When the Babysitter Tries to Be Funny

My first day of 1st grade

I babysit occasionally for a family that I’ve known for the last 5 years.  The father used to work with my dad and he and his wife have two beautiful little girls who are just amazing.  I remember they were the cutest little giggly toddlers and now they are 8 and 6.  So grown up with very distinct personalities and I always have fun when I go over to watch them.  Last night was no exception.

The youngest daughter always wants to play school and the conversation went something like this:

“Can we play school?”

Me: “Sure.”

“Ok, so I’m going to be an orphan and this is my dorm room.”

Me: “Wait, so are you in college? If you’re an orphan, who is paying your tuition?”

“No one.”

Me: “I don’t think it works like that.”

To her sister: “Ok you are sharing the dorm with me but you can’t be on the couch cuz it’s my bed and we don’t share a bed.”

Me: “She’s paying full tuition so she gets to stay on the couch too….[silence] In ten years you will find me really funny.”

Older daughter says quietly: “Uh huh.”

Ahh, what can I say, I think they find me entertaining because they don’t understand my jokes but they do adore my Elmo voice and ask for it before they go to bed.  It makes them both giggle and then we all start making funny noises before they fall asleep.  They’re amazing girls with amazing parents who have been really supportive of me since I started college and they live nearby.  They gave me congratulatory hugs and high fives for being done with college and they’re great people and I like being around great people.

I want to briefly mention that I’m really hoping to personalize my blog a little bit more by talking about things outside of mental health.  I believe it’s all related because as I progress in recovery, there will be more and more interests that pop up.  My main interest (especially as far as a career is concerned) is mental health advocacy and helping people recover.  This summer I’m going to be spending time researching post-bac options and grad school opportunities to further my education, perhaps eventually working towards a PhD.

However, there are other things going on in my life that I want to talk about, and I want my readers to get to know me as a person along with my discussions and views about eating disorders and personality disorders.  These are the things that I have experienced in my life and have had a profound impact on me, thus they are a crucial part of my story that I can’t leave out.  There are a lot of other things though that maybe you didn’t know about me, such as the fact that I played Varsity Tennis in High School and during my senior year my double’s partner and I got second place at regionals and made it to the state competition, or that I am a big comedy fan and used to be in love with Dane Cook and Adam Sandler, or that I quote movies and tv shows incessantly and people usually don’t understand the reference and look at me like I’m an idiot.  I’m more than a cluster of diagnoses and I really want to share more of who I am with you.

So don’t be surprised if you see more posts about the delicious food I’m eating and loving, the walks I’m taking with Angie, random stories that you may/may not find funny, and just me learning to love and live life on my own terms.

(image source)

Tagged as: babysitting, jokes, social awkwardness