Coop-eration

I have probably mentioned this before on the blog, but one of the best things I have done as a parent is find other parent-friends, and more specifically, to find other parent-friends who are willing to be part of a babysitting co-op. Here is how it works: we agree to watch each other's kids instead of always paying for costly babysitters. The kids love playing together, while the parents can enjoy a few hours of their own time. At the end, we parents simply swap poker chips to keep track of the hours they watched a kid versus the hours they needed someone to watch their child. It is awesome. And, I can honestly say I enjoy having other kids at our house, as much as I like the breaks.

Here is a recent playdate Carolyn had with her friend, Sandy. Her mom had to go to a baby shower an hour away, while her dad was remodeling their basement. We had a blast with the girls; I just love to watch Carolyn interact with her friends. This was the first time that we co-oped for this family, but Carolyn and Sandy were fast friends. Carolyn has already asked me when her friend Sandy can come back.

playing in the snow, making a snow elephant.

making cookies and muffins

They had to go potty together, and sat very close when watching TV

Now that I just earned 4 poker chips for watching Sandy, Steve and I should probably put in a request to get away for a few hours sometime soon. What shall we do with our date night? Hmm.