Big Sister

I recently made some major changes in my life. For one, I became a Big Sister. As in, part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. I am single, with no children. None of my siblings have children and I'm the last person any of my friend's would call to babysit. New mothers cringe when I come bearing gifts to the hospital...praying I don't ask to hold their precious newborn. Come on...even children illiterate people like me don't drop babies...often. :)

So now I find myself in charge of an 8-year old girl, I'll call Angel. Don't take that literally. Since it's my first post, I suppose I best warn you that I can be a bit sarcastic. It's up to you to figure out when. This is our third month together (Angel and myself, not me and you) and I usually have her for a few hours a week, so I am starting to get to know her pretty well.

Tonight, however, was a first. The first time in my life where I have been the one in charge of the crying, obnoxious, peace stealing child who ruins everyones experience at the store, leaving more than a few with a migraine. Yes, Angel threw a temper tantrum in the middle of the Dollar Store because I would not buy her some hideous squishy elephant whose plastic skin gave me the heebee jeebies. Normally, I would be the one in the book section giving dirty looks to the parent unable to control their child, or rolling my eyes at the other shoppers looking around for the culprit. Not to mention making promises to myself that my children will never act like that.

Trust me, I would have put down the $1.07 to get her to shut up, but I had previously promised her grandmother I wouldn't buy her anything, until Angel's therapist cleared the road. (ie she got in trouble and had all her toys taken away) Grandmother's wrath vs Angel' tears...tough one.

Thoughts:
#1: Do 8 year olds really still cry and pout in stores? I thought that ended after the terrible two's?
#2: Is there anyone close by that I can pretend she is with instead of me?
#3: Where is the nearest exit?

Needless to say, I grabbed her hand and took her to my car immediately, amidst promises that I would never take her shopping again. I let her pout back to my house (about a 6 minute drive) then told her that I thought spending time together was more important than buying a squishy elephant. And that all of other times together had been a blast, whether or not we had spent any money. I didn't know if she was buying it or not, so I said, let's skip down the street. By the time we returned to my house, she was all smiles again. And we enjoyed the rest of the evening.

To all you mom's out there...especially the single parents...if I was wearing a hat...it would be taken off to you. I experience two hours of your craziness a week, but now enjoy all the other 166 all the more.

And for any of you adults in a bad mood. Try skipping down the street, hand in hand with a child (borrow one if you have to). It works wonders.