Where was Mr Sandman?

Sam wanted to have a friend party this year for her birthday. we have never done this before. I think it's because I have never been brave enough! She kept wanting a party at Chuck-e cheese. I thought about just taking the girls there and playing games but not an official party. Then I thought about what my kids go through at the end of the game playing... the picking of the prize. NO way did I want to do that with a bunch of little girls. So I veto'd that idea. Sam instead wanted a sleep over. I thought about it and figured I could handle it. She has had sleep overs before and everything has gone OK. Except the girls never want to sleep. But that is part of a sleep over, right?

So on a very short notice I invited 4 of Sam's friends over. I was really wanting an even number of girls to avoid a third-wheel so to speak. However, Sam just wanted to invite 4. Including Sam that would have been 5 girls.

One friend could not make the party has she was going to be out of town. So I was back to my even number of girls idea. One girl could come Friday night, leave that evening and then come back in the morning. She would be here for everything but the sleeping business. One girl could make the sleepover but would have to leave before our pizza and cupcake lunch on Saturday. The other girl would be here for the whole thing and then some. She is the one I refer to as my 5th child!

Friday evening, 6 PM the party starts. My 5th child arrives 45 minutes early. Which was fine. Sam could barely wait. The same for the other girl, her real mom said. 2 more girls showed up a little later and they all had a blast! There was dress up time, arts and craft time, pillow fights, ice cream and just plain girly fun. The girl that had to leave left at 9. She did not want to leave, nor did the other girls want her to leave. The girl that had to leave early Saturday was ready for bed at 9 I'm pretty sure. She kept asking what time was bedtime.

So around 10 this little girl called lights out and they all laid down in Sam's room. My 5th child only lasted about 1 minute because she had been saying all night she was not going to sleep. A little bit later Sam came out, leaving the other girl in there. I figured she was asleep. About 30 minutes later she came out. She tried to convince the girls to come back to no avail. So they set up camp in the living room. This other little girl would go back and forth a little. Finally around 11PM the girl had had enough.

Around 11 the little girl came out crying to me saying she wanted to go home and that she didn't feel good. I could tell she was very tired. I offered to lay with her and have Sam come back too. I told her it was very late and I'm not sure her parents would still be up. She said she thought her dad might be. But we laid down and she looked like she was asleep within minutes. She wasn't. She starts crying more and wanted to go home again. I let her think about it for a few minutes. We had lots of fun stuff going on the next day. She eventually decided she did want to go home. So around 11:30 I called her house. Her mom talked to her then came to pick her up. Her mom said that she is just a homebody and a mommy's girl. I think she might be an only child and more than likely had never had a sleep over before. She got ready and I collected her stuff (art work, goody bag, etc) and packed her a cupcake.

That left Sam and my 5th child along with my 3 boys all wide awake still. I could tell Max was tired. He was tired around 8:30 but he just would not go to bed. Finally somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30 I tell the kids I was going to bed and to turn out all lights before they went to bed. I laid in Max's bed with him and he was out in about 5 seconds. Sam was quickly behind him. So the 3 of us were in that bed trying to sleep. My 5th child and my 2 younger boys were still partin' it up. I got up a few times to check on them. Mainly because every 5 minutes my 5th child was in there to tell me something.

I got up at one point and every single light they could have on was on! They some how manged to also get a ball and a shoe up on our 'cat walk' ledge. Not sure what they really are called. It is like a shelve 8 feet up the wall. They wanted me to get them. Not happening in the middle of the night. Around 3ish she came told me some story that Joe had rug burn on his knee and needed a band-aid. "Ok, I'll check on him in a little bit" She keeps coming in. Around 3:30 I got up to check on Joe and his wounded knee.

He was hopping down the hall on one foot. I see red on his knee. I walk past him to get a band-aid. He wobbles to me. I get a band aid and look at his knee. He, or someone, had used a red marker and made a very good rug burn like mark on his knee. I humor them and stick a band-aid on anyway. Back to bed. Ike joined me. I could still hear the other 2 at 4 AM. That was the last I heard of them until 7:30.

At 7:30 my 5th child wakes me up to tell me something. Seriously, did she ever sleep??!! Joe was sleeping in Sam's bed. My 5th child said she slept there too. I guess she slept from 4ish until 7:30. Next time she is over for a sleepover and says she is not going to sleep but staying up all night.. I'll take her more seriously!! She has slept over before but they were asleep before 2.

A little before 8 my 5th child asks, "it is 7:54, why are they not up yet?" Well, maybe that is because you guys were up so insanely late! They eventually woke up...all but Joe. He slept until 12. The other girl that was coming back arrived at 9:30 and my other 3 kids were all already up.

More fun. More arts, donuts, pizza, cupcakes, giggles, screaming, pillow fights, and so on. With only 3 girls here though there was a little girl drama going on. Which is why I didn't want an odd number of girls. The party was over at 2. My table looks like an art studio, the playroom looks like a twister hit it.

At around 2:30 my 5th childs older sister comes to retrieve her. Sam follows them down to their house. Less than 2 hours later the dad walks Sam back and says his daughter is napping.

I am tired!! I did sneak in a little nap today. Maybe and hour or so. Ike was also napping. I have decided any parent that makes it through a slumber party deserves an award!! It was crazy and fun. I do not plan on doing another one for a long time! Whew!