Babysitting the Friesen's

So...Leah and Matt have been looking to get outta California for some time now and just recently Matt landed a Management job with Fed Ex in Evansville Indiana! Fed Ex apparently handles just about everything in the way of moving and the movers were at their house on Friday June 25th at 8:00am. I babysat the Isabelle, Madison, Andrew and Dakota (their black lab) for the day so the kids were out of the way of the movers and so that Leah & Matt could focus on cleaning the rooms after the movers were out. I made the kids chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast and Andrew said they were "better than Denny's" (probably one of the best compliments you can get from an 8 year old!) :) Anyhow we spent the day playing games, doing puzzles, coloring, watching movies. As a midday activity the kids and I mixed up some chocolate pudding, placed it between some graham crackers and froze them for some homemade "ice-cream sandwiches". Check out Isabelle's face--clearly they were good!!! It was a fun day and I will truly miss all of you guys but I sure hope you are loving your new home in Evansville!!!

Babysitting the Friesen's

So Matt and Leah had a Fed-Ex work dinner to go to and Leah was worried that she wouldn't be able to go because she couldn't get ahold of her mother and didn't have another sitter lined up. I didn't like hearing that she would have to stay at home with the kids while Matt got to go hang out with other work couples so I volunteered to watch her 3 kids. At first I think Leah thought I was kidding around but I really didn't mind and because we always go to the dog park together with the kids they are already pretty good about listening and respecting what I ask them to do or not do...so I really wasn't worried about 3 hour evening with them. The hardest decision was whether I went to their house or the kids came to mine so Leah asked the kids and it became unanimous...all at the same time the kids screamed Melissa's House again and again!!!! So that was that! Leah packed up some string cheese and some goldfish crackers for the kids and then over they came. We of-course began our evening by playing ball in the back yard with my girls. Andrew and Isabelle even played in the dogie pool and leave it to Isabelle to SIT in the dog's water dish! Madison didn't care to play very long outside...so after a while she decided to go in and watch a movie made special by me pulling out my big black beanbag for her to veg. in. Once it started getting dark outside and I got the kids dried off we all came inside to play. I had bought some "Magnetixs" a couple of years ago when they went on clearance at Target and this was the perfect time to make their debut! Andrew and Isabelle played with them for quite a while and even Madison stopped watching the movie to play for a bit. Somewhere around 9 everyone was tired (including the dogs) so we started a new movie and took up residency on the couches for a snuggle fest. Poor Isabelle...she was so offended that Baylie and Ginger would not let her lay on them (like their dog Dakota does)...every time she'd crawl over to them and try to put her head on their bellies, they'd jump up and move to another sleeping spot! It was funny and sad all in one! I tried to explain to Isabelle that my dogs are used to playing with kids but they aren't used to being laid on like pillows like her puppy is...sadly she did not accept my explanation! :)

The 1st Official Playdate!!!

Leah and I both have new puppies and it is funny because they are only a week apart in age although her female black lab (named Dakota) is almost double the size of Ginger (my female yellow lab). Dakota's parents were both very large/tall labs and after seeing the size of Dakota's paws I think she'll be BIG too! Leah called me astonished to tell me at her 10-week check-up the vet weighed Dakota and she was 19 pounds already...Ginger is 9-weeks old now and has barely cracked the 10-pound mark!!! Since the day Leah brought Dakota home (one day after I'd brought Ginger home) when we first introduced them they haven't played together until today (Saturday May 24th), It was funny because Dakota was ready to start tackling but Ginger was a big sissy...she kept hiding under anything she could find. Finally, about an hour into the play session she began to get a bit more daring and aggressive...Dakota and Ginger both played very well together!!! Meanwhile Leah's 3 kids were throwing the ball for Baylie who was loving all the playtime without little Ginger under her feet! After all was said and done we had three VERY tired dogs...can't wait for Memorial day because we're gonna get together again and Vanessa is going to bring her 2 boxers, Otis and Sammy!!! The puppies will be out numbered with 3 full size dogs running around!