Lots of Little Men and a little Lady

School was finally out and the fun summer season beginning. (Yea!) I told my teenage boys that they could invite a bunch of their friends to our house for a campout to start the season out right. (14 of them to be exact!)  Most of my friends thought I was insane. They couldn't believe I would even want to have that many teenagers around, especially boys.  I joked about needing to stop at the liquor store so I would be able to get through the weekend, but secretly, I was excited!

  These boys are awesome! (They treat me like a queen) I love having them get together with my boys.  They play basketball and football, video games, go on hikes and just hang out.  Their energy and their playful personalities are fun to have around.  I really enjoy getting to know all of them and being a part of their lives!

We decided to have a bbq on the second afternoon of their stay.  The boys were playing basketball and my little girls were busily blowing bubbles by the basketball court.  I called all of the kids over so we could ask a blessing on the food.  They all gathered around in a small group, quietly waiting.

My 8 year old daughter heard me call everyone over and quickly joined the group. My 4 year old daughter, who was dressed in a t-shirt and frilly skirt, was having so much fun blowing her bubbles that she was oblivious to everyone standing around her.  I kept trying to get her attention, which made everyone look at her, but to no avail.

 At this same time, some of the bubbles spilled on her leg.  Without even thinking about it, and much to the boys embarrassment, she pulled her skirt down to her knees, wiped her legs off and pulled it back up before we even knew what was happening. She did it so fast that I wan't even sure she had done it. The whole group started laughing. The look on the boys' faces was priceless!  It was a mixture of embarrassment, shock and humor.   Needless to say, it took a few minutes for the laughing to stop so that we could ask the blessing.

 My young daughter went on blowing her bubbles, She seemed a little surprised when she looked up and realized we had all been watching her.  Thank goodness that most of the boys have little sisters!  Everyone just laughed and went on with the bbq and the games. 

The rest of the weekend has gone off without a hitch! My daughter has kept her skirt up where it belongs. The boys have continued to come up with new things to do, which included turning my house into an arcade. They networked enough video games together to allow all of them to play video games at the same time. (They actually played video games til 5 in the morning.)

 They were supposed to go home today but, they have had so much fun that they made arrangements to stay for an extra day or two.  This is ok with me. I enjoy watching them!  I try to imagine what they will be like when they are adults.  They are well on their way.  They are considerate, helpful and kind (most of the time,)   I am sure they will have lots of stories to tell, when they are adults, about the time they camped out at my house. I feel so lucky to be a part of the lives of these little men and also the little ladies.

Elizabeth