In Numbers....

16-the number of people and children that were here at the candle party on Friday. It was crazy, crowded and LOUD. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the kids were pretty good, but after watching kids for 12 hours a day/five days a week...I have discovered that the very LAST thing I want to do on the evenings/weekends is be around children. Unfortunate for my own kids.

12-the number of hours I planned on sleeping Friday night to recover from the previous week

6-the ACTUAL hours I slept because Greg came in at 5 and for some reason, I have trouble sleeping when he comes in, takes off all his equipment...which is made of metal and leather...so there is much jingling and creaking, slams the safe door, takes a shower, comes out in a towel, leaving the bathroom door wide open and light on, opens his drawers to get clean clothes, gets dressed and then goes down stairs and proceeds to bang pots and pans around as he makes breakfast. (the kitchen is UNDER our bedroom). I can't understand WHY I can't sleep through that.

2 -the trips I made to Megan's house on Saturday because my daughter idolizes Megan and wanted to see her new kitten.

1-the number of trips I made to the ghetto mall looking like crud. Good thing nobody noticed or recognized me.

4-amount of hours it took to return the playroom and my kids' rooms to the same state they were in BEFORE the candle party and they still aren't exactly the way I prefer them.

2-extra kids I allowed to stay all night on Saturday because I started to let them stay Friday night but then realized during the candle party that I was so on edge that I probably wouldn't be very fun to spend the night with....Hey, at least I recognize when I've had enough.

627-The number of times I told all four kids (mine and the 2 extra) to sit down and CHILL out because I was tired of hearing all the thumping and bumping on the floor. My nerves were still recovering from a very long back to school week and craziness that was Friday night and I really just wanted to rest on the couch WITHOUT having to listen to a herd of elephants upstairs. I finally gave up and went outside in the sauna-like heat to weed my garden. Of course, the girls FOLLOWED ME outside!! LOL!

30-the minutes that Claire and Riley spent in the shower together after helping me weed the garden. It was so hot and muggy plus they were covered in bug spray...

6-number of towels it took to dry the floor after their 30 minute shower. BUT, I wasn't complaining. They got in on their own, washed all the appropriate parts without having to be told and enjoyed themselves. Their laughter is infectious.

1-surprisingly the number of times I had to tell all four kids to get to bed. I guess herding elephants get really tired from all that running around.

5-minutes. Amount of time one child cried to go home until I promised that Red, our weenie dog, could sleep with her... Only the dog was unhappy after that. He can't complain, so booya..sucks to be a weenie dog.

4-the number kids who were awake when I got up at 6:30 Sunday morning.

3-The number of kids who were very well behaved at church. Claire, on the other hand, pretty much cried and whined through the whole service making me hiss threats and contort my face into all sorts of mean looks. I really felt like a fool since the sermon was on living a Christ-like life and I am pretty sure Christ would frown on me telling my 5 yr old to SHUT UP multiple times or I was going take her to the bathroom and spank her. At Church. I am mother of the year, you know.

27-number of times I tried to start the van after church just hoping that the next time I tried, it would start. GREAT! Luckily, a friend and mom of the two "other" kids I had with me was just around the corner and she rescued us.

3-number of times I had to explain of WHY the van was dead to my husband because he was laughing SO hard. You see, I am not used to 4 kids. Oh sure, I watch kids and often have several in my home at one time. However, we don't usually go places. And IF we do, they are little kids, who are strapped in and can't just bail out of the van on their own. When I got to church yesterday, FOUR kids jumped out of the van almost before I could get it into park. Claire was crying and her kindergarten teacher was trying to talk to us. I was so distracted because 4 kids were running a muck in a parking lot WHERE CARS ARE DRIVING and Claire's crying and her talking teacher that, although I did shut the van off, I neglected to turn the key to off position or EVEN TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION...leaving both air conditioners running (my van has a separate rear air conditioner) and the radio on.

Yeah...I'm all kinds of special.

25-the number of times I told Greg yesterday that, after this weekend, I DEFINITELY do not want any more kids.

Much love.