Operation CrazyWoman: Day 1

Well, we did it.  Niel and Julie have left for Dallas and their flight leaves for Peru in the morning.  It's too late to back out now, even if we wanted to.  Fortunately, I don't want to.  People may think I'm crazy, but I am really looking forward to having 8 kids under 12 at my house for the next 10 days.  Why?  Not sure, really.  Maybe because I'll have nothing to do but hang out with all the kids for the next 2 weeks.  I really want to try to journal this time for my extended family, so I guess I'll be blogging about it!

Wanna take bets on how long my sanity will last???

Day 1

Niel and Julie leave at lunchtime for Dallas.  Maddox won't go down for a nap until he falls asleep in the high chair out of sheer exhaustion.  There's just too many exciting things to see in our house right now, and he doesn't want to miss a minute!  Olivia, Kelsey, Nan, Wesley, and Mallie went swimming for a while this afternoon as you can see from the state of my back patio. 

Mallie was adorable.  She'd come to the sliding glass door crying about every 10 minutes to tell me she got water in her nose.  I'd ask, "Do you want to get out?"  And she'd stop crying and say, "No, I'm fine."  The first time she even said, "I'll be really good.  I love you so much!"  She'll be 4 in October but seems so much older to me.

Before dinner we started this cool little project that Julie brought.  There are these tiny beads for the kids to stick in water - they are a little bigger than the head of a pin.  After being in water for only 3 hours this is what they look like:

We had subs for dinner (cuz it's quick and easy) and birthday cake for Olivia (yay, she's 11).  Then it's divide and conquer.  Ben takes the 4 oldest kids to see Rio at the movie theater and I keep the little ones here.  Mallie spends a good bit of time playing in the bathtub with the mermaids.

Maddox spends the evening trying to eat every single piece of paper he can find on the floor or reach.  This is the stage of baby-hood where you realize that your house isn't nearly as baby-proof as you thought.  He is also started to get into places I never imagined he'd be.

After awhile I nurse Maddox and he falls asleep.  I put him into bed realizing that he's still in the onesie he wore for pajamas last night.  I never got him dressed today.  Meanwhile, Simon falls asleep sitting up on the loveseat watching Blues Clues with Connor.  Wish I had gotten a picture of that one!  Easiest bedtime ever so far, but the night is still young.  We can only hope.

Right now I'm actually sitting at home with 3 kids down to bed, Connor watching Diego for a few minutes, and Ben and the older 4 kids gone.  Could life get any better?

Well, I guess it could.  Dishes could do themselves.