When babysitting becomes mommy practice.

Last night, I babysat my boss's three children for a few hours while she gave a lecture. When she discovered Wednesday that she needed someone to watch them and asked me, I was happy to say yes--she has three great kids, and my husband keeps saying he wants three children, so I figured it would be good practice. Funny how when you're a teenager it's just "babysitting," but when you get older (and are not yet a mother), it feels more like a practice run for one day when you have your own.

We had a fun few hours together. I have to admit, on my way there I was a little worried the night would end with three children running around with indian feathers on their head, jumping from bed to bed with their mom's lipstick on their faces in some awesome tribal markings... but I think I've just watched Peter Pan too many times.

A few thoughts on having three children:

• My first obstacle was going to the bathroom. The kids are 3 (the girl), 5 and 6 (the two boys), and the first time I went to pee, I shut the door, and no sooner than I was pulling toilet paper off the roll, they were all trying to join me in the john. Now, I'm not overly modest in most situations, but when you're watching your boss's kids, you kinda want to make sure you're on your toes and very appropriate, and I just felt like it probably wasn't a good ideas for the boys to see me on the porcelain throne. And so I had to pee for a good two hours after that before I managed to find myself upstairs with just her daughter... didn't mind peeing in front of her. :) (When my boss got home, she laughed and said that her sense of privacy was the first thing to go when she became a mom... next time, I'll still attempt a little modesty, but won't be so worried about it I spend half the night doing the peepee dance.)
• Whatever happens, we WILL have the Noggin channel when we have children. We played several games and read some books and had some snacks and even had a bath in there, but it was a godsend to at least have one child at a time distracted for a few minutes by Little Bear or Miss Spider or Blue's Clues--and NO commercials! Someone in TV Land was smart with that one.
  
• You must always remain on high alert with three children. I'm sure this is something you get used to when you are a mom, but I was constantly looking around to make sure nothing was going awry... pop the bubble for my turn on Trouble, look around and make sure other two kids aren't doing anything scary. Wash one child's hair, call down to make sure other kids aren't getting into trouble. I'm guessing when they're your kids, you have a better idea of what the other two (or one, whatever) will be doing while you're doing something else, but wow.
  
• I have never doubted that I want to be a mom, but seeing the looks on those kids' faces when Mommy called to say she'd be home in a few minutes, and hearing them say "I love my mommy, I can't wait until my mommy gets home and I can see her and hug her," man... that is priceless! I hope to have that myself one day!!