5:1

On Sunday I provided some respite time for my parents as they juggled watching all five grand kids for the weekend. After church, I loaded everyone up in the van and off to the Children's Museum we went. When we got to the museum I laid out the ground rules: stay together, if you're going some where tell me, no fighting, who to go to if you get lost, names phone numbers, oh, and this is your first and last warning, if you choose not to obey then we are going home. (hey, when you're the only adult with 5 kids you got to be tough) Here are the kiddos shortly after arriving. (from left to right: Madelynne, Daniel, Alex, Beth, and Cameron)

We started on the lower level and then worked our way up to the 4th floor. All of them enjoyed the Egyptian exhibit and reading and learning about mummies. ( this exhibit was there when I was in elementary school, and I never get tired of going through it.) Next, we went to the comic exhibit and checked out the Batmobile. The boys LOVED drawing comic characters and the girls enjoyed dressing up. We must have been in that exhibit for 45 minutes. We hit up the crazy mirrors and the playhouses and then, THEN, we went to ScienceWorks. Oh, how I love Science Works. "Come on kids, let Aunt Meghan show you the difference between kinetic and potential energy. Wait, come over here I'll tell you about reptiles and freshwater animals. Oh, look! A pulley and wedges! Who wants to talk physics?!" I'm sure they're thrilled that Aunt Meghan is a scientist. This exhibit is where the kids had the most fun. (how can you not, it science!) They climbed through the cave, hula-hooped, played in the water, learned about healthy eating and exercise, and worked on some construction projects.

I can't say that I didn't lose anyone. Okay, so I lost all three boys, but not at the same time and it was more that they were temporarily misplaced. (We were always in the same exhibit together.) On three different occasions I rounded everyone up and we went looking for the misplaced child. Finally, I decided that I would allow the older kids to go play with a toy, exhibit, as long as I could still see them and I would stay with the youngest.

After 4 hours of running the ramps, going through all the exhibits, millions of times counting off 1,2,3,4,5, and only one bathroom break we were off to dinner. When we got to the restaurant (read: McDonald's) because I'm such a pro at wrangling 5 kids, I had them all sit down and I ordered for everyone, got the drinks, ketchup, and food and finally sat down. Whew! Of course there was the go around of opening the toy that came in the Happy Meal and putting it together. Cameron managed to bite his finger, probably thinking it was part of the french fry and then he fell off of his chair face first into the floor. (it was quite a drop for a four year old) After the standard giving of kisses and holding by Aunt Meghan all was right with the world again.

I really enjoyed being with my nieces and nephews. It is not often that they all get to be together. It was neat to watch Cameron look up to Dan and follow him. (Cameron called him "Danny" all day) Alex was such a big brother to Cam, and the girls really bonded like sisters.My wish is that their bond with each other only stengthens and grows deeper as they get older. I hope that they enjoyed the day as much as I did.

At the end of the day everyone was returned to Grandma and Papa's house fully intact, fed, and tired. (That's the way grandparents like them, right?) After kisses and "ever-so's" (our version of I love you) Aunt Meghan went back to her house to crash and burn.