Babysitting

Nadia took a babysitting class at the local hospital last August. I told her that once she turned 12 she could begin babysitting if anyone would be willing to hire her. Yesterday morning after the man came to buy Nadia's bike we walked to some yard sales being held about 1 mile from our house. After we ate lunch, a man came to measure our garage doors as we are starting the process of getting three quotes for replacing the doors. After he left, we picked Evanna up at her house before heading to the swimming pool. It was raining most of the time we were there, but since the kids were in the water, they didn't care. I sought shelter since I was talking on the phone to my sister and then reading a book. Last night Evanna's mom called me and asked if I could bring the girls back to her house by 1pm so that they could babysit a three-year-old boy who is the son of one of her co-workers. The girls are babysitting him until 10pm, but Evanna's mom was also at home for the last 3.5 hours. Evanna spent the night at our house last night, and Nadia is spending the night at Evanna's house tonight. Her mom is working tomorrow, and Paul is also going to work tomorrow. I'm going to pick both girls up tomorrow morning so they can attend the worship service with Ian, Oliver, and me. Nadia's fifth sleepover (this year) will end up lasting almost 48 hours!

The girls stayed up until about midnight watching the movie Invisible Sister on Disney+ and a few episodes of the last season of The Brady Bunch on a DVD. After the boys had finished eating breakfast this morning, we walked back to the yard sales. Yesterday I had purchased three skirts for Nadia and a dress for myself. Today I bought shoes for myself and Nadia and some tops for Nadia. The boys picked out some books that were free at one yard sale, and I selected two face masks for the kids that were free at the same yard sale. While we were at the yard sales, the girls had gathered quite a collection of toys to take to Evanna's house for the boy they were babysitting to play with today. I remember I often took one or two puppets (Kermit and Fozzie) when I was babysitting 30+ years ago. Last night we ate S'mores, and we shopped at yard sales for the first time this year yesterday and again today. That meant we accomplished two more things from our summer bucket list. Next week I want us to pick blueberries, which is something else on our list. We would have done that this week if I hadn't purchased cherries on Monday. We planned to go swimming after dropping the girls off at Evanna's home at 1:00 today, but it was POURING at that time. Paul came home from work earlier than usual today so he joined the boys in the pool this evening after we had dinner together. I didn't take any pictures yesterday or today, which is why I'm including some pictures from June that I hadn't used in the blog yet.

All three kids asked to go to PMBC for a second week of camp this summer, but I decided we wouldn't be doing that. I'm fine with taking them there again but not for a second week of camp this summer. Nadia decided that she did want to do the Christian theatre camp even though she would have to get up earlier those five mornings than she usually does in the summer. I decided to sign Ian up even though he wasn't leaning that direction. I didn't sign Oliver up even though he will meet the minimum age requirement (8) as his birthday will take place a few days before the camp starts. Part of the reason I signed Nadia and Ian up is because I am doubting the kids or I will be in any choirs this fall. Nadia will have three weeks of being in acting classes this summer. I wouldn't have signed her up for Cinderstein if I had known this other one week class would end up being rescheduled. They cancelled it and had given me a full refund. The kids and I are planning to go to Long Island to spend a week with my Aunt the first week of August, and then Nadia and Ian will have this theatre workshop from 8:30-12:30 for five days during the second week of August. The second half of August is pretty wide open, which is fine with me. I don't want to fill our calendar too much. Driving a lot really wears me out. I'm bracing myself for another exhausting day on Tuesday as I'm planning to take the kids to the Six Flags in NJ that day.