Letter nine...

Dear my babies,

I know I know, you're NOT babies. I coined that phrase years ago to cover all of you en masse so that when people said, 'What're you doing tonight Lucy' I could say 'Looking after my babies'. And seeing that I babysat pretty constantly when I was younger this was something I had to say ALOT. I understand that you're not babies now and, even when you were, you were not my babies. Actually I believe you belonged to your parents. So...

...moving on.

I'm doing this thing called '100 Days to Make Me a Better Person'. Look it up on Facebook, you'll find it. It's pretty much what it says on the box: You do one thing, every day that should, in theory, make you a better person. My interpretation of this was to write letters to people every day that either:

a) I feel could do with receiving some kind words, a kick up the arse etc.
OR
b) People that I think have helped me become a better person.

SO, risking being cheesy about it, I guess you've all helped me become a better person. Whether that's by testing my bloody patience to the extent that I've developed superhuman tolerance levels, by giving me something or someone other than myself to think about when I've been wrapped up in my own little teenage world, by making me smile, laugh (cry, scream etc.) and by giving me wonderful little humorous anecdotes to share with people.

I've said that I spent most of my teenage years babysitting and, had theatre not got in the way of that, I'd probably be doing that still. Spending a night getting drunk, jumping about in a club or even watching films with friends rarely came close to how much I loved babysitting y'all. I looked forward to each afternoon or evening I got to spend with you guys, organising what films we would watch, which books we would read, which games we would play- you mostly all threw my ideas out the window when I arrived but we tended to have a nice time nonetheless.

Screaming bathtimes and refusals to go to sleep aside I loved babysitting each and every one of you, and I'm thrilled I'm in touch with so many of you still. I like watching you all growing up, being in plays, reaching GCSE's, dating and starting your own babysitting jobs.

So I thought I'd end with a mini list of just some of my memories:

• Ben and Sarah for being the first kids I ever babysat.
• Sarah Brodie and Sarah Binney's obsessive reading, particularly in the evening when I was trying to switch lights off
• Watching George of the blooming jungle a record number of times BRODIES
• Sarah and Ben deciding that because I was being paid to look after them I was to be their slave
  
• Sarah Binney's poem that I still have about Hans the Clockmaker
• Hannah's drawing that I still have
• Angelo at 13 months old screaming for 5 hours straight until finally I called my mother and burst into tears myself
• Lucas and Michel jabbering away in French until they remembered I spoke mainly English
  
• Rasmus making me read a book in Danish and laughing hysterically every time I got a word wrong
• Oliver at 2 years old hitting me and refusing to go to sleep until he finally fell asleep in a warm little bundle in my arms
• Harry demanding I stay in his bed until he fell asleep and waking every time he felt me trying to leave
  
• Harry at 2/3 years old coming downstairs at 10pm, getting a fork out of the draw and eating the majority of my dinner. Didn't ask, just informed me that this was the plan.
  
• Stella showing me the beautiful pictures of her posing in the sunglass adverts
• Stella sneakily making sure I read a minimum of 4 books each night before she went to sleep
• Watching 101 Dalmatians with Hollie and Sam
• Not that I was an actual babysitter for these guys but cuddling with Jasmine, Thomas and James in Seymour whilst watching Bear Grylls was loverly!
  
• Playing the Game of Life with the twins
  
• Theo's cheeky little face that crumples into a grin every time he does something naughty which is...pretty much every day
  
• Moses getting lost in Wonderlab and the receiving the first of what was to be many of his lovely warm hugs when he found me.
  
• Moses giving me an interview for Joint Stock until Theo appeared from nowhere and tipped him off his chair
• Teaching Mo and Theo how to make Chocolate Easter Baskets
• Moses telling me every five minutes, 'I'm hungry Lucy'
• Super Heroes, Super Heroes, Super Heroes...

Well, that's enough nostalgia for now. Most of you are getting all big and grown up now which I didn't forsee...call me dumb but I think I was expecting you to stay babysitting age for a few more years. But I hope you realise how much I loved looking after you all and how many memories it's given me and is, I suppose, one of the reasons I ended up working as a children's entertainer for a summer. I know some of you will be babysitters yourself now and I hope you make as many memories with your charges.

Love and Kisses,

Lucy
xxx