No one at our house hangs out in their room. No one. Why miss the party?

Yesterday with thirty plus folks milling through the kitchen, living room and family room, I was again grateful for this large house. Kids pushing babies in strollers and the jeep/walker thing, kids on the computers, Tommy riding a scooter up and down the hall, and kids helping me in the kitchen. It was loud certainly, but no one is squabbling or raging.

At bedtime, even with Carolina's entire family living with us, we still had two empty bedrooms. Most of the rooms are large, most have double beds in them, and the boys divide up depending on who they were deep in conversation with when I holler, "Bedtime!"

There are futon mattresses all over my bedroom and that's a favorite landing spot as well. It's like sleeping in a rain forest what with all my plants. Last week or so Jonathan had a tough time comprehending if he rages, I was then adverse to spending anymore time with him, sending him to his room - isolation usually works around here - finally getting a grip when that concept blazed within his hard head.

After they go to bed, Miriam usually stays up to watch TV in peace, and I pick up the stuff that's strewn everywhere. I always hear Chuy and Javy in one room, CW and Martin, JoJo and Allen all yapping until they fall asleep. Three partnerships that never break down at bedtime, they remind me of Joe, Jesse and Sergi who never seemed to be able to stop talking at bedtime. Arguing every night over how fast cougars could run. Every night, without fail, I'd hear them. Yeah, I still miss them.

By 9 or 10 at night, I'm falling apart as well, especially after I've arisen at 4 or 5 in the morning. I need them all to go to bed, I need some quiet time, I need my sleep and usually by 9 at night, my house has settled down.