As soon as I showed up at the front gate, I was handed the little man.  “Here, take him while I finish this…” his mom said to my surprise.  The little man was in my arms – how will he react as soon as his mom walks away – cry? pout? throw a fit? – he quickly grabbed my beard and smiled.  He knew Grandpa had him.  He then looked at me with a look that said “Hey Grandpa – so do you think you are ready for this?”  So the night began.

I was asked to babysit for the evening.   Yes, me – no Grandma (she was back in NC)- just a solo grandpa. I was up to the task, or so I thought.

There must be a prize, you know like they have at a county fair for chasing and catching a greased pig, or maybe the one where you run around trying to catch a chicken, or a slippery frog.  Surely holding a one year old boy for 10 minutes without putting him down deserves a blue ribbon-arms and legs flopping and kicking – constantly turning and moving.  I just had to hold him a couple more minutes until his mom gave me my next instructions.   Hold him meant hold him – I was under specific orders.  Of course he had other ideas, and clearly being kept still was not one of them.  He didn’t cry, he was fine and knew my role in this game.  He just wanted down – Now!

My babysitting tasks were finally enumerated.   Play time, jammies, bottle, story time, songs, then to bed.  “Goodnight” his mom said, then out the door.  Piece of cake, right?  Actually it was, after all – we were buds!

We played for over 30 minutes – that’s 8 hours in grandpa time!  I guess we played.  I spent most of the time keeping him from falling as he crawled to the play table, got up on the chair, climbed up on the table and climbed up on the window sill to bang on the window at the people below on the street.  Then down and start over, then down and start over, then down and start over…

He does not like getting his jammies on – why would he?  It means lying still for 20 seconds – and he let me know that this was not part of the routine he cared about.  It was like trying to change a flat tire while the car is moving.

Bottle time is easy since he really doesn’t do bottles much anymore.  So it was simply throw the bottle on the ground and watch Grandpa pick it up, and repeat…

The most amazing portion of the proceedings came at story time.  He loves books and sat still through 6 book readings, pointing and turning pages, wanting to repeat pages.  Of course it was just his ploy to stay up longer I’m sure.  Of course he did not like the singing portion, either because I sound terrible or it means it is the final step to sleep time.  And there it was – time to go to sleep.  What  should I expect? This is the apex of babysitting – putting the child down – here we go…

He really did not cry but a few minutes but instead decided to talk to his sleep toys for quite awhile. He knew I would not come in and rescue him if he cried – we had that “discussion” while we were playing.  Watching him in the baby monitor is cool but kinda creepy.  Finally he was asleep, and I could take a breath.  Mission accomplished, no one was hurt, I will be allowed to come back!

Later in the evening Mom and Dad came home (I prayed they would) and I got my usual grandparent babysitting payment – $0.  But I did get my blue ribbon prize – his name is Ardy.