Napping In An Empty Bathtub

Napping in the bathtub, aaaahh! Well, ok it is a bit cold and hard without the nice warm water, but an empty bathtub with a blanket and a pillow can be a good place for a nap. When my kids were small, my babysitting coop saved my life. But when the other mom was watching my 4 along with her own kids, it could get a bit crowded. So kids were separated to nap where ever room could be found.

Ryan remembers being the one who got to sleep in the bathtub at my friend Katie's house. It was probably because he was my little chatterbox who never wanted to nap, but I led him to believe it was the honored spot to nap at her house. Of course, now he looks back and calls it abuse with a smile on his face. What he fails to remember is that while he was catching Zs in the tub, his little sister was curled up on the floor in the laundry room and his other brothers were spread out on either side of the couch in the living room.

Babysitting coops are a must have for moms with small kiddos who don't live near their families. While my cousins and sister raised their kids near family with the luxury of Grandmas and aunties to watch the little ones, I was 14 hours away from home. When no family is near we make family out of the friends that surround us. With a coop, everything is fair. You watch kids to get credit to have your kids watched. Without my coop, I would have had fewer friends and probably wouldn't have had a haircut for at least 5 years.

So with 4 little ones I would have to watch a lot of kids to get mine covered. Of course, there were only a few brave souls who would take on my energetic bunch. Besides sleeping in the bathtub, my kids have lots of fond memories of the homes they stayed in and the kids who came to play at our house. They talk about Linda, as the popcorn lady, and about the LOUD kid who came over too often.

These wonderful, loving moms may have been watching my kids for golden points, that could be turned in for relaxing time away, but they also became our family away from home. I am grateful for each of these moms and their kids for the precious role they played in my families lives so long ago and to this day.

In Him,
Joyful
3-17-2010