The Babysitters Club

Recently, Science Girl and I were stumped about what to do when invited to a friends birthday party on a Saturday night without our boys. Secret Service is fourteen and Sport is ten. I feel comfortable letting either one of them stay home alone but don't feel comfortable about them staying home alone together. I imagine that when together, if not supervised, they might microwave aluminum foil, break out all the lights by playing ball in the house, have an indoor water fight with garden hoses. I imagine that despite many years of almost daily warnings, they will decide to light matches with lighter fluid and aerosol cans or open the front door and usher strangers in off the street. But, it's hard to find a babysitter for someone who is the age of many of the babysitters. I made an effort to get one of Science Girl's nineteen year old nieces to watch the boys or a grown woman who is our former nanny, but alas, they were busy. This led Science Girl to hire Secret to babysit Sport. I was half satisfied with the notion that Secret would have his eyes on Sport. But, who would watch Secret? The evening of the party, we returned to a house that was neither burned or flooded, two boys watching a movie, pizza remnants on the counter. We shepherded them to bed and took stock. Science Girl complained that her wallet was empty - $20 for pizza, $20 for Secret to babysit Sport. I smiled. "I got a good deal," I said. "I only paid Sport $10 to babysit Secret."