggling with some post-nasal drip, so I'm hoping to get a nice, warm cup of tea pretty soon to soothe my throat.

We're going to my parents' house today, just me and Rich. We were going to take Dixie, but she seems to be having some tummy issues today (already had an accident in the house). Rich said she's not going. That bums me out a little because I really wanted her to come with us.

I also had to make an attitude adjustment this morning... yes, already! I manipulated a situation with Rich because I wanted him to do something. I got frustrated, mad...then I pouted. After he suggested I may need to spend time with the Lord, I asked forgiveness. I realized then that if I had only asked him to do something I needed him to do, he would've done it.

So I'm back on track now. I'll try to behave the rest of the day.

I better get into the kitchen. Food doesn't prepare itself...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday - How do cats do that?

Dixie Dog

I guess I feel like writing again today, but this is going to be brief. My dog, Dixie, is a sweet, little entertainer. So for your viewing enjoyment I am including this video of her tricks. It's a mere 30 seconds.

I love my Dixie. She's a blue merle Sheltie. I'd love to have two more just like her, but I think our cats would kill us in our sleep if we brought another dog into the house.

Getting Into the Holiday Mood

I'm responding to a question on OhAmanda's blog. She asked what puts me into the Christmas spirit. Typically for me, it's music.

I like to begin listening to Christmas music on Thanksgiving. I always anticipate that it will be playing when I walk through the door at my parents' house on Thanksgiving. I remember one year Dad had something else playing when I arrived, and I was really disappointed, even a little depressed. Why would you play anything else?

My favorites go back to my growing-up years... Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and The Carpenters. These are my all-time favorites! I don't think I could choose a favorite song, though. So many good ones: White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Winter Wonderland... the list goes on and on.

A couple years ago I discovered a piano CD that is my new favorite. It's called Christmas at the Movies by Michael Chertock. It is the most RELAXING music. If you're one to get stressed out during the holidays, pop this baby in and your nerves will be soothed. The best song on this CD is from the movie "Scrooge" (with Albert Finney). It's called You. I love that song because it's kind of a sad love song. There is also a fun rendition of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. I'm telling ya, you've got to have this CD.

I have many childhood memories that revolve around music, but I want to save those for my December blogs, since I set a personal challenge to blog about my Christmas memories through December 25th. I hope you'll be back to read more.

Praising the Lord...

I did it! I DID IT! Did you hear me say, I DID IT!!!

I set a running goal today, and I nailed it. I decided to run one whole side of the park, and I was able to accomplish that. I was absolutely amazed as my little legs continued to carry me farther and farther down the road. One whole side of the park! I've never been able to do that before. I pretty much doubled my previous distance. I walked around the curve, and then I ran the other side of the park. Not the entire way because it's a lot longer distance than the other one. But I did it. Three laps!

I wish you knew how incredible I felt. I was praising the Lord all the way. I even threw in an extra walking lap out of sheer joy. To think I was going to quit two weeks ago. I've come a long way in such a short time. The only thing I can figure is that I pushed myself enough on Friday that I was able to break through a threshold. It all felt different today.

I'm just so excited!!! Can't wait for Wednesday now.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly...But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection"

Still Running

So this is what I did today. It's Friday, so I kept another commitment to a day I've chosen to run. I thought I'd just give an update on how things are going.

It has still been tough. I'm working on starting to run at the same spot at different intervals around the park. On my second and third laps I like to see if I can push past the set landmark to increase my distance. Sometimes I make it, and other times I don't. But it's a matter of perseverance. I just keep going now, instead of asking myself things like, "Why am I doing this anyway?" I feel like I'm in training. Not for a marathon. Not to beat some time record. Not to be the best runner ever. I'm training for life...spiritual life. It's that self-discipline thing that God has been trying to drive home with me for months. This is such a practical way for it to play out in my life.

Looking at running with spiritual eyes gives great perspective. It's so comparable to our spiritual battle. Sometimes I feel like I could run hard because I feel physically strong. Other days I feel lonely and couldn't hardly go on. At times I'd rather be alone, and there are times when I couldn't make it without a friend beside me. Isn't that how it is spiritually? We have mountain-top experiences with the Lord and feel like we could take on anything because we're so zealous. Then there are those days where we feel heavy oppression and cry because everything feels so hard. We go through alone times where God is the only one with us. And sometimes he sends a friend to walk alongside to keep us accountable and remind us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. I enjoy considering the comparisons.

