Adventures in Babysitting

All week I have been taking care of two girls: Olivia, a 6th grader and Leanna, a 3rd grader. Their parents are in New York, so I'm staying at their house too look after the girls. We've had a good time...Here are a few of the highlights:
* The girls go to bed at 9pm. Tonight, just a couple of minutes after she had been in bed Leanna comes out and says, "Jeanne, there is a big bug in my bed." Oh boy. Unfortunately the role of babysitter is by default, also the role of bug killer. So I go into her room to find a cricket wandering around her bed. I don't really want to touch it...but I had to get it out of her room. Unfortunately for me the stupid bug jumps off her bed into the area between her bed and nightstand. There was no way Leanna was going to be able to sleep until I found the bug and disposed of it. Just getting the bug off her bed was not comfort enough. And understandably so. So I ended up having to move her entire bed and crawling around on the floor in search of this blasted bug. But miracles of all miracles! I found it and threw it outside. Victory is mine! And cute little Leanna can sleep in peace.

*I have to help Leanna with her hair in the mornings. She takes a bath at night, and when she wakes up her hair can be pretty wild. I have never had to help anyone else with their hair before, let alone a little girl. But bless her heart, she has been patient and understanding. I had to try and curl her bangs yesterday, but it wasn't exactly going well. I was terrified I was going to burn her with the curling iron, all the while trying to make her bangs curl under instead of sticking straight up. In the end they looked suitable...but she gave me one of those looks that said, "Mom is way better at this, but I am too nice and polite to say anything." It was actually pretty funny. She is so cute!

Many other stories...but I am tired. Time for some sleep.