At 6:30 I show up at my aunt’s house

I sit in the car bracing myself for the night ahead

Babysitting a house full of kids takes a lot out of me

They always want to play

And by play I mean play a game that involves hours upon hours of running around in circles

They always want to eat

Which eating for them involves at least 4 pounds of Mac and cheese, 2 family packs of hot dogs, 17 juice boxes, 3 bags of chips and a box of fruit snacks

They always want to tell me they are “allowed” to do something.

Yeah cause I totally believe your mom lets you put your sister in the dryer

And they always ask question and think you’ll say yes because they give you the puppy dog face

Courteney.. can we go to the park?

-no we can’t go to the park at 9:30 at night

Courteney.. can we get ice cream before dinner?

-No you need to get real food for dinner

Courteney.. can we stay up until 1?

-No your bed time is at 10

Courteney.. Can we watch Friday the 13^th?

-No you can’t watch an R rated movie… I cant even watch an R rated movie!

Courteney.. Can we bake cookies?

-Finally something reasonable! Yes, we can bake cookies.

Okay I’ll go get a lighter!

-wait! A lighter!?!?! No! *sigh*

When I was a kid all I cared about was having fun and living in the moment

I didn’t care about how baking cookies with lighters was dangerous or if blowing bubbles in my chocolate milk was not socially acceptable

All I cared about were the smiles and the laughs that came along with the fun I was having

As a grown-up I have to think about whether something is reasonable and safe

I have to be responsible for not only myself but for others

But was about being a kid?

What about having fun?

Why can’t I east cake and ice cream for breakfast?

They have eggs, flour and milk.. Sounds like the ingredients for a typical waffle breakfast

Why can’t I go to the park at night?

You can only star gaze at night and the park has the perfect spot where I can go and star gaze.

Why can’t I stay up until 1?

I’m going to stay up much later in college so why not get a head start so I can get used to it

Why can’t I put my sister in the dryer?

(think) no.. there is no excuse for that..

Maybe she was… wet and I thought I would be nice and try to dry her off

As a grown up I have to look out for the kids I watch

As a grown up I have to be the person to know the difference between right and wrong

As a grown up I have to be the person to say no to the puppy dog face