Writer's Workshop: Boysitting

This week I choose prompt #5, A memorable babysitting job.


Waaaay back when I was 17-18...

I was married and my husband at the time (NOT my current hubby) had been transferred to a different store in a different town. The commute was long and the graveyard shift was dull and boring. I went along to help keep him awake. A local woman was looking for a babysitter for her 6 boys, ranging in ages of 6 to 12. The job came with a place to stay on their property and it was just blocks from the husbands work. Her husband was a truck driver and she wanted to go with him to help earn extra money.

I was extremely scared to take the job. I mean we are talking BOYS and being responsible for all of them 24/7 was a huge thing to consider. My husband was all for it cause of the location and housing and apparently men are not intimidated by a group of boys. In the end we accepted the job.

She took me through the tour of her house and showed me the ropes of money, chores, food and schedules. In two days of getting to know the boys and there routines the "Parents" were gone. I say "Parents" cause I still felt like a child in soo many aspects, I was instantly terrified! Thankfully the husband was there to enforce the authority and the boys were very kind and on their best behaviors.

What made it memorable other than the boys, that should be memorable enough, RIGHT? Well a few things stand out.

The mother helped me get my drivers license that first weekend they came home, so I could use their van to take the kids places and so she wouldn't have to come home as often. On another weekend they purchased a one ton flatbed pick-up, I got taught how to drive it. That was very intimidating but yet thrilling and powerful too. I always manage to remember her when ever I get my license renewed or look at my birth certificate that she sent away for.

I was exposed to a new religion. Mormon. They weren't the type of Mormons you hear about, they didn't have a harem of wives and kids. They were like the Brady Bunch, him and his kids, her and her kids, makes for one crazy house! I slightly took an interest in their religion till I got to the levels of heaven.

My Grandfather died on my 18th birthday and I went back to Maine for the funeral and to say goodbye to my parents who were staying in Maine. My baby brother bawled his head off and begged me to put him in my suitcase and bring him back with me. The tears flowed for many reasons that week. My husband came up the next day and we left together. At the change over in New York, the husband got his wallet stolen.

I was exposed to the lovely quality of organizing. With six boys, the mother came up with a system for her children. Each child had his own color. This color was on everything that belonged to that child. In the toes of their socks was a loop of that color thread, it was also found on the tags of their clothing, in the waistline of the undergarments. They had their own set of dishes in that color, of which they were responsible for washing. Even their towels were of their own color. There was no confusion of who's stuff belonged to who and blessedly no fighting over things. I found this system to be amazing. She had a chore chart that had that child's color on it for what chores they were to do for that day. When the child did said chores they got a popsicle stick that had been mark with their color and at the end of the week they turned them in for a quarter apiece for their allowance. I also learned the importance of financial organizing.

I took the kids to the city pool for some fun, a good time had been had by all and we stayed till they closed. We got back to the house and all the kids lumbered out of the van and into the house. I let them leave their stuff in the van with the strict instructions to retrieve it in the morning. The next morning we was rushing around getting ready for school and I sent one of them to go get all of their shoes out of the van. The boy rushes back into the house and yells that the van is GONE!
The whole herd went out the door to confirm this. I called the police, the school and then the parents. Come to find out it was a repo. I had experienced my first repo! I'll tell ya though, walking out in the driveway and that van being gone was a moment I will never forget!

I guess the mother felt it was too much hassle to try to keep up with the financial things at home and being out on the road, so she came home. We stayed another two weeks and then moved on.

All of my time with them was an experience that will always be remembered.

Now go visit Mama Kat to join in or just read some more posts.

Train Tracks Of My Youth

Last night/this morning while sitting here and finishing my visitation to everyone, I could hear the train whistle blowing and the rhythm of it going down the tracks and I was instantly transported back in time.

I was eight years old and sleeping in my grandmothers house, "the camp" is what we call it. The train was about three car lengths away, up a little embankment just on the other side of the dirt road that ran right in front of the little house on the lake. At times the noise was so loud you couldn't hear each other talk, but I guess with everything you eventually get used to it. How I slept through it, I will never know.

I used to love to go up the embankment and walk the tracks. They would take me to the lily pond and I would sit on the tracks that bridged the water. It was such a beautiful place with all the lily pads and flowers floating on the surface and sometimes I would get to see the beavers at work. I'm guessing I knew the train schedule cause I never had to run for my life.

I had a toy milk jug that had a lid attached to the neck of it, part of my toys that grammie always kept at the camp. I would put pennies on the tracks and wait for them to get flattened, the I would force them into my toy milk jug. Who knew I was saving money so young. LOL!

Somewhere along those tracks grampie took me to go see the raccoons. He had such a way with the wildlife, they all felt very comfortable around him. We drove to what was the dump (in today's terms it would be called a compost pile). I never saw stuff like you would see in a dump now. Folks back then weren't super wasteful like now. The raccoons were all over this pile and they all looked up as soon as we drove up, the lights of the car glowing in their eyes. A few ran for cover, but there were also the ones that would scratch your eyes out if you should dare to think to take their pile from them. They will defend what they believe to be theirs! I was scared, but grampie got out and calmly started talking to them and was coaxing me out of the car at the same time. I stood behind him and peeked out at the wild creatures. They had calmed down and were going about there business. The young ones that had fled were now starting to come back out for their nightly feast. We had become nothing more than a shadow in the dark that was to be ignored. We stood there and watched in silence for what seemed to be forever and then the train came. I remember that it scared me, I was so into watching the raccoons that I hadn't even heard it coming.

