Now it's my turn: Day 5/6

Exhaustion sets in
Saturday is my usual "let down" day. My mind/body is usually so exhausted from travel and the stress of customers. Not so much is different this week.

Friday morning was supposed to be a relaxing few hours: Denver omlettes in the morning, mow the backyard, baths, lunch and then we would head off to the movies with Gabe's 2 friends. The morning was fine except for the one unexpected thing that must happen. Lexie drug a plastic bag full of broken glass across the yard. It's a painstaking process to find it all - especially since it stalls the mowing and the baths. Mental note: Ethan and Isaac still haven't had theirs....

Gabe had 2 friends over for a birthday party yesterday after lunch. We saw Shorts, which as far as I could tell, earned every bit of it's 45% score on rottentomatoes.com. Really. About 1/2 the kids liked it, the others thought it was "ok". Really, I should say THEY saw the movie. The second I got everyone situated (split a couple pops and a large popcorn between 6 kids), Andrew literally pointed at the exit door. You've got to be kidding me.... He's done fine with Priscila and I in theaters before. I paced the entire time with him in the hallway outside the theater. If I went back inside the theater, he'd start fussing (in a cute, but LOUD way). He's getting to old for fussing. He was asking to not be sitting down in the theater. He would giggle as the theater door would start to close but he could still see the light outside the door. As soon as the light was blocked, he started getting fussy. Mind you, it wasn't the DARKness as much as he wanted to look at the hallway lights. It was also 10 degrees cooler in the hallway.

After the movie, hotdogs 'n stuff before the big boys went off to a youth bowling event. Lexie actually managed to start fetching a little while I BBQed the dogs. Before bed, Toby managed to get another movie out of me so I could focus on Andrew. I love the original Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder may never have played a better part. Why is the world good? Because the candyman makes it taste good. All questions will be submitted in writing. Speak a little louder next time, I'm a little deaf in this ear. Johnny Dep's version ain't got nuthin' on this. Ethan got to go swimming with the neighbors after dinner. Mental note: only Isaac needs his bath.

Isaac played outside, hurt himself a little, and then played legos until he put himself to bed. Isaac's attitude has been significantly better over the past couple days. He's done things for me that usually take 15 minutes of whining and discipline. My heart is blessed.

I tried to watch a few minutes of Glenn Beck. Around 9pm, after I had rewound the same 2 minutes of the show for the 5th time because I was falling asleep, I shut the TV off. I almost NEVER fall asleep before 11.

Gabe and the gang came home around 10:15. Both Lexie and I were dead to the world. The boys startled both of us. She's never barked in front of me before. I'd like to think she she didn't recognize them and was protecting me... It makes me feel warm inside even if it's not reality. Let me have my warm fuzzy. Licks and tail wagging followed after we woke up. From her, not me.

I promptly went to bed after making sure the trio of 12 year olds were "put away for the night". At 5:30 and 6:30 I had to tell the boys to quiet down. I could have cared less that they were playing video games. I put a pillow over my head to drown out the sound of Gabe's crew.

Everyone was playing downstairs nicely by the time I woke up an hour later. Ethan picked up Andrew when he woke up, because "you weren't getting him, Dad". Oops. Shouldn't have had the pillow over my head. While I was making a double batch of pancakes (6 boys, 1 baby, 1 dad - pancakes GONE), Gabe confessed the threesome had never gone to sleep. No wonder I'm so tired.

Brienne has Toby and Andrew now. The other boys are playing in the neighborhood. I need to clean the kitchen and get the second 1/2 of the day ready, but maybe I'll take a nap first.