I am SO ticked. I really want to go out tonight…but I can’t because both of my babysitters are unavailable.

I need to go to one of those babysitter speed dates. Have you heard of these? Mothers gather round and shop for babysitters. Sounds really convenient but makes me feel like I’d be shopping at the pound or something.

But finding a sitter is serious business. He’s usually asleep when they’re over but what if he wakes up? He’s got to know the person. I mean who wants a total stranger running into your room when you’re crying your eyes out and just want mommy?

Recently I found Sitter #1 and broke her in. Paid extra so she and Benjamin could have plenty of bonding time during waking hours. And now, she’s blowing me off because she found another job thanks to my reference. Sitter #2 is brand new. She was supposed to start today but I goofed and thought she was coming tomorrow. Which I still thought when I called her just now.

“Hi Sitter #2! (insert awkward small talk) Are you available tonight by chance?”

“No. I had you down for this afternoon.”

She had me down? She had us penciled in? Sigh. This won’t work. I am so unpredictable.

The one thing I miss about not having a kid, the one thing I miss the most – is being able to run out the door whenever I please. Having trouble adjusting to that one. But it’s a small adjustment to make when you’re usually sleep-deprived and too damn tired to go out anyway.

So, looks like I’ll be home writing tonight or … maybe I should watch a movie, make popcorn, paint my toes and read a magazine. Or maybe I should sleep. That’s a novel idea.

Are there any good sitter placement services that actually work? I’ve seen a few online but am scared to pay for the membership only to find that the sitters aren’t great. Usually I use Craigslist.com but typically only get one or two quality responses. The rest are frightening.

One woman actually wanted me to meet her in my city’s ghetto for child transfer! What??? Seriously? Others e-mailed me pictures of them with their zit-faced, scary looking boyfriends.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Oh? And how much do you pay your sitters? And why do people steal sitters? Should I have given her a horrible reference? I don’t know anything about this babysitter stuff. Clearly, I need help.

[Photo Credit: Will You Look at That]

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