Over the course of the years of my children growing up they have acquired through those years many friends between them. And during that time my house has been the setting for many sleepovers, bonfires and air soft wars. To some people that just isn't their cup of tea to have a bunch of kids running around and eating you out of house and home. But to some parents like me - I wouldn't have it any other way.
I've went through the girls having slumber parties and laying in their beds giggling and gossiping all night long to the most current stage of having 10-15 boys traipsing through the woods around my house shooting each other with air soft rifles. Right now as I type there are about 10 of them fully armed, decked out in camo, taking aim on each other and firing hundreds of little plastic air soft BB's as fast as they can load them.To this day I haven't understood the theory behind them trusting each other not to have their eye shot out. But it's OK they love this kind of stuff and they have fun.
During the time that my kids have acquired all these friends my home has acquired them as well. The door in the kitchen from the sun room is a revolving door of kids running in and out grabbing drinks and Little Debbie's or whatever they can get their hands on. I'm thinking at this point it's fairly safe for me to assume that all the groceries I bought last night are nothing but a memory now. But it's OK - at least they are eating.
When my middle daughter has her girlfriends over it's usually a safe bet that I will be sleeping on the couch for the night, because for some reason my king size bed sleeps better than hers and they spread out like a warm breakfast for the night and snooze away until late in the morning. Meanwhile, I try to find a comfortable position while I lay there and dream of sleeping in my own bed. But it's OK because at least they are tucked in safely for the night.
After all the kids leave the house usually looks like something you would see on a Febreze commercial with dishes stacked up and things scattered all over the floor, hanging off the couch and slung over in a corner. Most mornings I wake up to a living room that looks like a Frat party took place the night before with about 10 or 15 empty Mountain Dew cans or water bottles twisted up where they have shot the caps off them at each other (and I continue to find those caps over the course of the next few days as a reminder of their visits). But it's OK because I know they have had fun.
Then when the kids are gone and the only ones left are my biological ones I get to catch up on what is going on in all their lives. (Or there are days that I don't even have to wait until they leave because at least one will always corner me to update me on a situation in their life that they have told me about before.) I get to hear about who is talking to who; who has broken up and who is fighting with who or who is who's new best friend. Some times I just laugh, some times I want to cry for some of the kids, and some times I just shake my head at the latest developments in the teenage world. But it's OK at least they are talking to me and sharing their stories.
With each set of friends that the kids have had; my oldest daughter's, my middle daughter's and my son's I have grown to love these kids and worry about them like I do my own. When they have gotten their driver's license their name is added to the list of those that I try to account for when there is an accident. When they suffer a broken heart I try to break out the "Mom handbook of advice to the lovelorn" and try to make them feel better. When they have an accomplishment I cheer them on and when they mess up I do with them the same as I do my own - I let them know I'm disappointed, but I still love them.
It's a crazy house around here on some days and some weekends I have a hard time keeping up with who all I have. There's not much peace and quiet and there's a lot going on usually the whole time - but it's OK because one day these walls won't echo the laughter, I won't get to keep up with what is going on with them, and although the peace and quiet will have been more than earned - I'll miss the days when they were rowdy, crazy and out of control. They are one adventure after another - but it's OK...let them be kids - because I sure will miss them when that day comes that they grow up....because that means I will have to as well.
