Much Cuteness

Katie, ever the ballerina, coming out to the dining room to take a peek around.

Tonight I'm babysitting a couple of very cute girls. The little one is probably around six, the older one maybe 8 or 9. Here's how the night has gone:

7 pm: I walk in the door. M, the little one, throws herself at me. "DAPHNE!!!" Immediately they pull at me to head downstairs, because...

7 to 8:15 pm: we watch The Corpse Bride. They tell me all the parts they love. They bury their faces in my sweater during a couple 'scary' parts. They imitate the characters' odd walking patterns. The GIANT dog who also lives here sits on all of us. And farts. We all fall over laughing (and holding our noses). We are trapped by the giant dog. Until he hears a noise and runs upstairs. We are saved.

8:15 to 8:20 pm: snack time. Arguing over yogurt. "I want peach!" "I want raspberry!" "No, I want raspberry!" "No, I want raspberry!" There is only one raspberry. Eventually the older one, E, gives it to her sister. "I'm not hungry anymore" she says. M eats it with delight, as E practices her handwriting on receipts. "M is a funny girl. You are a funny girl, M"

8:20 to 9:25 pm (they get to stay up late because it's Friday): We read books. On the bed. We snuggle. The cat sits on my legs and will not get up. The dog barks incessantly. We read a Scooby Doo book ("her name is Daphne! Just like you! I always get to 'be' her."). There is much discussion about which character we each get to 'be'. I do not get to be Daphne. We read picture books. And mysteries. And scary books. And a book about sharks. "If a shark gets in the way of a feeding frenzy, the other sharks will kill it and eat it too." "The dolphins fight back. They toss the hammerhead shark around over and over until it lies still. It is dead." Ahh... cozy bedtime books. "You girls like shark books before bed?" "YES!!!"

9:30: bedtime. They cuddle in bed together because it's the weekend, and it's very cold. They are adorable. I can't stop snickering over the shark book. "Sharks eat everything. They even eat people."

Now: sitting at the table, giant dog nudging my legs. Cat on counter, sphinx-like. Rain against the windows. Cup of chamomile tea.

I don't mind babysitting.