Adventures in Oregon: Babysitting Mitchell the Farting Dynamo

Hey there, fellow Oregonians and beyond! Yep, it’s babysitting chronicles with my little BIC, Mitchell. Now, Mitchell might be pint-sized at two years old, but this kid flew all the way down to Oregon to share his epic antics with us. Honestly, I'm still kinda wrapping my head around how someone so small can have such a big personality!

So, picture this: Mitchell, rocking his classic look of a T-shirt paired with his trusty pampers. That's his style, and he owns it. We kick things off pretty chill. He plops down in a chair, totally face forward like he's about to make some grand announcement at a baby board meeting.

And then it happens. Mitchell, my little cousin, lets out a fart that could probably register on the Richter scale. It’s funny how something so tiny can produce sounds so... well, impressive. And boy, does he look proud. Honestly, there might even be a career in sound effects for this kid.

Now, every babysitting stint has its challenges. Today’s big one? Diaper changing duty after he decides to go full send in the pampers. It’s a ritual at this point—grab the wipes, brace for the smell, and hope that this time, it’s not as ‘nuclear’ as it was the last. Spoiler alert: It's always a surprise.

While Mitchell's doing his thing, I'm taking a moment to muse about where these little experiences might fit into my academic life here in Oregon. I mean, babysitting isn’t just a job—it’s life skills personified. Patience? Check. Crisis management? Double check. Plus, having an excuse to watch cartoons and justify it as “entertainment research” isn’t half bad.

In between the chaos, there’s something genuinely sweet about these moments. Like, seeing his face light up when I pretend to trip over his toy (every time!), or just him trying to mimic whatever silly sound I make next. These are the unscripted moments that keep it real.

As I'm winding down the day and getting little Mitchell ready for his nap, I can’t help but think how babysitting is like a crash course in life: it's unpredictable, messy, loud, and often requires an excessive amount of snacks to get through (for me and him both).

So there you have it, a day in the life of babysitting a two-year-old dynamo here in Oregon. Maybe babysitting isn’t the wild college adventure we all imagined, but it's definitely one for the books—or blogs, in this case.

Catch you guys later for more tales from the Oregon trail, modern-day style!