16 Children for 6 Days

What WAS I thinking? Why did I ever think that I could handle 16 children for six entire days? I mean, why couldn't someone have warned me about how stressful, trying, tiring, and hilarious this was going to turn out to be? I should have known better honestly, but silly me, I wanted my parents to have a vacation - their first one in YEARS without the kids. So here I sit on day five trying to keep myself from completely losing my sanity and ignoring the children long enough to post to my blog.

So what ages are these angels you may be asking yourselves? And just who belongs to who? Well if you've read my info, you already know that I have seven kids of my own. Which leaves nine kids for my parents. (11 if you count my brother and I, but we don't count now that we're no longer living at home.) So the age breakdown is as follows... Macie - 2, C - 2, B -4, D - 5, Gracie - 5, Conner - 6, Addie - 7, Lea - 8, Papee - 8, Maya - 9, Lexi - 9, Daisy - 9, M - 9, Cecelia - 10, Jenna - 11, and Damon - 12.

Yeah tell me about it, I'm completely crazy. It honestly hasn't been that bad. For the most part these kids have been really good. We've spent most of our days in the pool (I'm staying out here at my mom's house) or inside watching movies. I seem to spend the majority of my time on my feet in the kitchen. These kids can EAT!!!

Today was a bad day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed - which is never a good thing, and so I was really snapping at the kids and especially at my husband (who was sitting and playing a Star Wars computer game the ENTIRE day - and all of last night! *grrrr*). Well I was attempting to change into my swimsuit and the kids just would not leave me alone! They were pounding on the door and Daisy (my mom's newest daughter from Africa) had her ear against the door. I didn't realize this. I pushed the door open and screamed for the kids to get their butts outside. And as I opened the door, it connected with Daisy's head.

Boy did she bawl. You have to realize that when Daisy gets upset she gets UPSET. She weighs 95 pounds and is taller than I am. So here's a reader's digest version of her temper tantrum... Two attempts to run away - one she managed to get a mile down the road before my husband could get to her; two attempts to climb out of her upstairs window onto the roof, one attempt to call my parents in Los Vegas (did I mention she does NOT know how to use the phone or any of the phone numbers for my parents?), one kicking screaming fit - and last but not least, one unwanted plunge into the swimming pool fully dressed (by this point my husband wanted to beat her, but settled for dunking her to get her attention instead).

And the entire two hours we were dealing with this behavior, the GOOD children were stuck sitting on the side of the pool watching us and begging to get in the water.

And YES I will be paying my parents back for this torture. Matt and I have already decided that we're taking a weekend trip somewhere. We don't even care where. We just want to be AWAY from children for a while.

Ok, I've ignored these kids WAY longer than I should have... Looking around the room at the scattered toys and the fact that NO children are nearby. *hmmmm* Off to find out what they are up too...

If you pray, please pray that I keep what little bit of my sanity I have left, and that I can manage to hold it together for another day (and night). My parents should be returning bright and early Tuesday morning...