The Beginning

I should begin at the beginning of my story and tell you how "Miss Lynn" came to be my name.  My babysitter as a child was amazing.  Her name was "Toby" and I remember idolizing her and thinking she was the coolest girl that I would ever know.  I was about 4 when my parents found her and had her babysit for my brother and I.  Sadly, we moved away after 2 short years of living year Toby.  After moving Toby  became my childhood penpal and we stayed in touch for about 8 years after my family moved away.


I don't have a lot of memories from when I was 4 being with Toby.  I remember small things really - like how she could braid my hair in really cool ways.  But I do remember when we would be able to go visit Toby and how she would take me more places as I got older.  I remember going to the MU at Oregon State (yes! I grew up in Oregon) to go bowling with her when I was about 9 or 10.  She was an older girl, who took an interest in being nice to me and helping me to grow into the person I am today.


If I fast forward a few years into middle school, I have a confession to make.  I can remember I was obsessed with the Babysitter's Club books by Ann M. Martin.  I read over a hundred of the books and drove my mom nuts with tracking down books from Powell's Bookstore in Portland, OR or the library.


For those of you that don't know, the girls in the Babysitter's Club would book babysitting jobs and bring along kits of toys, games, and crafts for kids to do while the parents are away.  This is the model I follow when I nanny.  I love to bring toys, games, special movies, or crafts for children to do.  I have found in my experience the more you can keep kids engaged and active, the less likely they are to have temper tantrums and fight with one another.  Also, parents are happier when they come home and realize their kids didn't watch tv all day - or night!


This blog will help give recommendations for finding or creating games, scoring children related deals, and craft ideas that won't break the bank. 


Enjoy and let me know how these ideas work for you!