The title says it all. Given the choice to coordinate an employee conference for 1600 attendees-including making flight arrangements, scheduling concurrent sessions, planning entertainment and ordering food for those 1600- or planning a sleepover for Lexi and two of her friends, I’d be hard pressed not to go with the employee conference.

That might sound ludicrous but no more ludicrous than the craziness of a sleepover. I need to tell you one thing before you judge me though. Okay, maybe more like three things.

(1)I never attended a sleepover until I was…30. My parents were strict about that.

(2) Lexi is an only child so I am not a mom used to having three five-year-olds underfoot.

(3) I like peace and quiet.

Okay, now that you know the facts, you can go ahead and judge me. I just wanted to share the mitigating circumstances on the front end as to why I did not handle it well. All went well through dinner and after dinner, but bedtime was just…messed up. Lexi brushes her own teeth. I don’t even supervise her so I forgot that other kids might need help. Then I casually told the three girls that only two girls can fit on the bed so they’d have to figure out the sleeping arrangements themselves-two on the bed, one on the floor or the other way around.

Well, that’s not a good idea to leave things to five-year-olds. They all wanted to be together, of course. This involved multiple switcheroos, which was starting to seriously get on my nerves. I just wanted things to be settled. Then they found their sweet spot, and I was finally able to start reading to them. Then the “I need to go to the potty” refrain started. What?? Didn’t the three of you go to the bathroom five minutes ago? “Yes, but we all need to go again. At the same time.” I just don’t understand girls going to the bathroom in groups. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Ten minute later…they’re settled. Again. Story read, lights out, peace and quiet for me. But the door opens, and one twin comes out. (Did I tell you the sleepover guests were twins who had never been to a sleepover?) “I want my mama.” You’ll see her in the morning. I promise. Back to bed she went. Repeat cycle three times. The other twin wants to stay. Hmmm…what does the sleepover handbook say to do???

Then the coughing starts. One of the twins mentions that she’s had a cold all week. The other two can’t sleep because of the coughing. I’m pretty sure I was in the room about eight times. I felt like I was sleep-training Lexi all over again! Two hours from the time I put them to bed, they were asleep.

Ahhh…bliss. I was so tired I passed out. In the middle of the night, I heard sobbing. Oh, one of the twins is going to want her mama. Is it okay to call the other mom at two in the morning? Except…the cry sounded awfully familiar. I found Lexi sitting on the floor of her bedroom in tears. “Mommy, I’m jussst..so…so…worried about my friend. She’s coughing, and I’m worried she’s going to get really sick and throw up. I have to stay awake and watch out for her. That’s what you do for people you love.”

So I found myself comforting my little girl in the middle of the night during a sleepover hosted in her house. Kind of ironic to me. We watched her friend’s breathing for a little bit until Lexi was convinced that she was sleeping soundly. I went to bed, but listened to Lexi crying for the next 20 minutes.

Can I just say how thankful I was when morning came and mom picked them up? I was too tired to give a debrief of all that had happened. My mom friend turned to me and asked, “The same for next weekend?” Ummm…I’m not going to be in town. I really am going to be out of town, but I was so appreciative to have a legitimate excuse.

Moms with twins and multiples, how do you do it?? Moms, how do you host sleepovers with more than 5 girls? That’s the definition of insanity!

So on a scale of 1-10, how badly did I handle the sleepover?