On Getting a Babysitter

Last night we went to the University of Oregon Alumni meetup for Zurich and Switzerland. It was sort of amazing to meet up twenty other people who had all gone to our university and all ended up in Switzerland. Before going, we expected everyone to be American, but actually there was only one other American there! Most people were Swiss (think tennis scholarship ;) and the rest were from around Europe. It was really fun...except that we took Coco with us. 

I spent the evening chasing her in heels, which I can tell you is not fun. J and I took turns, but the last hour, I changed back into my Uggs because I just couldn't do it anymore. It would have been fine if the venue had been enclosed, but it was an open bar in the lobby of the Marriot. In other words, toddler heaven, with an automatic glass revolving door going onto a busy street. How perfect! At one point Coco ran into the revolving door too fast for me to get into the same side with her. I was right behind her, separated by a wall of glass and thankfully a friendly stranger on his way in picked her up before she could dash into the traffic ten feet away. There were also the valet guys, but I'm glad it didn't come to relying on them for the three seconds it took for my compartment to open up. Goodness.

Parenting is a learn-as-you-go game. Always. So now we have learned that you don't really enjoy yourself at adult functions with a toddler along. I know, it's so obvious! But some events you think to yourself, 'Oh, it will be fun to have her along! Let's take her with us,' and then you realize you were wrong. It was lots of fun for her, but for us, not so much. My new rule of thumb is if the clothing doesn't match chasing a toddler around, she shouldn't come. Pretty clever, right? ;)

(photo via tumblr)