the brick

It's odd to me how after three days and three nights of baby-sitting Maddie and Oliver the one thing that sank to the bottom of the sieve like gold dust panned in Alaska's gold mines is "the brick".  Notice that my grandson is sitting on the brick.

                            

Now this is not an ordinary brick.  This brick is part of the streets of Puerto Rico that Truett mistakenly put in his luggage in 1981 when he and his crew were returning from Puerto Rico after restoring a Catholic church's windows.  Somehow the brick was loose in the cobblestone streets and Truett thought,  "Finders keepers, Losers weepers."  So we ended up with a token from Puerto Rico and now it serves as a memorable doorstop.

                           

"The Brick" became a bone of contention between Roger, my cat, and Oliver because usually at the base of the brick sits a blue and purple plastic bowl full of Friskies dry cat food.  But oh no.  Oliver had to sit on that brick for three whole days and nights.  Except for the times when he was looking out the screened in windows.

                        

Now compare this picture with the next.  Look familiar?

                        

I suppose you are all thinking I'm a sadist or something not letting the living see the light of day.  Not true.  My grandchildren went swimming and played in the sprinkler, and we went on walks and we rocked on the porches and they flat wore me OUT!  But I survived.  In fact, tonight I find I have more energy and am more flexible than I was four days ago.  It could be the bending up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down and up and.....for three days and three nights.  In fact, someone could offer babysitting to lose weight classes, guaranteed to flatten those abs, strenghten those back muscles and stay active the whole day long.  I'm thinking of that when I retire. (Not really)

But, back to the brick.

                    

                               How about two kids on a brick? 

Well, each time Oliver saw the cat food in front of the brick he screamed.  So I moved the cat food to the counter.  Now Roger, the cat, took offense to this.  I know because by the end of the third day Oliver had three claw marks down the right side of his face.  I doctored it with Neosporin and said the usual grandmother thing,  "It's okay."  It's a good thing I had cut Roger's claws the day before the grandchildren came to visit.  I guess there was more contention over the brick than anything else this past weekend so that's why it dropped to the bottom of my thoughts and came out first in this post.

Here's sweet Maddie.  She is officially four-and-a-half and did not whine!  "Thank you, God!"  She was delightful to be with and helped with Oliver who is three months shy of two,( give or take a few days).

                      

 All in all, if needed again to keep the children, I would do it in a heart beat.  The only requirement I have is to give me a month's notice so I can go to Curves and get my back muscles flexible before taking on the task.  But what will I do about the brick?

Comments

[Darlene]

Sweet pictures. I can say babysitting for over 7 years now did not help my weight situation, my abs or back. However, it did keep me busy throughout the day. I LOVE taking care of our five adorable grandchildren.

[Sherry]

The brick, the boy and the cat...who won?