Jay Donald’s Daily Visits

Toddler courtesy
photobucket.com

Judie Moon was about six months old when her mother was asked to care for a baby Judie’s age while his mother LaVera worked. 

This seemed like a good idea, as the two babies would enjoy the company of one another, and the income from the child care would help with the grocery bill.

Judie and Jay were like twins.  They ate their breakfast and lunch together (one at a time as the “mother” fed them Gerber’s baby food. 

Both were bottle babies, so they were ready for their formula and an afternoon nap and so was Mother.  The two older children were still young enough to need a nap so that left at least an hour for rest time.

One day LaVera announced that she was expecting a second baby and could she count on Judie’s mother to care for one more?  One additional child did not seem like it would be much more to handle, so “Mother” said yes. 

All these babies were in real diapers, so “Mother did the laundry for what was used at her home.  The other baby’s diapers were a different shape, so they were easily distinguishable. 

One thing LaVera noticed was that the diapers laundered at “Mother’s” home were whiter.  A few years before baby Judie arrived, “Mother had worked at a place that sold large bags of soap to Launderettes.  She liked their soap named, “White and Bright” and the price was right so this was what she used to wash her clothes.  Soon LaVera requested to purchase a large bag for her own use so we arranged it.

The babies were good company for each other and they grew happy and healthy.

Christmas came and the babies were close to two years old.  We purchased an inexpensive toy pounding bench for Jay, and it became his favorite toy.  He loved to pound with the small hammer the round colored pegs down the opening and turn the bench over and again pound some more.

Judie’s favorite was a stuffed toy and she thoroughly enjoyed dancing with it.

It seems that children can be happy with just a small toy and if no toys are around they can be occupied with an empty kettle from the kitchen and a wooden spoon to hit on like a drum. 

Cloth books are another item that can be a learning tool.

The grass on the front lawn, and a large blanket gave the babies a bit of sun, just enough so as not to burn.  They were interested in the neighborhood children who liked to stop and talk to the babies.

The large stroller could hold two babies, while the older children could walk as we went to the corner store for bread and milk. 

 

God smiled on our house full of children!