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The other week I got to do something far removed from the ordinary for me, I babysat. Yes, its true. One Wed. I drove Simone Cross to her pain clinic appt for one of the lovely shots she gets to cure her ills. (unfortunately this time, the back pain continues) We took little Julia along with us. I was actually looking forward to the experience, as it'd been many moons since someone left me alone with their precious child. (BTW: When she told a friend of hers that I would be baby sitting Julia, the friend uttered 'I thought liz hated kids') Perhaps that's why I don't get these gigs anymore. .THE EXPERIENCE: After I dropped Simone off, I went to run a few errands w/ Julia to get a truly raw experience of 'what having a little person around' really means. Firstly, because Julia was in her car seat, I needed to take up 'two' parking spots, so that I could kick open the door and easily get her into/out of the stroller - which I'll say is not the easiest of tasks. The getting out of the seat is ok, but getting into the stroller requires more effort. There's always that one leg that won't bend and get into the seat straps. So one has to maneuver the baby, w/o dropping her (of course), into the stroller, while keeping sure the thing doesn't roll away and dent a nearby BMW. Ok done. Now off we went, through the busy parking lot, in search of an entry way onto the pavement, which just happened to be all the way.....over there.
Next, the stroller & I, have to get into the store. So I stood there, scanning the area, hoping a kind stranger will see my pr.jpg)
oblem and offer a hand with the door. Of course, when the baby is this cute, that's never a problem. When I get into the store, I've a bit of fun driving the stroller but since I'm not too familiar with the dimensions, I'm constantly bumping into things or getting the wheels stuck on some edge. Its surprising to me that kids aren't getting more concussions , because of this incompetence, as this seems to be a common occurrence. Ok, End of errand, time to get Julia back in the car. This is actually more challenging as it means getting Julia into a much smaller space, = the back seat. There's a lot more contorting..., unbending of the legs, figuring out which straps go where, then clicking her in, like a Formula 1 driver. I think I broke a sweat on that one.
The most interesting aspect of the experience is how mindful one has to be of this 'little being' - ALL the time. I mean, when I park her somewhere, like I did at the coffee shop table, I can't just walk away in search of a book and leave her behind. Even though she's not mine, its still my responsibility to deliver her back to her mum, just like I found her. I enjoyed most, the reactions she elicits from strangers. Their faces seem to light up as she graces their path. And since she's not afraid to crawl over to and onto 'strangers' when she's got the floor,, like she did at the dr. office, she's even more popular with them Hmm, I'm sure there's a lesson there somewhere. Anyhow, it was a truly rewarding experience, I hope to repeat it again soon.
