Good babysitters are hard to find.

Are you possessive about giving out your babysitter's name and number?

I think I should be more possessive.

After living here almost two years, I have, only in very recent months, found two babysitters. I've had a couple before these two, but they graduated or moved or my toddler scared them away or whatever. (I'm actually kidding about the last part, because as near as I can tell, he's a perfect angel to everyone but his parents.)

One is a student getting her MA in nursing at a local university. I got her by placing and paying for an ad in the university's newspaper. She's great and Daniel has a crush on her.

The other one I found a month or so ago on Craig's List. She is a teenager that lives in my neighborhood. She seems OK, except that I have to go pick her up (she doesn't drive yet) and she likes to keep the TV on when she babysits. I think it's kid's programs, but still, that's momma's tool for when she needs a break.

Anyway, a family with a one year old moved in a couple of houses down several months ago. Before Andrew was born actually. The mother was asking me if I had any babysitter recommendations the other day. I offered my two very quickly thinking that they would probably be happy to have more work anyway. I don't know if my neighbor will use them or not.

But afterwards, I was like, this mom has been here for less than a year and now she has the names of two decent babysitters just like that. I had to suffer a good year and a half plus before I got a couple of good ones. Why should she get it so easy? And now she might want them to babysit at the same time I might need them. What was I thinking?!

Darnnit.