Full Circle - A New Friend

New friends.

Being in a new town has brought the challenge of finding new babysitting that doesn't involve imposing on family members, who have been AMAZING and so helpful by watching le petit prince for us, especially in a pinch. We've twice used a local young lady whose mother is a friend of my Dad - however, for the past few times, she's had to cancel last minute (completely not her fault, poor thing!) and particularly this week, we've found ourselves facing the real possibility of having NO ONE to watch le petit prince and not being able to change our work schedules. Enter Mr. D. Background story: Mr. D's Mom has been a friend of my parents since I was a child. She is an actress and singer, and she used to babysit me and my brother from time to time when our parents were working. She and I used to make up dances, most memorably to "Lady Marmalade". Then when I was almost 17, I began to babysit Mr. D, who was about 2 years old at the time. Mr. D (and his Mom) live about 4 blocks away from us now. Mr. D has a daughter who is 11 months older than my son and he watches her while his wife works an evening shift. So, I asked Mr. D if he'd mind watching my son, if he thought it wouldn't be too much with his daughter, and he thankfully agreed. Our kids had already had one playdate together, so they weren't complete strangers to le petit prince. This babysitting arrangement has been great. The first night, my son was so excited to have a little playmate around his age (as was Brooklyn). He really is a social creature, and he thrives on social interaction, as I am sure Mr. D's daughter does as well; this is good for both of them. The second night, he was a little upset, having figured out early on that their arrival meant our departure for work. But not too long after, he was all smiles. Both nights, we returned to find him sweaty with the evening's activity and all smiles. And he has a new little friend. But most of all, it is as if we are continuing a babysitting chain of tradition! I love it!