‘Here to help’

Alicia Mimnaugh’s feet hit the treadmill with force. She was mad. Her babysitter had to cancel at the last minute, so she had to cancel her doctor’s appointment.

Having just moved to Culpeper a little more than three years ago, she had no family in town to watch her three kids. She had no one to fall back on.

“Other mothers must face the same problem,” she thought to herself.

Turns out, they do.

Mimnaugh talked to her friends and discovered they had the same complaints. No time to get groceries without the kids in tow, no time to go get their nails done, and seemingly no time to breathe.

“I said, I need someone to watch my kids for an hour or two so I can run an errand or just have lunch with a friend,’ Mimnaugh said.

That was the impetus for Sure Sitter, the babysitting business Mimnaugh runs out of her house on Windermere Drive in Culpeper’s Redwood Lakes.

On a recent sunny afternoon, Mimnaugh’s backyard echoed with the sound of happy, squealing children, going for a ride on the swing set and kicking around the soccer ball.

Hannah Upton, 3, playfully bounced through the scene, stopping every so often to yell out a cheerful, “Hi!”

Mimnaugh runs her business from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., taking in five or six children a day, ages 18 months to 12 years old.

Her motto is “I’m here to help,” and with the summer right around the corner, she’s sure that more parents are going to need a moment to themselves.

“In this day and age, we just run out of time to get things done,” she said. “You just never have enough time to get all your tasks done.

“I understand that in life, sometimes you just need a little bit of support. And I just want to provide that support. As summer continues and we have more kids at home with us, it might become harder to run errands.”

She also understands that it can be tough on families, with the economy struggling.

“It’s tough right now for people to afford it,” Mimnaugh said. “It’s only fair that you adjust to make it more accessible to parents and families who are really tightening their belts.”

Sure Sitter, a licensed company and recognized by the Chamber of Commerce, has children do activities, exposes them to art and musical instruments. Mimnaugh asks that you register a child just as you would in day care, but the majority of her clients only stay for a couple of hours at a time.

“All the feedback I’ve gotten has said, ‘This is something I’d really use, and I really like this,’” Mimnaugh said. “People think it’s something really unique and a niche business for our community.”

In the future, she’ll consider moving to a commercial location, but running the business out of her home gives her and her three children a level of comfort.

Mimnaugh, whose husband works during the day in northern Virginia, handles the children by herself.

“I’m a mom and I just love kids,” Mimnaugh said. “My house is the mecca of the neighborhood. The kids are here every day. It just came naturally.”

At a glance
What: Sure Sitter babysitting company
Where: Windermere Drive, Culpeper
Information: Call (540) 727-1038, e-mail or visit suresitter.com

Other ways to keep the kids busy

Here is a brief sampling of summer camps taking place in Culpeper County this summer. Please check the Star-Exponent’s daily community page and the sports digest for a full listing of camps as they are submitted.

Camp Culley 2009
The Museum of Culpeper History hosts second annual Camp Culley, two week-long day camps. Reserve your child’s space early, we can only accept 20-22 kids per camp. Camp I is for rising kindergarteners through second graders and starts June 22. Camp II is for rising third through 5 graders and starts June 29.  Call 829-1749.

Girl Scouts day camp
Girls of all ages are invited to “Culpeper Area Weekend Day Camp “ Circus Time!“ at Verdun Adventure Bound in Rixeyville. Call 777-5100 or 800-542-5905.

Five week music workshop
The Blue Ridge Chorale of Culpeper will be sponsoring a five week music workshop for youth ages 7 to 14. There will be singing, dances, recorders, folk songs theme Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Yowell Meadow Park, June 30 through July 30. Pre-registration required, brcsings.com.

Horse camp
Majestic Meadows Stables will be offering a one week horse camp session from June 29 to July 3, during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Early registration is essential for space is limited. Contact Bonnie Williams at or Kristin Erlitz at email address for information and applications.

Kid Central summer day camp
Will be held June 16 through Aug. 15 at A.G. Richardson Elementary school Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Call 829-2124 or visit kidcentralculpeperva.com