Ok.  This was my daughter's first REAL sleepover party.  She just turned 9.  The party box sent 8 invites, so I let her send out 8 invites.  I was kind of excited, actually.  This would be fun for her as she is loud and outgoing, and I was looking forward to playing hostess and indulging the girls in fun.  I knew from my own childhood sleepovers that this would be a loud, no-sleep, insane function and I would have to put on my "patient mom panties" and deal with it. 

As luck would have it, ALL 8 of the girls invited came!  The day of, I planned a nap for myself in the afternoon.  After all, I had no idea when my hubby would return from work, and I still had to attend to the needs of the 5 siblings of the birthday girl.  Girls began arriving at 5 and we turned on the music, made pizza and then busted a pinata.  After everyone was successfully sugared-up, they ran to the basement and just started screaming!!  And screaming!  And banging on the piano, and toys and bells and made as much noise as possible.  I DID ask that they please close the door thank you very much!  After a while, I brought them upstairs to make root beer floats and again they descended to the basement like some prehistoric tribe, amped up on sugar.  My other kids got in on the fun, too. 

Soon, it was 8 and my hubby was still not home.  I went ahead with the cake and presents and for a moment the room was silent as Carolyn unwrapped each gift.  As soon as the paper was off, it was, "let me see!"  "Oh, how CUTE!"  "I have one like that at home!"  Chatter, chatter, chatter!  

Hubby came home exhausted from work and needed to go straight to sleep.  (HE'S exhausted???)

We continued with the dancing, yelling and revelling.  I put the little kids to bed.  More noise, more fun!

Finally, at 10:30, I put on a movie for them inthe basement to try to tame the wild beasts.  It was Ghostbusters.  I came back at midnight to check on them and half the little dears were asleep.  The other half were smacking those dears with pillows.  At some point I fell asleep on the upstairs sofa, and awoke at 6:10 to stirring chatter and footsteps.  Some had not slept at all, including my own dear daughter!  So I got up, made pancakes and eggs ( I made them blue), and they got out the whipped cream cans and sprinkles and I let them have at it until 8 or so.  By 10, I had managed to clean up the kitchen and dining room in time for parents to come pick them up, while they invented some new game with wrapping paper and bows downstairs. 

Gary came down from the bedroom as the last girl was leaving.  He wished Carolyn a happy birthday and swung her around. 

"It's all yours", I said, "I'm taking a nap!"