On Saturday night I had a night out planned: do my hair, put makeup on, leave the house, go out for dinner with my girls from mother’s group. Enjoy a nice meal, drink some nice wine. Wear high heels on the weekend. Come home late.

I have been fretting about leaving Bubba with someone who wasn’t family for the first time. Fretting about it incessantly. Even though the baby sitter came highly recommended by one of the other girls in our mother’s group, there was more than one occasion on Saturday where I thought I might cancel on dinner. (And not because I’ve just started reading the second of the three Hunger Games books!)

Alas, I didn’t cancel. I did my hair and make up. The baby sitter arrived. She seemed lovely.

But she smelled like a sheep.

Well, she didn’t smell like a sheep to me, or to Bubba apparently. Bella was even okay with it. But Beary?

Oh, NO lady. You are NOT staying in my house. You are NOT holding our Bubba. And mumma you are most definitely NOT going out that front door tonight.

NOT. AT. ALL.

I have never seen Bear react like that to anything or anyone ever. His ears were back, despite the fact that his tail was wagging. He’d get close to sniff her then run away and hide behind me. And growl. Not a scary sounding growl, but distinctly communicating his message: I’m really NOT comfortable with this scenario.

Oh. My. God. Seriously?

This is really happening the first night I have a baby sitter in our home? The trouble with the baby sitter is nothing to do with either Bubba or mumma, but everything to do with Bear?

Ay carumba!

Lucky, the lovely baby sitter is a vet student. One who is currently fostering a sheep, thus the smell.

Despite me offering to come home the second she called me – or to not leave if she felt uncomfortable – she said she was fine. She gave Bear some treats and spent time holding Bubba while I wandered in and out of the room for varying amounts of time.

By the time I’d run through Bubba’s bed time routine, made sure the baby sitter knew where food and drink for herself were, fretted about Bear’s behaviour, and finished getting ready, Bear hadn’t growled for a few minutes.

When my friend picked me up, I got into her car expecting not to even make it to the restaurant. But my phone was silent. I bought some wine to take to dinner. Silence still. I sent a text just before I ordered to check that all was okay.

The message back said that Bubba had gone to sleep straight away and that the baby sitter had two new best friends curled up on the couch with her.

So I need not have worried about Bubba. I could even maybe consider going out again.

And apparently Beary doesn’t mind the smell of sheep after all.