Meet Kate.

            This is Kate.

            Kate makes my life as an aspiring writer possible. 

For the past 17 months, she has spent at least 15 hours a week watching my boys so that I can crawl into my little writing nook and churn out pages for the books I’m hoping to sell.

But Kate does so much more than just watch my boys.  She enriches their lives on a daily basis.  She also keeps my life running smoothly and makes sure I stay sane.  And the very best part?  I absolutely, 100 percent, totally trust her with the safety of my kids.  She’s that good. 

The first time I met Kate, I couldn’t believe how pretty she was.  She also had the coolest eye shadow (Super gold!) I’d ever seen.  The kids liked her right away and so did I.  So after interviewing about 30 people for the job, I offered it to Kate and crossed my fingers she would say yes.  Luckily, she did, and  here we are almost a year and half later with the coolest chick around.

Kate is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met without even trying.  The delivery and timing of her stories will leave you falling out of your chair, thinking you might snarf.  She is ridiculously creative, artsy, and crafty (Three things I am not).  So it’s a great opportunity for my kids to see that some people are.  She is also the best baker I know; she makes a mean sugar cookie.  And I don’t think  more than a week has gone by that she didn’t bake with the kids and leave us with delicious treats for the weekend.

Kate also happens to be one of the most responsible 20-year-olds I’ve ever met.  She is always on time---for both of her jobs---and she has never once forgotten about a plan we’ve made, even months in advance.  Sadly, she has to remind me of lots of things I forget about.  Like this week when she said she would come an hour early because Colin was out of town and Crews would be napping when Teague needed to be picked up from camp.  Seriously, the issue had never crossed my mind.  It would have eventually, but probably not until that morning.

Another thing I love about Kate, is it’s clear how much she genuinely loves my kids.  Sometimes on days when she’s not working, she will swing by to swim with Teague, just because she wants to see him.  And if she’s craving a Sonic grilled cheese and shake, she will always call and ask if Teague can go too.  Teague loves her to pieces---even though his nickname for her is, “The Worst,”---and Crews would follow her anywhere. 

I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how important she is and how much we think of her.  It’s rare to find someone so young, who is so dependable, trustworthy, smart, and has the instinct of a mom.  Thanks for picking us, Kate.  I think you’re “The Best.”