Today seemed to be a day to push hard. I could feel it. My legs wanted to give out many times, but I just kept pushing. Now I'm feeling it, though. My calves hurt within an hour of arriving home, to the point it was uncomfortable to walk. So I have to share this funny moment...

I emailed my best buddy and told her my legs were really sore, and she gave me some suggestions. It was pretty hysterical when I read them. Not that SHE was funny, but how I read it was funny. The first bit of advice she gave me was "ice cream". What?!? I read it again. "ice cream will help..." Huh? Finally, after the third time of reading it I saw what was really written - "ice THEM" Duuuuh!!! Yes, of course. Ice my calves, and it will help with the discomfort. That makes total sense. Ice cream? That does not make sense at all. Just goes to show you what I dwell on - FOOD. But I still think ice cream couldn't hurt...

Holiday Ponderings

I can't believe Thanksgiving Day is a week away. This year has flown! Of course, as my mind prepares for the holiday it quickly rushes on to thoughts of Christmas.

I've been playing Christmas music on my Live365 station in the office today just to kind of get myself ready. There's something about the familiar songs that brings a hundred memories rushing back, and it gave me an idea. I thought it might be fun to fill my December blogs with all my Christmas memories. A few have come to mind that I think are fun enough to share, and I would love to have 25 days of blogging. I don't know how realistic that is. Can I come up with 25 Christmas memories? I'd enjoy trying!

So I'll start brainstorming and see what I can recall from the 35 Christmases of my life. Then I'll start writing on December 1st.

Yeah, I like the idea...

My List of Sevens

I'm too tired to get deep and reflective tonight, so all you get from me are these lousy lists that are supposed to somehow help you, the reader, get to know me, the blogger, better. Enjoy!

7 Things to do before I die:

1. Write a book
2. Write a song
3. Live to be 85
4. Get another Sheltie
5. Share the gospel
6. Overcome my fears
7. See my nieces and nephews get married

7 Thinks I say most often:

1. Okay
2. Good
3. Anyways
4. Good girl, Dixie
5. I love you, Dixie
6. What?
7. I don't know

7 Books that I love:

1. The Bible
2. When I Don't Desire God by John Piper
3. Battling Unbelief by John Piper
4. God is the Gospel by John Piper
5. Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
6. Faith is Not a Feeling by Ney Bailey
7. Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur

7 Movies that I watch over and over again:

1. White Christmas
2. Remember the Titans
3. Anne of Green Gables
4. You've Got Mail
5. Princess Diaries
6. Star Wars (all of them)
7. Rudy
   

Longing For the Glory

One of my favorite songs is Glory, sung by Selah. The words describe the longing of my heart.

One day eyes that are blind will see You clearly.
One day all who deny will finally believe.
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces.
And one day chains once unbroken will fall down at Your feet.

So we wait… for that one day.
Come quickly!

We want to see Your glory,
Every knee falls down before Thee.
Every tongue offers You praise
With every hand raised.
Singing glory to You and unto You only
We’ll sing glory to Your name.

One day voices that lie will all be silenced.
One day all that’s divided will be whole again.
One day death will retreat and wave its white flag.
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy.

So we wait… for that one day.
Come quickly!

We want to see Your glory,
Every knee falls down before Thee.
Every tongue offers You praise
With every hand raised.
Singing glory to You and unto You only
We’ll sing glory to Your name.

We know not the day or the hour
Or the moments in between,
But we know the end of the story
When we’ll see…

Your glory
Every knee falls down before Thee.
Every tongue offers You praise with every hand raised.
Singing glory to You and unto You only
We’ll sing glory to Your name.

As I've been reading through the Old Testament, I've gained such a better understanding of our sinful idolatry and how much God wants us to forsake this sin. He is a jealous God, wanting our worship to be purely undivided. Oh, how He deserves that!

The Bible tells us that one day "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". I'm thankful I can do that this side of death because it secures a place for me in Heaven. Some will not bow the knee now. They deny. They are blinded. They lie.

Even as a Christian I struggle to bow the knee to my Lord. I have idols in my heart that fight for my affections that should be God's alone. My problem is Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I fall short of the glory of God, but I want the glory... to see His glory. That's what I'm longing for. Romans 8:18-23 says that we groan with all of creation for the revealing of the sons of God and for the redemption of our body. We are groaning for the glory!

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

I can't wait for Christ's return to be delivered from this body of death and this sin-wracked world. I want to see the glory!

