oh my

Today I did a brave thing and looked after my friends' two kids, aged 2 and 4. Not for an hour two while she went to a doctors appointment or got her hair done, no, all day, from dawn to dusk. From morning porridge to bedtime stories and lights out, while parents were far away celebrating her 40th birthday with their third child, who is still a teensy baby.

I got here last night and did hand over with my other friend who had them yesterday, we did tag team over breakfast, and she left by 9.

What are my impressions of carer for a day?

- my legs and feet are sore! I usually sit on my bum all day, this involved a lot of standing, slow walking
- gee the shifts are long aren't they - from 6.30am to 7.30pm I was on active duty (the 2 year old has a nap, the four year old doesn't, and is curious, and can hike chairs around to get into cupboards, so even that 2 hour block of just one child needed supervision) and now after a glass of wine and shower I'm off to make the lunches for preschool tomorrow and pack their bags
- the day goes slow but has so much jam packed in. LIttle attention spans make for many activities. I think we did three separate sessions of drawing and painting at the table, made cubby houses, played in actual cubby houses, played in swings, went for a bush walk, explored the garden, had a picnic afternoon tea, read multitudes of stories, made pizzas, ate, did nappies and wet cloth changes ad nauseum, and ate just about every two hours - busy!
- kids are grubby and their storms roll in and blow over fast, they growl and laugh at their farts, they eat off the grottiest floor or fingers, they are fascinated by things, and sybling dynamics are dynamic and complex

Hats off kid caring mates, you do an amazing job to do this day after day!