Cakie the babysitter

While up in Michigan over the last week, I had the rare opportunity to get out of the house with my mom for some girl time. Our destination of choice? TJMaxx of course! We were fully prepared to take the kids along - which adds about an hour travel time with all the logistics involved (baby carseats, strollers, packing the diaper bag, etc.) but when my aunt, whom we call Cakie, offered to stay behind with the kids, my mom and I were out of there before she could finish her sentence (which probably would have ended with a "haha, just kidding!")

Cakie survived raising 3 kids very close in age so she knows very well how trying it can be. But, now that her kids are all grown, I don't know if she was quite prepared for the demands of my boys...

Ethan is definitely a hand full. The sweetest boy you'll ever meet, but he just goes goes goes leaving destruction in his path. And Aiden is a baby that loves to be held and talked to which always makes it difficult to stay on Ethan's heels.

Anyway - mom and I headed out without hesitating, crossing our fingers that all would be well on the home front while we were away. After 2 hours, I decided to call to check in. No answer. I hang up and press redial, fearing the worst (Cakie dead on the floor from exhaustion while Ethan once again locks himself in one of the bedrooms on accident and tears all the clothing out of the dresser drawers, Aiden screaming in the other room). Fortunately, she answers. Here is the conversation:

• ME - Hello, how are things going?
• CAKIE - ...Ethan give that back to me...things are great...Ethan, no no, don't touch. (Aiden crying in the background)
• ME - Are you sure you're okay?
• CAKIE - (with a hint of panic and desperation) Yup, ummm, where do I find the stuff for Ethan to get in the pool?
• ME - Trunks in the drawer with the boys clothes, swimmy vest in the sunroom, sunscreen out by the...
• CAKIE - (cutting me off) Okay great...Ethan, Cakie said NO...things are great - don't rush home. Need anything else?
• ME - Can you check to see if we have any more Little Swimmers diapers? I think you said you saw some left up here from before. If not, I'll run back in to the store and grab some and we'll be on our way home.
• CAKIE - Sure, hold on...you stay here Ethan, I'll be right back.

I hear her put down the phone (which is another one of Ethan's favorite things to play with) and leave the room, shutting the door to hopefully keep him contained as she's checking in the other room for the diapers, with Aiden on her hip. I hear the pitter patter of Ethan's feet getting closer to the phone, and then his chatter and some static as he's playing with the phone, probably upside down. I attempt to instruct him to put it down - but that doesn't even work when I'm visible to him, like he's going to listen to me when he can't even see me. It comes and goes and I'm also hearing what sounds like certain destruction of other objects he is not allowed to play with when finally Cakie re-enters in the background. I hear a few expletives at whatever Ethan has destroyed and she gets back on the phone, cheerily saying "Nope, didn't find them, got to go!"

I'm now a little nervous. Maybe it was a bad idea to leave so hastily. I should have been more organized and helped her find the things she would need before I ran out the door.

Luckily, I get home to find two happy babies. Cakie's holding Aiden and Ethan is waddling around in his swim trunks. Wait a second, not his swim trunks...Aiden's swim trunks!!! Somehow, she managed to squeeze a 16 month old into the wrong trunks - a size 0-3 months! He's completely unaware, and raring to get in the pool despite the fact that the elastic waistband is cutting off his circulation. I then take Aiden to change his diaper, thinking she probably didn't have a free minute to do this with chasing after Ethan. But I was wrong, she indeed did find the time. It wasn't the fact that Aiden was dry that gave it away, it was the fact that he had on Ethan's diaper (a size 4 - Aiden wears a size 1-2).

"Hey, they're alive and walking right?" Cakie said defending herself as we all had a good laugh. I can probably scratch her off my list of "babysitters crazy enough to offer to watch my kids". Regardless, I enjoyed my time out with my mom - so THANK YOU CAKIE!