The Olympics and Babysitters

I am tired. I am on TV-watching overload.

First, the Republican National Convention. Second, the Democratic National Convention. And, now, the Olympics.

Oh, by the way, each of the evenings I watch what is listed above means I'm going to bed around 11 p.m. Each and every night. 11 p.m. My morning wake-up call is still around 6 a.m. so that hasn't changed. It's the going to sleep part that has changed.

I am tired.

My TV watching can be considered a fourth part and most days a healthy fourth part involves Bravo or something from the DVR. Or Netflix. Or Amazon Prime Video. Yeah, TV. I love it. It's a worthwhile fourth part.

But these last few weeks of TV watching have worn me out. I've been off because I've not really had a fourth part. Now, I've been planning and figuring out how to get the TV viewing in but really, every single night?

Knowing I start off my first part a bit sluggish means breakfast is a minimum and lunch packing is nothing to write home about. The second part is easy because it is work and well, you know, work. The third part these last few weeks has been scrambling around picking up back to school clothes, paying bills, running to the library and making dinner. All the usual third part -- but it has been at a frenzied pace because the Olympics officially start on NBC at 7 p.m. and the conventions started as soon as I turned on the TV in the evenings. (And, boy, those politicians talked and talked and talked).

So, I guess, I did have a fourth part because I watched TV. It just doesn't feel like I had a fourth part. Yes, I chose to watch those shows, but it wasn't a re-fueling fourth part. Let's be clear a fourth part fuels you, it re-energizes you, it rejuvenates.

And, the conventions and Olympics wear me out. I'm cheering and clapping and talking back to the TV. I consider my television interaction a sport. Let me be clear, I would medal in interacting with a TV show. G reminds me people on TV cannot hear me. It's soooo gratifying to talk back and contribute to the conversation taking place on screen.

In the midst of these evenings fueled by TV that goes late into the night, I've been readying for back to school. The calendar is being filled in with football dates and school activities. Schedules are feeling a bit tighter and busier.

With my girls, son and G headed back to school, that means our babysitter heads off to college. She has a last day with us -- it's been on the calendar since May. Now, it's here. We said our good-byes and I even managed to get a gift. Planning people, planning. We are going to miss her as this was her second summer with us (after being our after-school sitter the girls' kinder year). The girls love being with her and she has such imagination and energy. The crafts! The popsicles! The activities!

Off she goes to college. Enter a new babysitter. A sweet girl who we connected with over our July 4 beach vacation. (God provides, right?)

Typically, when a new sitter starts, I've lined out a calendar, have an 'intro to the Adams' guide and walk through the household electronics and rules for the girls.

Today, I opened the door, handed her a key, pointed her to the stack of coupons for after-school snacks and provided a quick tutorial on turning on the television. (Get the drift, television is important in the Adams' house.)

I let her know Nutella sandwiches are a favorite and cutting up some kind of fruit is a necessity at lunch. I asked her to continue to help the girls 'learn' how to make their beds and handed off the booster seats.

Babysitting the Adams' girls 101.

Tomorrow, I'll share many more things about caring for my precious daughters. I'll provide a calendar to outline the days and our comings and goings . I'll suggest she and the girls make one dinner each week for the family -- training up these littlest.

But for now, I've got the Olympics to watch. Until 11 p.m.

6 a.m. comes early and so does the babysitter. At least until next week, when she picks up the girls from school and is at our house for three hours a day.