- Mia is 4 1/2, and has introduced me to the concept that you can stay at the playground for 5 hours. I spend three afternoons a week with her, picking her up from preschool and staying through dinner. She's spunky, adventurous, occasionally whiny, and generally fun to have around.
- Eli is 9 months old, and I get to see him two to three times each week. He's pulling himself up, discovering the joys of cruising, and is the happiest baby I've ever met. Through him, I've gotten comfortable with cloth diapers; now I just need to stop taking so many pictures of every face he makes.
If you read back through the archives of this blog, you'll run into lots of names. Here are the kids that marked my life before we moved; I've listed their ages when I knew them last, to keep things a little less confusing.
- Patrick and Lilly are 4 1/2 year old twins. They're the only kids who predate this blog; I was with them from July 2010 to November 2012.
- Laura and Danielle, 5 1/2 year old twins, and their sister Kali who is 2 1/2. Naturally, their mom needs a break, and I tended to come to the rescue. Their mom became one of my closest friends, and I miss these girls daily. I've known them since before Kali was born.
- Bug is 4, and her brother Andrew is 2 1/2. Bug is one of the cutest and most opinionated kids I know; I've known them since Andrew was 6 weeks old.
- Emma and Lizzie, 4 year old twins whom I watched periodically. Their mom refers to them as energizer bunnies.
- Paisley is just about 3 year, and I met her family through Bug and Andrew's parents. She can be fussy, but she's pretty darn cute, too. Her baby brother Taj is almost 1.
- Rainbow Dash is 4, full of spunk and sass, and Gray is her 1 year old brother who gives me giant grins. The twins and I love hanging out with them.
- Seth, 5, and Isabella, 3, were regulars on my evening babysitting schedule. They're two of the happiest kids I know, and their parents are some of my favorites. Their dad's job recently took them away, and I'm so sad to see them go.
- Katie, 5, and Sean, 3, were evening kids. Katie wins the most hyper award, and Sean could be a model for Precious Moments. Used to be over there frequently, but haven't seen them in probably a year.
- Not one of my kids, but Essie is the just turned 2 year old whom V was watching four days per week. She would frequently have playdates with my twins, along with her new sister Anne. They're now 3 and 1, but we don't see them anymore.
- Jacob and Caroline were 8 and 6, respectively, when I watched them. They were my first afterschool kids, and I spent five afternoons a week doing homework and driving to soccer practices. Sadly, their family moved out of town not too long after I started.
- Timothy and Tessa were 8 and 7 when I watched them, my second afterschool kids. Their grandmother ended up moving in with them, meaning they didn't need childcare anymore.
