Peace and Quiet with FIVE CHILDREN

Can someone please explain to me how this is possible?

I have three children. I babysit B5YO during the week, so it's really like I have FOUR KIDS. 12YO had a friend spend the night last night, so I actually have FIVE KIDS for today. And I've had more time to myself this morning than I have in forEVER. It's like it's some weird formula where more ends up feeling like less. For the day, the extra child is B11YO. She and 12YO are on the same cheerleading squad. Since 5YO and B5YO are just learning to be cheerleaders themselves, they think that everything the older two girls can do is AMAZING. Naturally, 2YO just wants to keep up with the rest, which hasn't been a problem...YET. Eventually, someone will end up feeling left out and seek their revenge by making the others miserable. But, for the moment all is peaceful on the homefront. And what do I have to say to that?

IT'S ABOUT DARN TIME!!!!!

I made pancakes, got some knitting done, and even had my morning cup of tea in PEACE. Honestly, I could have just stared at a wall and still enjoyed the peace and quiet that I so long for. It's been a rough week. We've been to town almost everyday this week and I am exhausted. We did, however, manage to get ALL of the dreaded BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING out of the way. We're done. There may be a few extra things that 12YO needs once school has actually started, but I think we have most of it covered. YAY!!!

I just want to know why these children don't think they need to act like HUMAN BEINGS when we're out in public. 5YO and B5YO were doing one of their 'cheers' for all the wonderful people in the 'Back to School' department at Target. Over and over, the same cheer. Each time they started it, they got a bit louder and a few more people stared. And not all of these spectators looked all that amused. The cheer ends with both girls stepping forward, rasing their right arms and saying, "We are the BEST!" I told them that people might start to disagree with them if they didn't pipe down a bit.

School clothes...DONE! School supplies...DONE! Their backpacks are already stocked up with all the things they could need to begin their school year and their outfits are selected to wear on the first day of school. Well, 12YO has pretty much decided on her ensemble. 5YO had made a choice, but I get the feeling that she will change her mind no fewer than a dozen or so times before next Wednesday! Oh well, I've decided that she and I should always have our 'what she's gonna wear' arguments the night before. Neither of us are 'morning people' and it could get ugly if we saved the arguments until then. We took our final (I HOPE!) shopping trip yesterday where their grandma made sure they had plenty of shoes to start the year with. The shoes are going to be an interesting adjustment for 5YO, as she's worn nothing but flip flops for no less than 99% of her life. Yes, we wear flip flops year-round here. Especially 5YO, as she was born with a reeeeally big big toe on her right foot. She's had it surgically corrected once by the fine people at Stanford. But, it grew back. Apparently, it's pretty much all scar tissue now. She'll probably need another surgery later on, but the longer we can put it off, the fewer surgeries she'll need throughout her life.

We just tell her it's her 'special toe' and nobody else has one just like it! For now, she's okay with that. We'll see how long it will be before she becomes self-conscious about her toe. I just look at it this way: If one funky toe is the worst thing she ever has to deal with, then she has it pretty good, dontcha think? Of all the billions of things that can go wrong with a baby while they're developing, her toe is a gentle reminder of how lucky we really are.

I think I'll bake some brownies for these kids. They are being so good! I might have to run errands later, but I'd really rather not. Think it'd be okay to carry a squirt bottle full of water and some duct tape in my purse? You know, for when the natives get restless in public?

Oh come on! Like you don't think that's a good idea!!!!