Because my dad was sick last night, and my sister's kids had been sick, we had our Sunday dinner at my house yesterday. I was getting everything ready, and since we didn't have school today, I thought it would be a good idea to see if some of my nieces and nephews could stay the night and hang out with my kids.
I ended up with James and Nicole who are four, and Mae and Michelle who are three. It only took three and a half hours to get them to bed, with my brother's help.
The rest of the fun started when everyone was finally settling down, and Warrick informed me that I had put my nephew, who is very allergic to dogs, on the mattress that Shucks had been laying on. So after I cleaned him up, gave him some Benadryl and pulled a mattress off the top bunk for him, I put him back to bed.
Then I checked on him every thirty seconds until two in the morning.
Emma and Michelle got in trouble and I made them sit in the kitchen, hoping the rest of the girls would fall asleep. Michelle gave me voodoo looks and told me that she had to go potty at her house, and her mommy was coming to get her because Aunt Mandy was not her friend anymore.
Then I saw Nicole standing at the bedroom door, so I called her in.
Me: Nicole, why are you out of bed?
Nicole: Because I had to do something.
Me: What did you have to do?
Nicole: Turn on the light.
Me: Why were you doing that?
Nicole: :::thinks for a second::: I think I said the wrong thing. I meant I had to turn off the light.
When they were all asleep, and I felt pretty sure that James would survive without me shining lights in his eyes every few minutes, Mason went home and I went to bed around two.
At about 2:30, Madilynn came in and told me Michelle was crying. I told her Michelle had stopped crying and to go to bed. But she got in my bed, and I was too tired to care. A few minutes later, Michelle was standing outside my door yelling that she needed to go potty. I called her in there and told her to go, but she woke up the dog. He came around the side of the bed to see what was going on and scared her to death. I finally convinced her that he wasn't going to attack her on the potty, and put him outside.
I got back in bed, but when she came out of the bathroom...
Michelle: Aunt Mandy? Aunt Mandy?
Me: What, honey?
Michelle: My mommy told me I can't go to bed. My grandma is coming over here to live at your house, and I need to wait for her. And my grandpa is coming to live here. And my mommy is coming to pick me up. And my grandma is my friend, and my grandpa is my friend, and Mima is my friend, and Grandawg is my friend, and James is my friend, and Emma is my friend, and Mae is my friend, and Mommy is my friend, and Daddy is my friend, and Aunt Ashley is my friend, and Shucks is my friend....and I don't like dogs I like cats. And you shouldn't have a dog and you shouldn't put him outside because I have a dog that's pink and he'll come eat your dog and I don't like dogs. But I like cats but I don't have a cat but do you have a cat? And my grandma is coming to live at your house....
Me: Wait...Michelle...it's three in the morning. It's time to sleep.
Michelle: My mommy is coming to pick me up.
Me: No, she's sleeping.
Michelle: It's not her bedtime. My grandma....
Me: HEY! How bout you come lay up here with Madilynn!
Michelle: Ok, but my grandma....
Me: Only you can't talk, ok?
Michelle: Ok
So we all go back to sleep, until Mae comes in to go potty, too.
Mae: Aunt Mandy?
Me: Yeah?
Mae: Can we have a tea party?
Me: :::checks the clock::: Honey? It's three thirty. It's still time to sleep.
Mae: Can I sleep with you?
Me: Sure. :::spends fifteen minutes arranging kids so Mae can fit up there, too:::
Then, in comes Nicole.
Nicole: Aunt Mandy? The other kids are gone.
Me: Yup. They're all up here.
Nicole: I'm scared by myself.
Me: Ok, hop up.
Nicole: :::steps on all three of the other girls and wakes them up:::
Other girls: :::kick anything that moves:::
:::huge fight:::
Me: :::grabs a corner of the bed and falls asleep:::
Thirty minutes later, I gave up and made coffee.
