Motherhood?

There's a reason I haven't had children yet, besides the whole not able to maintain a functional relationship thing. Some may call it selfish but for me, it's a perfectly valid reason.

Up until recently, there was so much more I wanted to do in my life. Places to see, people to meet, things to do. Life just has so much to offer and I wanted to make sure I had a little taste, my own full plate of amuse bouch if you will of experiences.

Now, I'm not so sure that holds up.

Today I took my niece for a few hours while my sister and brother-in-law were at Hershey for a concert (his father's day present from my sis). Actually, my mom is watching her all day, but in order for her to get a break while she was cleaning at our church, I told her I'd take Rylee for a little bit. I think my sister and mom were a little apprehensive. Little sis went over the routine a few hundred times and my mom told me she'd make sure she had her cell phone in her pocket. Right there, in her pocket. So she could answer right away. You know, if I needed her.

Please. Did I not have a thriving babysitting career when I was a teenager?

Once we got the seat settled in my car and loaded up the stroller, we headed out for the annual church picnic. Rylee was a little restless when we first got there and I struggled with the stroller (which end is up?) a little but as far as I can tell, everything went well. Rylee ate on schedule, she got passed around between my grandmother and her other admirers at the picnic. When she started to get fussy, we headed for home. She was getting tired...and so was I.

By the time we got back to my mother's house, she was out like a light.

"How'd it go?" my mom met us at the door and took Rylee from my arms.

"Fine, why, were you worried?"

"No...it's just that you don't have any experience with this..." My mom busied herself with Rylee so she didn't see me roll my eyes.

"Yeah, well, I guess all those years of babysitting were good for something."

I plopped myself down on the couch to hang out a little bit before coming home.

We sat in silence for little bit as Rylee finished her bottle and finally went to sleep. As I was sitting there, I started thinking you know what? I did do a good job. Maybe I'm more ready for this motherhood thing than I thought I was.

Maybe. I think I just heard the clock start ticking a little louder.