A Comedy of Errors

The other night, we visited Shaun at a local camp where he was running a retreat.  After a very, very long drive to the camp, we got the girls a slice of pizza and then Shaun deposited us at the dorms. 

Without a room key.

Thankfully, we found a television that continually showed Sprout, so the little natives were quiet for about 11 seconds.

One of the college kids dropped by, brought us a key, and helped me load our stuff into the room.  I stared at the king size bed for a second.  Then I stared at our three children.  Then I mentally added Shaun to the mix.  5 people, 3 of them very small, but very wiggly, and 1 bed. 

Hmm.

Five minutes later, I managed to haul two renegade mattresses into the room, complete with bedding, and I positioned them strategically next to the bed. 

It only took forever, but I wrestled three kids into pj's, found the necessary blankets, and tucked the girls in.

8:30pm.  Not bad!

I settled down to nurse Sayer and a tiny voice piped up.

"Mama?  MAMA!?  I don't wanna seep on da floor.  I no like it.  I can come see you?"

So up C came.  I figured we'd move her back down at some point after she settled to sleep. 

Thirty seconds later,

"Mama?  Mama?  Can I please come up too?  I'm a little scared all by myself down here."

So Bean came up as well. 

Two little girls, a mama, and a nursing babe all in a row on a giant bed.  Bean fell asleep relatively quickly, but was getting over a cold, so she hacked and coughed and thrashed.  Every single time she coughed, C asked, "Lessi?  Whatcho doing?"

At one point, Bean's arm flopped onto a drowsy and finally quieting C. 

Which happened to be right as I was lowering a sleeping Sayer into his bed.

"NO LESSI!  NO TOUCHING ME!  AHHHHH!  NO NO NO!"

Sayer woke up. 

Bean thrashed back to  her own side of the bed. 

C was unsatisfied by the lack of reactions in the room and continued on...

"NO touching me.  NO."  *pause*  "Mama?  Whatcho doing?  What's Lessi doing?  I touch her!"

"NO!  C, do NOT touch your sister!  She's sleeping!  Close your eyes!  Do you need to go on your bed?"

She screwed her eyes shut and shook her head.  The room was quiet for about 43 seconds.


"Mama?  Whatcho doing?  Whatcho doing Sayer?  Mama?  I touch Sayer.  I pat him.  TICKLE TICKLE!"


"C!  NO tickling your brother!  He's back to sleep!  Close your eyes."


"OK Mama."  *pause*  "Mama?  Whatcho doing?"

"Nothing baby girl.  Close. Your. Eyes."

"OK"  *pause*  "Mama?  Mama?  MAMA!?"

"What, C?!"

"Whatcho doing?"


Ad nausem.  Until 10:30.  If I ever go back to school, she's the girl who's pulling my all nighters. 


And now that I'm back, I'd love to know...  whatcho doing?