When 2 Becomes 7...

For the past four days, Jennifer and I have been on an intense, crash course adventure in parenting.

A few weeks ago, we agreed to house sitting / babysitting for a Christian couple we know here in Tyler. We both thought it would be a simple, easy task. I mean, honestly how hard could watching children be for four days?

On Monday, we learned otherwise. After chasing down a two year old all day, busing 4 other children around to school and practices, getting meals prepared, and making sure everyone completed their homework, we looked at each other at the end of the day and nearly collapsed in exhaustion. Going from no children to caring for five (ranging from 2 years old to high school) in one day maybe wasn't such a smart idea...

With gallons of coffee, teamwork, and a lot of strength from God, things worked out fine for us the rest of the days. Everyone got to where they needed to be, was fed, and didn't have any major injuries. In fact, we even got to take the 2 year old to the zoo one day. Seeing his smile and hearing his giggles was worth it!!!

I now have a new found appreciation for mothers, Dr. Seuss, and baby monitors. After four days, Jennifer and I came home yesterday afternoon and utterly crashed of exhaustion. Nap times for all the children had finally translated into an extensive nap time for us!

College ministry...it's a walk in the park compared to parenting!!!