Spring Break Part I

It's Spring Break this week.  

Clear back in January, we anticipated that all four of the big kids would be with their dad all week, somewhere tropical.  There were rumblings of Mexico or at the very least Phoenix and so in preparation, Raleigh scheduled the whole week off, so there wouldn't be any babysitting issues. 

As the break approached, it started to appear that no traveling was going to happen.  The plan changed on a daily (or to be more accurate) on an hourly basis.  I would ask the kids every night at dinner...  "so, what is the plan today?"  And I would get a different synopsis from each child.  None of them were anywhere near the same and none of them remotely resembled the plan from the previous day. 

Last Wednesday, the news started rolling in that not only would ALL four of them be with me for the week, but other people's children would also be joining us as well.  As if we have oodles of room at our house.  As if we have an endless supply of food to feed what seems like a small country of teenagers. 

The house of horror started filling up on Friday night.  At 11:00 pm, I found myself in the parking lot at Best Buy, in the pouring rain, waiting for a car I wouldn't recognize, being driving by a person I didn't know, filled with a bunch of giggling, Eagle Mountain Cheerleaders, who were coming to St. George for OUR spring break (not theirs!)  Why?  I don't know.  What parent allows their daughter to miss an entire week of school?  Well, obviously there are several parents in the Northern part of our state who don't give two hoots about their child's education or school attendance.   And I have a room full of dramatic, hormonal, energetic and very hungry 14 years olds to prove it.

Lauren will join the group tomorrow

We lost an hour of sleep this weekend.  9:00 Church was really 8:00 Church.  These "stay up all night... giggling" girls were very tired.

 I don't exactly know how I was tricked into agreeing to this.  It was like I was put under some sort of spell and I blindly obeyed the girl's every demand, like I was in a pathetic trance.  They are cute girls.  They looked pretty cute at church.  They invaded my class and Jocelyn even gave the closing prayer.  So far, it's been alright.


Brayden and his friends decided at the last minute to take a road trip to California because our house had too many girls in it.  They don't know where they are staying.  They don't know what they are going to do.  None of them have any money.  None of them have driven in that state before.  Boy, are they in for an education.  I am tempted to be the uncool parent who says "no, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go."  But the bottom line is.... he's 18.  He really doesn't need my permission.  Raleigh and his friends took a road trip to California their senior year of high school.  I have heard endless stories about it and how fun it was.  But they seemed older and more mature than these boys.  I will be a nervous wreck until they return.  He has been sending me pictures along their journey.  At least I know where they are and that they are doing alright.

On Tuesday Night, Raleigh and I were working on our projects and the back door was open and the kids were going in and out.  And Peyton came running in semi-hysterical yelling about a huge "worm" that was outside and she made Raleigh drop everything and go look at it.  It was a slug and it was very thick and slimy and gross.  She was preoccupied with it and literally talked about it non stop for 30 minutes.  She kept saying 

"It's going to get me with it's ears."  And she was in distress, but couldn't stay away from it and was never going to shut up about it.

So Raleigh poured a gallon of salt on it and she crouched down to watch it die.

About 20 minutes later she started screaming and she ran into the house like a rocket jumping up and down and flapping her arms and there was terror on her face and at first we couldn't even understand her.  We started hearing words like.....  "Brother".....  and "worm"...... and "in his mouth" ....................................................

Raleigh ran outside yelling obscenities and I listened to him with my hands covering my eyes...

"NO YOU SICK-O!!!!  Spit that out!!.............  No Damn it!...............  You... did.... not..... just... swallow.... that...thing.....did.... you!!!  Oh my HELL, you did."

I started gagging and dry heaving and hyperventilating.  And Raleigh carried him in to get him some milk to wash down his Fancy French Appetizer.  And that little bugger had the hugest smile on his face.

I made Raleigh google "slugs" and read about them and what it was going to do to my disgusting child.  Turns out slugs are harmless... thank goodness.  BUT.... he'll probably have a heart attack from the salt intake.

I am not going to survive these children......................

With that I will end this horrifying post.  We have more festivities planned for later in the week.  Wish us luck!!