Four vs. One and I Survived!

{towel surfing}

This weekend I was repaying my sister a favor by taking her kids overnight while she celebrated her birthday.  I have to say I had only gotten about three hours sleep the night before so I really wasn't looking forward to four children but they proved me wrong, playing so good together!

I had made an appointment earlier in the week for us to go hot tubbing, it's one of my kids favorite things to do and we had a coupon which is always a bonus.  Our tub time was six so we hit up McDonalds (their choice not mine) beforehand for some happy meals...I love the pictures I took of the girls, especially their laughs in the last one as they tried to keep the crowns on their heads.

This week my friend Katie was talking to somebody about my driving and she said "Jen is either all gas or all brake" but that didn't really ring true until the kids were yelling for each other to put their hands up because it felt like they were on a roller coaster.

{no worries we were at a stop sign}

Since I was alone with these guys, I booked a three footer so I could be assured they would all be able to touch the bottom. This meant I sat and relaxed with the jets on my low back while they played for over an hour and I had no worries.

{I only took the camera in for a minute}

Ryan had been up sick nearly all Friday night so I was really hoping that all the playing and hot tubbing would knock these four out.  I put in a chipmunks movie, made some popcorn and let them stay up until 9:30 hoping somebody would sleep in.  While they watched their movie I whipped up some funfetti cupcakes to surprise my sister for her birthday.

No luck, three of them were up by 6:15 pretending they were flying in an airplane to Florida which is exactly where I wished I was...what a coincidence.

{not sure they allow chainsaws on airplanes}

I fed the masses breakfast (i.e. Lucky Charms and orange juice) then asked everyone to help me by getting themselves dressed.  I was pretty surprised to see Haylee had put on her own tights without help but it became quickly evident by her walk that there was a problem.

{four little monkeys ready for church}

{mama and her babies}

When we got home my sister was already there to pick up her kids, I of course had to snap a picture with her since we both had our hair pulled up and were wearing the same color!

 

{Happy Birthday Stephanie}

We surprised her with the birthday cupcakes and then they hit the road for a Disney on Ice show they had been planning.  

{Kennedi doesn't look very into the birthday song}

Another sleepover for these cousins in the books, we had a good time and I was even complimented in church about how well behaved the four of them were but having four also gives you perspective...there are some days when I feel run ragged by two but once you have to tend to four children's needs, having just two felt like a cake walk.