The Southwest Voice

Children. Over two full days of my week I spend with children. It’s been that way for the past four years.

If you can get past their runny noses, sticky fingers, and their amazing ability to ask exactly seven questions with very obvious answers every 13.6 seconds, they’re not that bad.

Honestly, they’re not. Sometimes I like children more than I like people my own age, believe it or not. In many ways I am 1, and in many ways, I wish I still were 1.

Along with my two full days a week that could be considered as one of my ministries, I baby-sit children all the time. When I say “all the time,” I mean all the time. Children are literally a huge hunk of my life. One of my favorite baby-sitting jobs happened over a year ago. A lady at my church had her grandchildren coming over for a visit. She wanted to take her son and daughter-in-law to a nice dinner (have you tried that with children? It’s not as easy as it sounds). So, she called me. *Insert super hero theme song* baby sitter to the rescue! She picked me up and brought me to her house. When I got there she introduced me to her grandchildren, a girl who was 8, and a boy who was 6. I will never forget their first words to me. Their grandma started to tell them that I was going to watch them, make sure you listen to her; you are going to bed before we come back so she’ll read you your bedtime story-

“She can read?” were the words of the ‘adorable’ little girl who cut in with her hair flipped over her shoulder and her hands on her hips. At that moment I knew that this was going to be an interesting night. Things lightened when the boy spoke.

“How is she going to get home?” he asked his grandma with concern. Suddenly he got a twinkle in his eye. “Can she drive?” I burst out laughing; at the time I was only 14. Things got funnier when the grandma said...

“She would, but I drove her. She doesn’t have a car.” This made me laugh harder.

“What’s so funny, dear?” she said as though she was left out on a hilarious joke. I explained to her the situation. When they left I sat at the table with the children while they ate dinner and got to know them. They were actually very cool kids. It turned out that they play a pretty intense game of Uno. They kept on talking about how they were better at Uno than their mom and dad, they were apparently better than their grandma, too. I had been playing this game almost all my life so in my head I was thinking, “There’s no chance they can beat me, they’re only half my age. Beating them should be easy.” Boy, I wrong. After they finished we went into the living room where I got the biggest whippin’ of my life. These kids are sitting there smacking down ‘draw four’ and ‘skip’ cards. I lost terribly. They didn’t even game up on me. I guess I wasn’t a big threat because the entire time the battled against each other. About 17 games of Uno later (I only won 4) it was time for them to go to bed. We go to the guest bedroom where they both have they’re special place on the floor complete with sleeping bags, both bags had a special cartoon on it. I had them both with they’re heads on their pillows when I said goodnight and shut the door. As soon as the door clicked shut I heard them both scream “wait!” as though I forgot to chaise the monsters out of the closet. I hurried myself back in the room to see what was wrong.

“You forgot our story!” they both shouted as though they had rehearsed this beforehand.

“I’m sorry, do you have something you want me to read?”

“Yes,” said the little boy. That instant he jumped from the ground, book in hand, and shoved it towards me then climbed back in his bed. I sighed then read the book. We finished about five minutes later.

“The end. Goodnight, you guys!”

“Wait, sing us a song!” said the little girl.

“A song?”

“Yes, sing a lullaby.”

“Do I know one?”

“Please try, said the little girl with big eyes. I hate when they do that. It’s impossible to say no.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” I said, giving in. I don’t know any lullabies except for that “hush little baby” one. I’ll remember the words once I start singing, I thought.

“Hush little baby, don’t you cry. I’m gunna sing you a lullaby. If that lullaby don’t calm…” What comes next? I can’t remember! That’s okay, just make it up, yeah, just do that! “Uh, um…I’m gunna buy you a…um…a pc rom!” now I know what you’re thinking, “there is no possible way you said that!” please remember that this is me that we’re talking about. Lets just say that the song took some interesting turns after that (I got as far as ipod dock). Does anyone know the real words, anyway? I wouldn’t think so, but that doesn’t mean much coming from the girl who owes some kids about $5,000 in electronics.