Babysitter Required

As a Working Mum and a teacher, I have to spend a lot of evenings at school after daughter has gone to bed. When the dates of those evenings are published at the start of a school year I hope and pray that husband isn't busy and can get home in time for me to get back to school or better still, pick daughter up from school.

Mostly we manage.

If we can't, I had a few babysitters who could step into the breach. However, two have gone to university, one has emigrated to France and one has a husband critically ill in hospital. At times I have taken daughter to stay at my parents' overnight, but this isn't feasible now she has started school, and anyway, they are both at work so it isn't easy. So this leaves me with .................................. you guessed it, my MIL.

Now, next month we have an evening where both of us need to be at work, so we need a babysitter.

On Saturday, MIL turned up mid morning, as usual, whilst I was unpacking the Tesco shop and doing the washing. (I know, I know, I still haven't done anything about this). She took up residence on the patio awaiting her coffee and watched me pegging out the washing.

"Do you feel like you do lots of washing?" she asked, as I pegged out the third load.

"Yes," I said.

"So do I" she said.

Yes, that would be one retired woman's washing compared to a family of three with work clothes, casual clothes, school uniform, PE kit, sports gear and bedding. I let it go.

She stayed so long that husband fired up the barbie for our lunch, and felt he had to invite her to stay. (Well, how can you send a widow home to eat alone when there's a barbie going on?)

After partaking of our hospitality (and my homemade burgers) I took my chance and asked if she could babysit on said evening.

"Oh no, I have Womens' Fellowship on a Wednesday"

Aaaaaaargh!!