From 2 to 10--It's a Houseful!

Recently we just survived a week when the kids and grand kids descended for their annual visit. It’s not only a chance to see the ‘old folks’, it is also a chance for them to get together, and get the cousins together. Let’s face it, who else has a house that will squeeze in 10 people? Us.

Empty Nesters become accustomed to the peace and quiet of just two. Breakfast isn’t hurried. No one is dashing off to meet the school bus, or wailing when their hair is brushed. Dinners also take on a different vibe. Are we eating out, or in? Is this my night with the girls, or his night with the guys?

And the dinner conversation? No more "Stop playing with your food...eat your peas...just 3 more bites and then you can have some pie. LEAVE your brother ALONE!" Yes. Peace and Quiet.

So you can imagine the adjustment when we went from 2 to 10. Exhaustion? Oh yeah!

1.      Constant Commotion, and not just from the 4 grandkids that never slowed down.

2.      Laundry. From a couple loads a week to a couple of loads every day.

3.      Dishes. The poor dishwasher was on call 24/7. Better it than ME!

4.      Groceries. Humph. Let’s just say I plan pretty well and usually hit the store once a week. With 10 we went every day. It’s seems as soon as I came in with the milk someone was draining the OJ. Once I went just to pick up a prescription and it seemed so strange not to be carrying out 3 bags that I picked up a few things…just in case. (And we needed it.)

5.      Meltdowns. (Yes we had them.) One person actually, may have kept her cool the whole week…a masterful show of patience if you ask me. But although we get along well, invariably one of us would reach a breaking point when something pushed us over the edge. And when it did, the rest of us gave them some space.

6.      Ahh, Space. We have a large house, but baby gates confined us to a relatively small space where the kids and the clutter reigned, and where we could keep a safe eye on the littlest one. The adults could escape a few at a time, but some of us had to remain behind to supervise. As for sleeping? It’s great that kids think sleeping bags are cool, but trust me. 4 to a room in the summer is not cool.

7.      Stuff to Do. We tried to plan days to go and days to chill. However, Kids Don’t Chill! So on the Stay-at-home days the kitchen table and picnic table resembled the arts and crafts cabin at camp. Foam crafts, play-doh, paper, crayons, markers, scissors and glue covered the table…and little pieces dotted the floor. A momentary pause from the usual run, chase, tickle, shriek, happy play of 3 youngun’s. The baby never gave us any respite as he was always on the move picking up, dumping out, pulling apart whatever he could get his tiny, but quite capable little hands on. Tracking the remote control was fun. Who has it... one of the dads....or Zachary?

8.      Actually, TV was rarely on. Who needed more noise? But in moments of desperation, a round of Curious George brought instant quiet. The kids could be in another room, but the moment they heard, "George!" they bounded into the room and struck a pose reminiscent of Freeze Tag, then slowly sank to the ground. Mesmerized. Ahhh.....peace.

9.      Great Neighbors. During the first few days someone would knock on the door or send an email. “Here are a couple of bikes your grandsons can ride.” “I have some bubbles your grandkids can play with.” Great neighbors are awesome. (Smart neighbors recognize the benefit of keeping the visiting kids from running wild in the neighborhood.)  

What was the best part? Hmm…1 year old Zachary’s wide eyes, smile, nod of the head and happy Uh-Huh! when asked if he wanted some strawberries. (I tried to get it on video, to no avail. Truly, too cute.)…  2 year old Samantha’s giggle and laugh… 5 year olds--Warren and Nicholas--playing as if they were best buds instead of once a year pals…And one of my very favorites—4 little ones, hands folded, heads bowed, (but eyes glancing around at everyone), and voices chiming in as we all said grace at dinner.

Then again, maybe it was the evenings, after the kids were in bed, when we collapsed on the couch staring vacantly at one another. After a few minutes, Jen would ask “Anyone want to play a game?”. 6 pairs of eyes would shift towards the clock and we’d realize it was already passed our bedtime and the kids would be up before the sun.

Maybe when the kids are older, Jen.