since the youngest of my babysitting charges is now finished with college, and kind of a grown up, i figured it was time to go back to my roots and get my babysit on again. it's been quite a long time since i've babysat, as i'm not sure if watching Winston all these years counted.
so it worked out well that Sam and Mark had cause to celebrate in the city--Sam's parents' 40th wedding anniversary--and needed a sitter. enter, Justin and i (ok, the whole Thurston/Lovey thing* had a good run, but in my dotage i grow lazier still and having to remember additional names is tough. so done and done-- it's all about reality now) who filled the bill in that (a) we love Henry lots; and--the perhaps determinative factor--(b) the rest of their trusted babysitting crew was going to be celebrating along with them. however it came about, J and i were excited to give the babysitting thing a go, even going 
out there a couple of weekends ago for a Henry-gets-put-to-bed demo**.
armed with detailed written instructions, as i'd requested, we then handled the parents-leaving-kid-not-noticing-they're-gone moment with aplomb. and the multiple episodes of Dora on DVR definitely helped our cause. (here's a quick Dora query-- is every episode one where they have to get to a thing/destination, they whip out the map, have three stops on the way, and try to avoid Swiper who is more likely than not riding a handcar like the Wile E Coyote in a Road Runner cartoon?) we played some stacking games, sorted shapes and before we knew it, Henry was fed, in PJs and we'd gone through Goodnight, Moon. into the crib he went, and then that was it. not a peep.
although i had brought my camera to take lots of pictures, i soon learned that photographing an eighteen-month old is *way* harder when you're the one watching him. this was my only photo op after Sam and Mark had departed:
instead, there are many photos of me intently staring at and listening to the baby monitor to make sure Henry was moving/breathing, once we had put him to bed:
then, there was Justin, also ever vigilant--just not regarding Henry--re: the Final Four:
all in all, babysitting was a success. it didn't hurt that we had the most perfectly cheerful and fun little guy under our care. (and, no, this does not mean one of our own is in the works-- this kid thing is way hard work. and i am way way lazy. so TBD, ok?)
* besides, EvilA has retired from blogging and doesn't even read my blog anymore anyways. (i'll pour one out for the formerly rantastic fellow).
** this was totally at my our own insistence as Sam and Mark could not be more easygoing and required no such prep work on our part. yes, i am neurotic.
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