Yesterday, while browsing through the Erie Times-News, I discovered that while I can't possibly see how speed dating works, I really feel that the inventor of speed sitting is brilliant. If you didn't get a chance to see the article, click here to read it.
It seems that the particular speed-sitting event was really promoting a Web site that matches parents and baby sitters, but that's pretty smart, too. I don't ever see myself automatically leaving my child with someone I met through something like this, but this could give parents a resource to meet possible sitters.
Finding a baby sitter is not easy. Other than grandparents (who live an hour or two away), we've had two people watch Autumn. One is a young woman I know who just graduated from a local college. She's watched Autumn a handful of times. The other was one of Keith's coworkers, who watched Autumn once for about two hours.
I've been eyeing up this girl down the street from me. I don't know her, but I keep wondering how old she is. I feel like a stalker every time I see her as I speculate if she's old enough to baby-sit and if not, how much longer. I'd love to have someone just to watch Autumn once in while so we could go see a movie or an early show at the comedy club.
The second thing I learned yesterday was that I need not underestimate my daughter or her teeth. I decided to purchase a little Dove chocolate bar for myself as we were checking out at the grocery store. Since it was wrapped up, I let Autumn hold the bar. She put the end in her mouth, started chewing on it and promptly started a big line of drool down the chocolate bar and to her hand. I asked her if she could give it to Mommy... she shook her head no and twisted away from me. A moment later, I found out why as I saw a speck of chocolate on her face. Somehow she had managed to open the candy bar and get her first taste of chocolate. No wonder she didn't want to give it up. But I took it anyway.
And, finally, I learned that she can be pretty understanding when she wants to be. We were watching a friend's 9-month-old boy for a bit last night. When he cried after realizing his Mommy wasn't there, she gave him a hug. She also tried to share her book with him. When I was holding him as he started to sleep, she crawled up next to me, rubbed her hand on his back and said, "Nice." Then she kept touching his toes. But she wasn't nearly as jealous as I thought she would be. I was very impressed. Keith told her she'd be a great big sister someday. And make note, that's still "someday."