What I Learned from the Kids

As I've mentioned a few times, my brother and his family visited over Memorial Day weekend. That meant I spent quality time with my four nephews and niece, ages 3-9. Allowing my brother and sister-in-law a chance to go out on a "date" gave me the opportunity to take all the kids on my own...

I'm alive to tell my story. (Good sign.)

Here are a few of the things I learned this weekend:

*Spiderman jammies, with web wings on the arms, are the absolute coolest thing in sleepwear.

*Walking the National Mall while holding the hand of a child, is like walking with an extra 20lb weight on your back.

*Always, always, always carry a band-aid in your purse. It's amazing how/when injuries happen.

*Beds are made for trampoline-style jumping.

*3 adults and 4 kids can wreak havoc on a 2 bedroom condo.

*Taking a hike in the woods can lead to a parallel universe or something called The Bridge to Terabithia.

*3 year olds love escalators. They don't care where the escalator leads to.

*The best part of going to the zoo is running under the sprinklers they had.

*Papa Johns has the best pizza my nephew has had in his whole entire life.

*My 3 year old nephew loves "babies". He also loves to tease them- walking up to one at the ice cream store saying "You are so cute, baby! I eat babies!"

*No topic is off-limits for kids. Example: My 7 year old niece asked me, "Aunt Aileen, do you get lonely?"

*Nickelodeon is on channel 91. (who knew?)

*There is absolutely, positively no privacy when the house is filled with kids. Sure, you can close or even lock the bathroom door. However, prepare to have a little one sobbing on the other side
"Aunt Aileen, I wanna come in!"

*When a 5 year old throws a slight tantrum in the middle of the National Zoo, if you do not respond immediately, people give you dirty looks.

*Waking up to kids laughing is the best alarm clock ever.

*I would be a good mom.