"M"

Today was the first* time that someone other than a family member watched Kate and Maya for the whole day.   I am still working a little bit and need some uninterrupted time to get stuff done - naptime just isn't long enough anymore.  The babysitter, I'll call her "M", is a lovely woman and was highly recommended by other some other moms I know so I feel comfortable leaving the girls with her.  *well, I guess it was really the second time, but the first time "M" watched the girls I spent most of the day with them

The girls were happy as clams with "M" as long as I stayed out of sight.  I worked upstairs for much of the day and could hear them downstairs giggling, playing and generally being happy. However if I made an appearance for any reason (a cup of coffee, for example),  the girls would run full speed towards me with their arms outstretched, screaming hysterically and cling to me like a staticky sock on fleece pajamas.  I'd then have to peel them off of me and quickly retreat back upstairs while "M" kept them from trying to chase me up the stairs.  After a few of these incidents, coffee or whatever other business I had downstairs didn't seem worth the hysteria, so I spent the most of the afternoon hiding out in our bedroom.  I guess this is a good thing because it keeps me from taking too many "coffee breaks". 

When "M" left for the day Kate spent the rest of the evening babbling at me in a very loud and angry voice.  I imagine she was exclaiming over how I could leave her all day with a veritable stranger and hoping that I would not do this again anytime soon.  Both girls were completely exhausted from the day and were pulling out their sleeping gear (sleep sacks, blankies, etc.) and trying to crawl into their cribs by 7 PM.