Just sitting here reminiscing of my youth at the camp with my grandparents.

Violet was her name

Here is something I have been working on. Most of this is a combo of things I remember, things that were revealed to me later on and the imagination of my mind.
Please let me know what you think, be honest! I am freely asking you to judge me.


Violet was her name

Violet was a shy, slightly average looking (so she said), church going girl.
The milk boy Edward was always smiling and making her laugh.
He was very witty and the jokes just flowed from him.
She was thrilled to see him everyday.
She would time her day around the delivery of the milk.
She knew he was the one she would marry.

They finally got married and she moved with him to the dairy farm.
She knew a little about cows, but learned quickly the process of having a business.
Business was good; there was the dairy side of it and also the farming side.
They raised cows and grew large corn fields.
They worked very hard, from sunrise to sunset.

Violet was also the common housewife.
She cooked, canned, tended her garden and cleaned the house.
She washed the clothes by hand in the kitchen sink.

They wasted no time in starting their family.
It’s a boy!
Violet was very happy to give her husband a strong son to help on the farm.
It’s a girl!
Their family was shaping up nicely!
It is starting to get harder for her to help out on the farm, with having two kids to manage plus her daily responsibilities.
Edward has to hire more help; he employs the local high schoolers on summer break.
It’s another boy and another boy soon after!
She loves her life on the farm and can’t ever imagine leaving.

Many years pass and their two oldest children have left the nest.
The boy went on to serve his country.
The girl got married and had the first grandchild. The marriage did not work out. Their son in law got custody.
Violet and Edward felt very fortunate to still have their grandchild in their lives.

With just two sons left at home, things were different.
Business had gone down.
The larger dairies are getting more progressed and getting a large amount of the contracts.
It was one of the hardest choices they have ever had to make, but it was time to sell the farm.
Before this could be done, they had to find a new place to go.

By this time Edward had saved a good penny and decided to build his wife the house of her dreams.
Within reason, of course.
He found a beautiful piece of property just outside of town.
He made sure the new house had all the amenities his wife had always talked about.
She would have a sewing room.
She would have a wheeled clothes line.
She would have a large picture window in the living room that looked out on the river.
The remaining two boys will both have their very own rooms.

Even with having to lose her lifestyle at the farm, which she was very sad about.
She felt like they were moving up in the world.
She was proud to have Edward as her husband.

Nathaniel

Last night my mom called to let me know that today would be the day. A scheduled C-section at noon.

From noon on I purposely stayed off the internet, just so I wouldn't miss the announcement. 2:30 rolls around and still no word. My SIL called, wanting to know if I had heard anything yet, nope nothing yet. We chatted for awhile and then about 10 minutes later she calls me back to make the announcement.

My nephew is finally here, at last! She forgot to get any info, just that sister and nephew are both fine.

I called the hospital and some lady answers the phone. Deep down I knew it wasn't my sister, but after having a kid, maybe it was. Maybe her voice had changed, from all the drugs.
I asked for her and got a no, I asked if I had the right room..yes.
I was confused!
Then the dude laughed!
My BIL, such a crack up!

This little bundle, turned out to be not so little. Okay well I was thinking that he would be a ten pounder, but thankfully he was only 8lb.6oz. 21 1/2 long.

I was then passed to my sister.

She said..He had been moving around and kicking, up until around 11:30. Then he calmed down, like he was taking a nap. They took him out and he started hollering and continued to holler, the whole time she was in recovery.

I'm like..Heck yeah! I'd be crying too, if someone reached in and snatched me out of my warm happy place. It is a cruel cruel world! Either that or he just really doesn't like to get woken up!

He finally stopped hollering when they brought him into the room with her.

No pics will be available till Monday, I will be sure to share that with you as soon as I can.

Mom calls..She says, he is as cute as a button. (I have never thought of buttons to be cute) He has light brown hair and pale eyes (Those will probably change).

Grandma's, what can ya say!
They tend to get all mushy inside!
I am just as guilty with my grandkids!

Congrats Baby Sis and BIL!

One down, one more to go!
The next one is due in August.

Vegetables I Miss

When I was very young, living in Maine.

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandfather and I used to love this one type of vegetable, I even went with him once to pick them. I would later learn it was Fiddleheads. Delicous, especially with butter!


My mother used to have me go out into the yard and pick the leaves off of the dandelions and then she would make soup with them or serve them as a vegetable. Oh my, those Dandelion greens were good!


All my growing up in Maine, we had Rhubarb pie. Anyone from the north knows this is good stuff! Very few people in the south even know what Rhubarb is. I just learnt (right now) that it is a vegetable. I was eating a vegetable pie all those years and never knew it. Man my parents were sneaky!


Then there is my mothers Creamed Cabbage. She came to stay with me once while I was recovering from surgery and I made her make me a huge pot and freeze the leftovers. It was that good!!



What kind of foods do you miss from your childhood?