Photos and Text by Corey Amaro:
Growing up in a large family meant that holidays were a shared
celebration, with Grand parents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. When I moved to France,
the first holiday I shared with French Husband, was very quiet with
just the two of us. It felt odd not to have more people around.
Ever since that first holiday I have made it a mission to ask everyone
we know, what they are doing for the "holidays" and if they are alone,
or if they don't have anything special planned, would they like to
join us. Our holidays have never been the same since.
Yesterday, our family and friends gathered to celebrate Easter. Since French Husband's niece was coming with her two children (Both are cute, adorable, fun loving… but one is an extremely, wild, child.) we decided to have two tables- a "children's" table and a "big people's" table.
As a child I loved the children's table. Sitting around with my brothers and cousins. It was always fun. But mainly, I preferred the children's table because I was a picky eater, and sitting at the children's table I didn't have to eat everything on my plate.
Since Tatiana and Jarrod, (French Husband's niece's children) are little I asked Sacha if he would sit with them, help them and of course keep them entertained while the adults ate in the other room. (In France a meal during the holidays can take up to several hours. Ours lasted a mere four hours.) It is nearly impossible to sit calmly as an adult let alone for a child.
Sacha wasn't keen to the idea. He felt demoted. He felt nervous, punished, and downright scared. He teasingly smirked, "You mean I am the Easter Bunny babysitter? Mom, Jarrod is like a tornado, I will have to keep my eye on him constantly. That isn't my idea of a lovely lunch!"
I had to beg him. Plead with him, and at last I offered him a job, "I'll pay you to babysit." He agreed. He was nervous, but money has a way of talking to a teenage boy.
It was a deal.
Tatiana, who spent the weekend with us talked and talked she adores Sacha. Sacha took his role as Easter Bunny Babysitter seriously, he kept his eye constantly on Jarrod, while giving Tatiana attention too.
Jarrod was an angel under Sacha's guidance. It was a match made in heaven, with a little cash flow in between.
When they finished their meal, Sacha took them for a walk to the park. Hours later they came home for the Easter Egg hunt.
I heard the front door open, and as soon as I did I knew something extraordinary had happened. Sacha sent an unwelcoming cheer, "Hell-ooooooo we are home… with one, soaking wet, and muddy boy and one little girl with a ruined dress and soaked shoes!"
All of us big people came running into the kitchen… there stood Jarrod, wet and muddy from head to toe. With a sad, mournful look, that only a little boy can give when he knows he is in big trouble… a look of begging mercy.
Before we could ask what happened, Sacha volunteered, "I never took my eye off of them, but in a split second Jarrod jumped into the creek, then chased Tatiana, and took off her shoes and threw them into the creek. Fun, fun, fun I love little kids!
Oh it was a wild Easter and I don't regret any of it! But I expect I will have to pay the babysitter double next time.
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