Three is a crowd

A friend of mine with two kids (2 & 5) was looking for a babysitter in a pinch, as she and her husband had conflicting responsibilities after work.

Could I watch the girls on Tuesday night from 6-9, she asked? She'd drop them off and pick them up. I offered to feed them dinner - and she actually took me up on it (eiks). While I was putting on a confident front, I was a little skeptical. All day, I psyched myself up for this. I mentally prepared for meltdowns, accidents, separation anxiety, food fits, and everything else under the sun.

Around 6:45, Chad called to say he was leaving work. I was just sitting them all down for dinner - one was in a high chair, one taste-testing the milk (skim vs. whole) and another was carefully selecting which dining room chair to sit in. "You ready for three kids?" he joked.

I'm fairly certain he didn't like my answer.

It was a breeze. Three hours passed faster than they have in ages. All the kids played together, ate with no complaints, Jackson took a bath and the other two watched a movie until their mom picked them up. It was actually fun. (Did I just say that?)

Don't count me in for another bambino anytime soon - and I'm under no false assumptions it would always be that way - but in a fleeting moment I actually considered that three might be better than one. If I could only fast-forward through the first rough months, you might actually sell me on it.