Everyone thought that I was crazy for agreeing to babysit five children this summer. Why would you want to spend your summer that way? Quite frankly, I knew it was crazy, too, and I had no idea what I was going to get myself into. I had no idea how I was going to keep them all entertained all day and didn’t even remember what it was like to babysit a two-year-old.

Most days, they wanted every second of my attention; it was always, “What are we going to do next?” Eventually, they got tired of my hide and seek suggestions and my creativity did not last very long. We couldn’t spend every summer day reading, doing crafts, playing hide and seek, or taking random walks to the store. They also hated the idea of sandwiches and mac-n-cheese for lunch one more time. Let me add, they never wanted the same thing as each other for lunch.

Our days were rather spent with their crazy ideas; painting, water fights, and building extreme forts. Of course, it would not be fair if I played dress up with the girls and didn’t fit in some Call of Duty for the boys, right? We spent days at the park, and even chased some Pokémon at one point, too. There was also the ATTEMPT at making string bracelets, which failed. The best days were ones in which we shared new music and had spontaneous dance parties, and I watched them as they played pretend. The best days included ones in which they would help me find inspiration for my next article, and help me feel confident. The best days were when they got so excited because I agreed to have a sleepover with them. And more than that, was when morning arrived and all five were in bed with me, including the dog. They begged me every week to ask when we would do tie-dye together but remained patient as we saved the best for last.

Tie-dye wasn’t even the best for last. The best was realizing how much I learned from them even while trying to help them learn from me. It was realizing how much they had grown in just a couple of months. Gunner showed me that potty-training is not so simple, and that patience really IS a virtue. They taught me that the way they see me, can help me to be more aware of who I am becoming; so that I can be a good role-model for them. They taught me that ages 2-9 really can be the best company. I found joy in watching Emma and Claire learn how to ride bikes without training wheels, and learning to read big words. I watched Kailyn grow in responsibility and respect, and got to see how much Gage was willing to lend a helping hand. And I actually loved how I got a new nickname from Gunner. I love how Jeff always cracked me up with random jokes. Jess made me realize it was more than babysitting; it was a family in the way Jess always cared to ask me about things, and listened. But also how I knew that I would be back, because I care about all of them so much.

What’s even crazier than the five kids, is that they became my little family over the summer, and five kids every day was the best. They made me laugh every single day and just a smile upon their faces was enough for me. Summer wasn’t a job for me, it was more of an adventure.