We babysit two small boys from down the road today while both parents worked. (I guess they aren't that small - 11 and 7 years old). They came in and played their electronics for quite awhile before I told them they needed to finish up because I was going to "kick them outside" in a few minutes. After they went outside with my boys, I took a quick shower and came back down to find the older boy back inside. I asked where his little brother was and he answered that he assumed he was outside with the other 3 boys. Awful babysitter that I am, I believed him and went on with my daily chores. It was probably only a few minutes later when I got a call from the mom at work. She asked if I was aware that the youngest son was now back at his house! He thought that when I said I was kicking them out, that meant it was time to go home. So he walked home (about 15 minutes) all by himself and then phoned his mom to find out what to do next. The mom had a hard time telling me the story because she was laughing so hard. I felt horrible but she thought it was hilarious. Of course we ran out and picked him up immediately and brought him back.
I'm thankful that the young boy was okay, that the mom thought it was funny and that the rest of the day went well with no more children wandering off. And if any of you ever need a babysitter, you may want to consider a different neighbour. This one is not terribly trustworthy! A.