Favorites & Firsts

I'm feeling pretty tired, as I usually do on a Sunday, but even more so. I don't have a very interesting topic tonight. I'm taking off from someone else's blog and using their lists of favorite things and firsts. If anything, maybe you'll learn a new thing about me that you didn't know before.

10 Favorites:

• Favorite color - Blue
• Favorite food - Oh, that's so hard. I love so many things. Pizza has to be #1.
• Favorite month - December
• Favorite song - "Glory" by Selah (currently)
• Favorite movie - "Anne of Green Gables"
• Favorite sport - Golf
• Favorite season - Summer
• Favorite day of the week - I don't have one
• Favorite ice cream flavor - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Favorite time of day - 12:00 p.m.

Firsts:

• First Best Friend - Becca... she lived next door to me for the first 13 years of my life
• First Screen Name - "luv4kittys" because I had 4 kitties
• First Pet - My parents got me a puppy named Bonnie when I was very little. I think they didn't like that it peed in the house, so they got rid of it after a week. At least I think that's how the story goes.
• First Piercing - I got my ears pierced when I turned 13.
• First Crush - David Mixon in the 7th grade (I'm wondering right now if my friend Shelly knew this.)
• First CD - Hmmm...I'm sure trying to remember. If I had to guess it was probably Twila Paris. It's strange I can't remember that.

So now you know a little more about me.

Reason Enough to Run

It's no secret that I've struggled to embrace my running program. I have whined and complained and skipped out on days I just didn't feel like going, only because I wasn't progressing the way I wanted to or thought I should be. I'm very good at comparing myself to others, which is the number one contributor to discouragement.

I was so ready to quit last Monday, but I came across an article on the internet that changed my mind. It was dealing with self-discipline. I thought hard about this, and I must say I felt that familiar stab of guilt to my heart.

I began to consider that even if I don't lose weight, I still need to learn self-discipline. What is the Christian life about? Daily dying to self. I need to learn to do hard things, just so as to condition myself to be disciplined in other areas. Hey, I'm a pretty disciplined person when it comes to devotional time, but my eating habits are attrocious. This shouldn't be.

I looked up some verses dealing with self-discipline. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says,

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Just as I would discipline myself to be godly, I recognize I need to physically discipline my body. I need to push through when I just don't feel like it. Somehow the physical carries over into the spiritual. I think bringing my body into submission is all part of developing godliness.

So as I'm out there running and want to give up because it seems too hard, I will remember that this is a picture of what it is to deny my flesh of all its desires and to live in the Spirit.

And I think that's reason enough to run...

A Love Affair Revisited!

Hoo, buddy! Did I have a special surprise this morning. Everything happened as any other typical day in my life this morning. I managed to get out the door a little early in order to go grab a Starbucks as I headed to the church. I had raspberry mocha on my brain... nonfat, of course.

But as I entered the store and rounded the corner I saw that everything had changed. My eyes were met by an array of red and green. YES!!!! The Starbucks menu has changed for Christmas! You may think, "What's the big deal?" But to me, suddenly all was right with the world at that moment. I can now order a Peppermint Mocha at the special price. It's on the menu! Sure, I could order that year-round, but I've been saving it up for the Christmas season because it's all part of the holiday experience. Once January rolls out of here, I will refrain from ordering until next year. So I'm savoring the beauty of this day as it marks the first Peppermint Mocha of the season, and I have included a picture of this momentous occasion.

I adore the Peppermint Mocha. There is nothing else like it in the whole world. It is a tantalizing, perfect blend of chocolate and peppermint mingled together to create a beverage like none other. (sigh) I need a moment.....

Okay.

I first fell in love with this Starbucks creation last Christmas season. I happened to stop over at some friends' house, and they were headed out to have some coffee. So I tagged along, and they introduced me to the phenomenon that is Starbucks. I had never been. It wasn't a real high priority on my list, and I wasn't even sure I would like it. I am very picky about my coffee, and I have never liked flavored coffees. Well, since we were there, I figured, "I've got to fit in. I better order something and choke it down just to be sociable." I chose Peppermint Mocha because a friend had mentioned that it was really, really good, so I figured it sounded like it might be okay. I got my mocha and sat down with my friends. I took a drink... it was love at first sip! From that moment on through the entire conversation, it was as if it was just me and my Peppermint Mocha. I don't even remember what we talked about. All I remember was the Mocha.

