Where Do They Get Their Energy?

I just spent a great evening babysitting my niece (almost 7) and nephew (16 mos.) Let me tell you...I'm in so much trouble next year! Where do they get their energy and how come they can so easily feed off one another when they're 5+ years apart in age! :o) I babysat at their place thinking, 'It's babyproofed...that will make it easier.' Babyproofed it was, toddler proofed - no! How exactly do you proof a house from a 16 month old who feels the fastest way off the couch is face first? Feet? Nah...they're for running with! Run here...run there...bump into walls...then run some more! He has one speed that little guy does and it's somewhere close to the Coyote in the cartoons I watched as a kid!

Around 8 he finally slowed down a little and changed from running to creating 'music' with the pots and pans in the kitchen. Do you know that 3 frying pans and 1 sauce pan make a lot of noise when they're being pulled out and dropped on one another for about the 25th time? I was surprised and entertained by the sheer number of times he enjoyed opening the drawer, pulling out the pans, putting them back, closing the door and then starting all over again. It was hilarious! Wish I'd kept count as it was a bunch of times and the only thing that slowed this little guy down was me deciding 8:30 was bedtime!

We moved upstairs where I attempted to help Rebecca get ready for bed. K would go for the book case when my back was turned and then as I went to put the books back he ran full speed down the hall, giggling all the while! He's adorable but my goal was to return him to his parents in the same form they gave him to me in - one piece without bruising!

It's now time for me to go to bed and time to dream of baby gates and toddler proofing this joint! I've realized tonight that it's going to take far more planning than this naive first-time Mom ever thought!

PS - I also found out that toys are totally unnecessary when there are pots, pans, TV remotes and Tupperware to play with! Who needs a $50.00 toy when there's such an array of cool (did I mention NOISY?) things already waiting in hiding behind kitchen cabinet doors?