Lessons Learned

For the past couple of days, I have had the distinct, if dubious, honor of babysitting mine and Grover's goddaughters. Their mom had to go to Atlanta for a couple of days to take care of some business, didn't want to drag them down there for 3 days and so here we are. They are both girls, aged 6 and 2. Add to that my two boys and we have four children, 6,4,3 and 2. Whoo hoo!! What fun. And what a learning oppurtunity this has been for me. For example:

I learned exactly how many stuffed animals it takes to fill up 2 blue plastic wading pools that are already full of water. Answer? 24

I learned that yes, if properly lying face down and head down, 3 people CAN go down a slide at the same time.

I learned that the 6 year old wants to grow up and marry the 3 year old and the 2 year old wants to grow up and marry the 4 year old.

I learned that alllllll children under the age of 4 will take their clothes off once they go outside.

Foxy the dog learned what it is like to be ridden by a 2 year old.

I learned that my children are abnormally tall for their ages (3&4) as they had to bend down to hug the girls (2&6 respectively).

The cats learned how to swim.

The boys learned that if two people are on the monkey bars and they meet in the middle, that the boy is obligated to jump down so the girl can finish. They also learned that if they do NOT do this, they may get whopped one.

I am used to carrying my boys to bed if they fall asleep on the couch. They weigh 60 and 45 pounds. What I am NOT used to is carrying someone who doesn't weigh that much. The two year old fell asleep and I bent down to pick her up and thought she would be heavier than she was. Upshot of that was I almost tossed her over my shoulder like a bag of potato chips. Good thing she's flexible;)

I learned that when you say something to a two year old and they say "Huh?" and you repeat yourself 5 times and each time they say "Huh?" to stop after the second time. Why? Because if someone else asks them what you just said they can repeat it word for word. They were just messing with your head. Why? Because they can.

If you see a 4 year old and a 6 year old standing in the corner of the yard talking to each other break them up....they are up to no good.

Ditto on the 3 year old and the 2 year old.

But the most important thing I learned is this: when it is summertime and the sun is beginning to set and there is a cool breeze blowing......and you can smell the honeysuckle in the air.....and you watch children running and laughing and occasionally stopping just to turn their face up to the sky and smile in the purest form of praise there is....

And when you see them all sitting on your bed watching "SpongeBob" and they are laughing with the exuberance that only innocence can provide.......

And when you see them sleeping peacefully, even if they are hanging half-way off of the bed....

Don't interrupt. Just enjoy.

Teach your children well. But learn as well as you teach.

Peace alllllll.......................