From The Cordelian Chronicles:

Anita Redpoll strode through the entryway. Standing six feet tall, Redpoll was thin and wiry, hoarding energy like a coiled spring. Her hair was dark with a few strands of gray and her eyes were never still, but constantly looking around her. The girls could never figure out her age, and she was not forthcoming. Redpoll’s official role towards the girls might have been “babysitter,” but that hardly seemed sufficient. Babysitters sat; Redpoll was continually moving, taking the girls backpacking and rock climbing, teaching them kickboxing and even knife throwing once. The only time Redpoll sat was to spin fantastic tales of her times in foreign lands. She ran a wilderness tour company and taught at a martial arts academy. She entered Kelly’s house, her colorful skirt swinging, and closed the door behind her.