It seems like there were thousands of sleepovers,
with a zillion wonderful young ones, being dropped off with sleeping bags and
video games and pillows, and their favorite stuffed animals. I actually thought
that interesting, that little growing up boys would bring their stuffed bears
and cats and all, with their special names, joking and then cuddling down with
them at bedtime. One of the houses we rented had a finished basement, so I'd
let the hordes come and stay.
They'd have movies and soda and pizza and
Doritos, all the crap I didn't allow, and then video games and racing around
throwing pillows at each other, til I was certain they'd had a nice time, let's
say around 11 or so, when Kevin was long asleep and the other kids too
upstairs.
Then, I'd bring down a
chair, and park myself, as I ended up doing with most sleep overs, so that we
avoided the hysterical exhausted bunch of kids on Sunday morning who would be
no good at their homework or showing up at school come Monday.
My kids always told their friends
"She's really nice, but don't mess with her." They'd always
misunderstand me, and mess with me. I'd say "Ok, now its time to eat"
or "Please pick up your garbage right now" or "We need to leave
in ten minutes. “ There’d be all these
kids who somehow thought this was an invitation to a negotiation. As if.
My kids would warn
"Hey, we just have to do this." But no, the other kids would be like
"Hey, I don't want to now. " or "I'm just going to do this a
little longer." Who knew why? I certainly didn't . Being a big sister of
five left me in good stead. I'd be all nice and sweet, and take that thing out
of their hands, switch off the tv, roll up the video game stuff while a bunch
of them were loudly protesting. I'd turn, and say "HEY. Now. Time for bed,
you guys. Go use the bathroom, and then get down here, ok?"
And they'd settle down. I'd pull a chair
up, and just sit there, with a flashlight, reading. They'd whisper to my kid
"How long is she going to stay there?!" and my kids would reply
"Give it up. She'll stay til we're all asleep. " Oh, they'd whine,
but man, they'd be passed out, for sure, in about 15 minutes. I'd wait outside
in the hall for five minutes. To make sure.
It was great. I loved all those young ones
of all my kids, staying over and talking about things and discovering all kinds
of stuff on hikes or fun adventures to cool places.
We'd all get to know each other, and I
just loved them all. Wanted the very best for each of them. Soon enough they'd
get it, and laugh at me, tell me how ruthless I was. "Yup, you got
it" I'd laugh back, bonking them, shoulder to shoulder, and then delivering
the lot of them to some cool waterfall up in Conway, or a sandwich drive-up
place, or the town swimming pool.
Really, it was the sweetest thing.
