the opportunist strikes again

Today I had the pleasure (ahem) of looking after my 7 year old niece for the day. My sister roped me into this by saying that it would be 2 hours. After I said yes, the story changed and she said it might be longer because she was going to a baby shower and she had to help set up. Uh huh. Then, after she dropped her off, she said she would have to help clean up too. Uh huh. So, 2 hours turned into 7.

When she arrived to pick her up and saw that her daughter was smiling and still had all appendages in tact, she then asked if I would be willing to take her for a week. A week??!!! She must have smoked something at that shower. I normally max out at 3 hours so what I would do for 7 whole days is beyond me. I cannot even imagine having to take care of both Jethro and my niece for longer than I did today.

My sister says she's exhausted and wants a relaxing vacation so she can go to the beach whenever she wants and not have to entertain a child. So do I!!!! If I had to take care of a child for a week, I would need a month off. Scratch that, I would need two.

Let's recap. I do not have nor do I want any children. She wanted a child and had a child. She has spent nearly all of her time since trying to rope different people into taking care of her daughter for extended periods of time. Her excuse is that she's a single mother. How is this my problem? She designed it that way. Don't go thinking she's hard done by. This year alone, my niece has spent:

• 3 weeks with her father in another city
• 2 weeks in the Caribbean with my father
• 1 week at the cottage with my father and step-mother
• 1 week with my mother

So, if you add this up, my sister has had 7 weeks of freedom this year - 4 of which were this summer. (I haven't even added in the various nights and weekends she spends with my father and step-mother.) Would it not have been possible to take her relaxing vacation during these time periods?

Here's a suggestion. Why doesn't she take care of my dogs while I go on a much-needed vacation? She would say no before I finished the sentence.

SunnyShine