So that's how it all began. By the way, I got so excited over it this morning that I forgot to order nonfat. Oops!

Language Lovers Will Understand

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning, and the woman said her child is learning prepositions at school. Well, it brought back a whole flood of memories for me. I remember being in the 6th grade and learning the prepositions. We recited and recited in class. One day our teacher told us we were not allowed to go for a restroom break until we had all recited.... at least something like that. Talk about pressure! You just don't make threats against a girl's bladder... that's wrong.

Anyways, I really have always loved prepositions, and I learned them so well I can say them really, really fast... still to this day. So without further ado, I will recite them all here for you. I regret that it is not the same as hearing me do it in person, but we'll just have to make do.

Ahem.... (clearing my throat)...

aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
by
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
over
past
since
through
throughout
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without

(gasping for air)....Whew! I think that's all of them. At least I sure hope it is. I would hate to have missed one. As I typed I realized I'm just a little rusty. I better do a little review here, or I'm gonna lose this important stuff in my old age.

Psalm 27 Thoughts

I've been thinking about my Psalm 27 study, and I've had plenty of opportunities in the last week to put what David learned into practice in my own life. I've got an enemy...sometimes it's Satan, sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's a person, and sometimes it's just my own flesh. Whatever the case, the spiritual victories only come when I choose to set my mind on the Lord - allow Him to hide me in His pavilion and the secret place of His tabernacle. No foe can grab me there. The moment I choose to live in the spirit by setting my mind on the reality of the presence of God, I triumph over the enemy. Physically, I may be bruised, hurt, persecuted, even killed - but spiritually God holds my soul in the grip of His hand.

Oh, how I want to live there... all day, every day.

Funny Blog

You have to go read Dawn's blog today. She is a mom of 6 who lives in Chicago, and she's the writer of the "Because I Said So" blog. She's got some very funny stuff posted today. Made me laugh out loud. You have got to bookmark her website because her stuff is hysterical, and she usually writes every day.

http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/2007/11/bless-his-heart.html

Babysitting

As I type this I am babysitting at my sister's house. She has four kids - Meghan in 4th grade, Daniel in 2nd grade, Katy and Matthew (the twins) in Kindergarten - and yes, she chooses to leave them in my care on occasion. I know what you're thinking right about now... "If you're on the computer, are you actually babysitting?" Yes, I see your point, but the beauty is that they went over to the neighbor girl's house to jump on the trampoline. (Man, am I glad Kath doesn't have neat stuff like that here, or I would be babysitting the neighbors' kids too. Ha!)

I bet you're wondering if I'm a strict babysitter. Not really. I see my role here as basically keeping them from killing one another. I will mete out punishment, though, for lying, talking back and general naughtiness, but we get along pretty well. I feel more like a snack vendor than anything else because that's typically what they're most interested in for the first hour after getting home from school.

I don't do a lot of babysitting. That's how it's been pretty much all my life from high school on. In order to fully understand where I'm coming from, you have to know about my relationship with kids. I don't have any. Any kids, that is, not a relationship. It's not that I don't like kids. It's just that I wasn't blessed with that motherly instinct that 99% of all other women in the world have. Why don't I have this? Is it something you learn? Is it something that's buried deep inside that I just have not nurtured? What? I think babies are sweet and kids are funny to listen to and watch grow up. But when it comes to that baby smell... oh, it makes me want to hurl. (No offense to users of that product. Honest...It's just me.)

People have a wrong perception of me relating to babies. Apparently, people think I don't like them. That's far from true. Granted, I am very nervous to hold newborns, so I often decline this privilege until they get a few months under their belt. The one thing that I don't like at all is having to give bottles or feed anyone under the age of 3. This is entirely due to the choking factor. Babies and toddlers choke - at least they typically do whenever in my care. I hate it! Scares me out of my mind.

So since my nieces and nephews are way beyond toddler stage, they are a pretty safe bet. Yeah, you would think that, wouldn't you? But they have other issues. Like the time one of them, who shall remain nameless, decided to experiment with the phone and dialed 911. Guess who showed up at the house... two very nice policemen, who wanted to come in and take a look around to make sure everything was in order. (Oh boy!)

So I don't do a lot of babysitting. Only under special circumstances. I thought I'd just clear up this little misperception about me and children. I love them...as long as a parent is within the vicinity.

(Somebody just walked in the back door crying. I better go see who fell off the trampoline and broke a body part....)