Okay...the three 6 year-olds are at school, the 4 year-olds are playing Legos, and Gunner is napping. So, I have a minute to share our week with y'all. Our dear friends, Pete and Naomi Moore, are in Ethiopia bringing home their adopted 18-month-old daughter. We are caring for their two sons, Kale, 6, and Joel, 4, until they return tomorrow. That means there are 6 boys age 6 and under in our 1600 square foot home. {Pause for effect}

Things are going as well as possible. I am so thankful for...

• public school (can I get an "Amen"?)
• warm, sunny, perfect-for-playing-outside days
• bedtime
• paper plates
• coffee and wine  
• the Holy Spirit

Now, I'm no Michelle Duggar or Kate Gosselin,  but if you're wondering how we're doing it, here are some specifics:

Food -- Breakfast is a flurry of cold cereal, instant oatmeal, and toaster waffles. We pack lunches at night and rely heavily on convenience food...granola bars, string-cheese, apple-sauce pouches and the like.  The lovely women in Naomi's adoption group deliver a delicious dinner every evening. What a mercy! Each monkey has a drink cup with his name on it to use throughout the day.

Transportation -- The older boys ride their bikes to the bus stop and then to and from school on the bus, most days. My {beloved} suburban seats all 6 children when I have to pick them up from school. I have not, and will not, attempt to go anywhere public with all of them until we brave the airport to pick up Pete and Naomi on Thursday.

Sleep -- Mason and Smith share the top bunk - head to toe. Kale and Joel share the bottom bunk - head to toe. Sawyer squeezes himself into a toddler bed perpendicular to the bunk bed. I have a fan running for white noise and to circulate the stinky-dirty-boy-smell in the air. I also have a diffuser with doTerra Breathe oil running all night long, so the sniffles/coughs don't take us all down. The rest of us sleep comfortably in our own beds/rooms. Bed time is 7:30p...which means we start getting ready for bed at 7p and they are all in bed and (mostly) quiet by 8p. Wake-up time has been 6:15a...{gasp} but I've managed to keep them (mostly) quiet and in their room until 6:45a.

Schedule -- I have found that the more I attempt to do or accomplish, the less I enjoy my children. When I try to add extraneous activities/responsibilities to my schedule - things in addition to caring for my family and home - I get cranky and overwhelmed and treat my kids like they're obstacles rather than people. With two more boys in the mix, I have maintained a simple schedule. Groceries and errands were accomplished before the week started, kid-free. Sawyer kept his preschool schedule, and we made it to Bible Study today. I had a brief meeting to select laminate and hardware for the new house and the boys opted to stay in the suburban and watch a movie. When Mason, Smith and Kale get home from school, everyone has a snack and then they play outside until dinner.

As anticipated, mornings - getting everyone up/dressed/fed and out the door, and evenings - getting everyone home/fed/brushed/ and in bed, have been the craziest. It's loud. Sometimes there are tears. There is fighting and hurt feelings. There is a lot of energy. Like, a lot. But, the boys really do love each other and are still amused by the fun of a "sleepover". And, honestly, I know people are praying for us because the Holy Spirit has provided extra patience, extra joy, extra smiles, and an abundance of grace. I'd like to think that I'm Superwoman but I'm nothing...nothing...without the good my God provides.

Now, I'm off to make lunch and fold some laundry before school lets out. Only one more night/morning to go!