GAFilk Question

[billroper]

daisy_knotwise and I continue to mull over going to GAFilk. The problem is that Gretchen doesn't get to see much of the evening activities if she's having to put Katie and Julie to bed. It would be possible to exchange names in that problem and have me put the girls to bed, but then I miss most of the evening activities, so either way, one or the other of us isn't where we'd like to be.

We were wondering if anyone knew of a responsible young person who would be interested in picking up some extra money by watching the girls in the late evening hours. They're pretty much night owls, so they aren't likely to go to bed before 10 PM in any case.

The existence of such a responsible young person wouldn't guarantee that I could lever Gretchen, Katie, and Julie into the van with me for a trip to Georgia this January, but it would help the odds. :)

Comments

[quadrivium.livejournal.com]

I will ask around.

[dek9.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that a responsible young person who goes to cons could clean up pretty well with a lot of the parents out there. I know the times when I have to/want to bring the kids to cons it would be nice to have someone just be in the room while they are asleep.

[rmeidaking.livejournal.com]

This won't help in Georgia, but I have a Responsible Young Person who is in need of making $$$ to go on a trip to Australia next July. In a round-numbers sort of discussion just now, we think that $20 for 9 pm - 1 am might be appropriate. I don't know what the going rate is for babysitters; we paid the kids in Illinois $4 an hour eight years ago tho. Note that I mean K (not G), the one who gets himself up and out the door most mornings before I'm even up. (I suspect that he's never changed a diaper, though, so that might need to be negotiated.)

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

Hey old friend - I feel, *believe me* I feel your shared pain!! There's a reason we haven't been to many cons lately and it isn't just lack of money. (though that doesn't help)

Anyway - I *really* want to get to GAFilk this year. I doubt we'll manage but... even if we don't go it is vaguely possible Sarah might be persuaded to come and babysit in exchange for crash space and food... I could ask or you could. She adores Katie and Julie and agrees with me that you and Gretchen are definitely "good people" (tm). Plus she went to college in Atlanta for a couple years so doubtless has people she'd love to see there. OTOH even with SW's great sale right now I don't expect you'd want to pay $100 or something for a plane ticket and we're all jobless including Sarah. Foo!

Another trick that Ed and I used a few times to good effect is to schedule a "family filk area" at a con (actually we did this at GAFilk one time!) Basically a big open room that was for filking but it was understood that kids would be running around some and talking and making noise. You'd be surprised how many other parents with kids hung out with us! Even a few non-parents!! :-D

Hope one or both of those help! Once we start hitting mutual cons with kids I'm *more* than happy to do some shared kid duty with you guys. Especially if I get to hang with Gretchen or you a bit.

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

I love the idea of a family filk area, but our son is a very scheduled little monkey, and come bedtime (8:00, 10 is pushing it) he wants to be in our room and in BED. He loves to run around with the other kids but by the time most filk circles start, he's beginning to get all melty and want to go sleep.

Since for gundo filk & music are almost as much of a vocation as his paying career, I've made the pledge to be the primary caretaker for Gabriel at cons. I'm serious about that, and he works hard to make it balance out elsewhere, but I would love to get more of a con experience. Sometimes it's frustrating to have people squint at me and say "I guess you're gundo's wife?" *grin* Cons with childcare are my FAVORITE cons!

[billroper]

Of course, there's always the music parties at your place. One of them may eventually be on a day when we're free. :)

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

We really want you guys here, and I hope it works out in the new year. You're on our mailing list, right?

I do, however, wonder if Julie, Katy, Miriam & Gabriel all in one relatively confined space might not be one of the portents of the coming apocalypse... ;-) It will be great fun watching it happen, at least!

[billroper]

Unfortunately, Southwest doesn't fly to Atlanta. I keep hoping, but... :)

And thanks for the good thoughts and ideas!

[sraun]

IIRC, there are Atlanta locals on my FL - elorie & archangelbeth at least. Want me to post a pointer to this post?

[robin-june.livejournal.com]

I had found such a person: Kellie. (But she's local to Columbus, and isn't likely to get to GAFilk for at least a couple of years).

When the babysitting at the con fell through in 2008, I mentioned her to OVFF concom and they put her on staff this year in KidSpace.

She had a blast. It was her first con ever.

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

I just checked with one of the locals here. She's not sure if her daughter is coming to GaFilk or not or if she'd be interested in babysitting, but as soon as I hear something, I'll let you know via e-mail.

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

Bill, if you come across kids at any con that want to babysit and would be willing to add another to their charges, gundo and I would -love- to pitch in with you.

I don't think we're going to GAFilk, but we might, and it would be nice to know there's someone there to help out.

[gingicat]

I'd totally take care of the girls if I could get waifed to GAFilk. :) Besides, I adore all four of you.

[hilfy.livejournal.com]

My daughter Catie is interested. She will be there with her son Brendan, who you guys met last weekend when he was hanging out with me at OVFF. He enjoyed playing with Katie and Julie (he's not quite 2) in the hallway outside the dealers room on Sunday.

Catie already was planning on not being up late because Brendan also goes to bed between 9 and 10.

You can reach her at lilliestinnett at yahoo's email or me at geekgurl37 at google's email.

-Dell

[billroper]

Thanks! I've passed this along to Gretchen and we're negotiating. :)