He's breathing on me!!!

We had a total blast of a long weekend with some of our best friends and then with Mark's brother's brood, too. We rented a house so that our family and our friends' family could stay and play together--and it was fantastic, as usual, we love hanging out with them. And all in all, the kids were great. But the reality is that when you get 7 kids together (when Mark's bro's family joined, too), all under the age of 8, and you expect anything other than Chernobyl at some point, you're just too optimistic. (And yet I'm still smiling!)

Let's talk specifics:
-The sheer noise level - I probably said "Whoa...little quieter, guys"..."Turn down the volume, everyone"..."You don't need to yell, we're inside!"..."I know you're excited, but..." about 100 times. Maybe 200 times. I'm even questioning whether I now have hearing issues--or perhaps it's more like "I'm tuning you out!" issues--after this weekend. A few times during the weekend, I remember wanting to roll into the fetal position like Jodie Foster in Nell and just start murmuring "Chickabee..." and other nonsensical words until the noise stopped. Granted, I think my behavior might have stopped the noise, but whatever works--I'm a team player. :)

-The ability to keep more than 1 child sitting at any mealtable for more than 5 minutes straight - I now have new-found respect for any kid--or any adult for that matter--that has the ability to concentrate on said food on his/her plate for more than 5 minutes straight. Frankly, if more adults were like kids, there would be no obesity epidemic in this country b/c we'd eat a total of 3 bites a meal and run to and from other rooms in the house in between bites. In fact, Rhys, my bird of an eater, now finds it easier to store food in his cheeks and pretend he's done so that he can go play instead. Get this: we're at the clubhouse pool an hour after eating lunch and I hear his cousin say "Rhys is still eating his chicken!" and low and behold, there he is, swimming with a cheek full of chicken.

-The patience not to punch someone if they touch your leg, arm, head, toe, thigh, finger, plate, etc. by accident - I believe I will now be getting a tee-shirt that says: "Mommmm!!! He's breathing on me!!!" Give three kids 5 minutes on a couch and I guarantee there will be some appendage that crosses over into the invisible, but clearly outlined space of one of the other kids and a battle will ensue. Remember that scene from Braveheart where Mel Gibson, fully dressed in war paint and garb, says: "You can take my land, but you can't take my freeeedommm!!!" Yep, same concept. Freedom at 4 years old is space--you cross the invisible line (or now the line in the couch cushions, as set by mommy and daddy) and leg wrestling the likes of which Mel G. has never seen is now in full swing. I believe Cole's quote of the trip went something like this: "NO FAIR! Rhys is sitting where I wanted to sit and now I can't see and he's hurting my ears and I can't eat!" Priceless. :)

-The power of the video - I don't care what anyone says, try traveling with three 4/5-year-olds in car seats in the back seat of a sedan for 5 hours and the ONLY way to make it through is TV. I felt like at any moment, my goddaughter, Katie, who was sitting in between my boys with her lovely, lanky legs, could decide she'd had enough of this togetherness and just HIIII-YAAA! them in the head...and had it not been for my good friend Mickey Mouse Clubhouse..."come inside, there's fun inside..." (parents, you know this song, I know...sing with me!) we would had been DOA. The only drawback: kids believe that you can do 12 things at once and have no trouble repeating all 12 in case you've forgotten any of the 12 in the past 5 or 6 seconds...for ex: Rhys: "Mom, could you turn the movie on?" Me: "Sure, just let me get the kids into their car seats first." Cole: "Mom, can I have a cracker and can you turn the movie on?" Me: "Sure, Cole, just wait a second until I get into the car and I'll do that." Katie: "Aunt Missy, can you please turn the movie on? and I don't want to watch Madagascar anymore." Rhys/Cole: "Buuuutttt, IIII likkkkeee Madagascar, Mommmmmm!!!...and why is it taking so long to get my cracker, please??!" Need I say more??

Patience, videos, a few raised voices...and 10 rounds of Row, Row, Row Your Boat...oh, and I Spy until there's nothing else to "spy"...that's all it takes!