Multiple Choice Question: Define 'Sleepover'

1) A humbling experience.

2) A good way to lose your voice.

3) An all-night survival adventure.

4) a good way to lose your mind.

5) Apparently doesn't require actual sleep to take place.

Answer: All of the above.

Jacob was really sad when MamMa and Papa left town, so I promised him we'd hang out there a lot (which we have done). I even told him we could have a sleepover. He wanted to know if Marisa could come. Oh. Boy. He just about loves her to death, so even though I could think of a million and a half things I'd rather do, I agreed. And since my sister and I can't be left unsupervised with each other, lest one of us kill the other, I insisted I do it alone. With Zach's help. Which basically means...alone. So there you have it. I brought two highly wound-up cousins to the house where I grew up and proceeded with my attempt at getting us all through the night alive.

We didn't even get there til after 9pm. Crazy, I know. But I was not having that in my house, the house where things are stacked so high and squeezed into place so tightly, that one good shove could bring my whole organizational system to a crashing halt. Literally. Besides, where would all the bodies go anyway? I think the kids finally knocked off sometime past midnight. I slept, I think I slept, on a small portion of the couch because God forbid I have to make a bed. They woke me up at 7am. I gave them chocolate for breakfast. Especially loved the part where Marisa asked me if I'm going to be in her mom's wedding. And then drilled me as to why not. You're asking the wrong person, kid. They watched cable TV. I left them unnattended for long periods of time. Three days later, I'm still trying to undo the damage Marisa did (i,e, the words coming out of Jacob's mouth, the sudden attitude, the whining).

I tickled them. I built a train. I played hide 'n seek, cleaned up pee and syrup and did the dishes, and intermittenly yelled at them. I didn't take pictures.

They had the time of their lives. And perhaps that's the answer to my question afterall.

(There's a Master Card commercial in here somewhere)