Slumber Parties

On Friday night, we wrapped up La Nina's 1 1/2 birthday celebration with a slumber party. For those unfamiliar with the event, it's when 8-10 girls sleep over at one girl's house. There's lots of squealing, screaming, running and talking. There's food and drinks and movies. And lots more talking. Most of you know what I'm talking about. But some do not. The reason I know this is the Dad really had no idea what a slumber party was until it started at our house.

Sure, he went to sleep overs as a child, but he'd never quite seen or heard anything like this. At first, he braved the party. He helped serve dinner. He poured beverages. He may have even cleared a couple of plates. Then, I lost him. He just disappeared. And I swear, I couldn't find him. I looked in the office, I looked in the bedroom, I checked the garage...nothing.

I was too busy keeping track of kids to worry about him, so I sort of forgot about him. About 10:30, I headed to the back of the house to begin the falling asleep ritual so crucial to the success of any slumber party. It's the part when I, the mother, tell the kids to be quiet and go to sleep. The kids ignore me, as expected. And the games really begin. I found the Dad huddled in the bedroom and his eyes widened when I walked into the room. I've never seen him so frightened in all my life.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"They don't go to sleep," I answered. "It the best part of the party. I tell them to be quiet, they ignore me. Then I tell them again, they ignore me. This could go on for hours."

He looked bewildered. He looked confused. He looked hopelessly male. "Why?" he asked.

"Because this is what happens at slumber parties," I answered. I swear, did this man not have a childhood.

The ritual began: I sternly warned, the kids ignored, I sternly warned, they ignored. Finally, they quieted down and I fell asleep. In the end, the party went great. All the kids agreed it was fun. And we actually got more than 6 hours sleep. La Nina's birthday is finally over, and I finally know the one thing that truly scares my husband: the dreaded slumber party.