I'd been asked by my neighbors if I could come and 'babysit' for them.  I'd said yes of course.  

To me, it would be play, fun...enjoyable.
4, 6, and 14 months old.

Cute as bugs on a rug.

Mom and Dad left.

We sang, we danced [I don't sing well but they didn't mind].  I laid with them on a flat piece of cardboard with crayons and drew a garden.  The 14 month old thought I'd be a great 'thing' to sit on.

We talked, we made tea.  The girls made tea for me.  
We read a book.  
Baby brother fell asleep in my lap.  
We chatted about woodland faeries [the girls think I'm an expert on them].

When mom and dad came home I was disappointed to see that the time had gone by so quickly.  
Sure I was tired.  

[I spent hours today standing in the bone chilling March wind]
But I'd had fun.  

Then mom slid a folded check towards me on the kitchen counter.  I looked at her aghast!  
I slid the check back towards her and said that I should pay them for the fun I had.

I left and headed out into the dark and down the driveway.  Above the moon glowed silver and the clouds scuttled across the sky.

The trees moaned and groaned in the high gusts of wind.  I walked with a spring in my step.

Perhaps even a skip or to.

What an evening of being with the young can do for the 'old'.  My step was lighter and my heart was happy.

The Wonders of Children!