Babysitting Christmas pics through the years

Ever since I started babysitting 4 years ago, every Christmas we do a group shot, then decorate picture frames and put the pictures in them to go home. It's so fun! And since this is the first time I'm posting about this, I figured I would go ahead and include all of the pictures from previous years as well.

Here is this year's: 2009. In the back from L to R is Ethan, Joey, and Carlie. In the front is Maggie and Savanna.

Here is 2006, my first year babysitting. In the back is Joey and Ethan, in the front is Aiden and Dyllan. I know it's a crappy picture, but YOU try to make 3 - 1 year olds and 1 - 8 month-old cooperate!

Here is 2007. In the back is Dyllan and Joey, in the middle is Ethan and Jack, and in front is Landynne.

And here is 2008. I had dropped most of my babysitting clients when the girls were born, and since they were still little, I was still only babysitting Ethan and Maggie. So on the L is Joey holding Savanna and on the R is Ethan holding his sister, Maggie.

I must say I really do enjoy babysitting. When I first started, Joey was a little baby, and I struggled. I don't think it was the babysitting I didn't enjoy, but it was the stress of being a new mom plus babysitting that was difficult. But, over the past 4 years, I have grown to LOVE it! Really, mostly in the past year I have really truly come to enjoy it. I think it may be since Joey is older now and the older kids play so well together, I don't know. But I did get brave, and come the new year I will be getting 2 more clients. Meaning I will have 7, yes SEVEN, kids in my home almost every day. My own 2, Ethan, Maggie, Carlie, and the 2 that I will be getting, Jonah and Nichole. Jonah is Joey and Ethan's age, and is actually in Joey's class even, and Nichole is just a little older than Savanna and Maggie. I have lots of organizing to do before I have that many kids here, but I know it will be great!

Merry Christmas everyone - I love this time of the year!

Because I'm a Good Mommy!

The other day, I was making some super yummy Chili, but to do so I had to dig out our big crockpot out of the corner cabinet in the kitchen, leaving that cabinet almost empty. The phone rang and the cordless was in the front room, so I ran in to get it, was chatting away on the other side of the kitchen, vaugely aware my kids were playing nicely with all the stuff I had taken out of the cabinet. So I look over and see this.....


I get closer and see this.....

Got them out, then this comes walking out. Ha ha! I'm glad she came out before I put the stuff back in there, because I really didn't know she was in there too!

In other news, we have had my other cat, Xerox, for 6 years now. She was our first 'baby'. We got her about 4 months after we got married. She is a beautiful long haired kitty. BUT with the long hair comes some serious mats. She is also all kinds of crazy. Ha ha! She keeps to herself pretty much, so it's easy to let things go with her a bit. Feed her, clean her litter box, and just not worry about her. But, recently I noticed that she was getting SUPER matted - like really bad. I tried to hold her down and cut them out myself, but I'm no match for a 10 pound pissed off kitty. Soooo I found a groomer that would shave her. View their website here - they are really good!! And reasonably priced!! I didn't think they would have any luck, but they did! And they did a good job!! I think she lost 6 pounds of hair. Here is her before...

And here is her after....

Here is after above her (I'm on the basement stairs). She's my little grey lion. Kris says she looks like a rat.

So, because I'm a good mommy, I lock my kids in cabinets and turn my cats into mini-lions! Ha ha!!