The parent to child ratio is wildly off this weekend, if only for a day. Junior’s at a big shoot, and this is our weekend for the kids. A civilized pair of exes, which I am alarmed to see that I am part of, if only by comparison, would simply switch weekends, no?

We are not dealing with a rational person on his side, however, and she refused to switch weekends purely out of spite. No, really, she said she wasn’t going to go out of her way to help him. She did offer to take them this weekend, but wouldn’t have given up one of hers in exchange, and with the power plays that have been going on, that would be a stupid move on Junior’s part.

So he fell to his next option; having his mother watch them, as she often does when he’s at work or otherwise tied up. But she had to work a day this weekend too, so here it is that I have all four children.

Oh man. This was more than a little intimidating. I’m fine as a parent, but I’ve never been much of a babysitter. They frazzle my nerves when they’re all together even with Junior around to spread the parenting out a little thinner. But what am I going to do? I love that man and would do anything for him, and these kids and I need to develop a relationship on our own anyway, if we’re going to become a family.

And except for a bizarre start in which a deputy called to verify my information and reassure me that I was in fact in the right having these kids (what the hell? Who calls the police on the babysitter?), everything’s been kind of fine. They’re minding me and playing nicely with each other, and we have a game to go to for Seamus in a little while, which will keep people occupied.

I can see that once we get a little more used to each other and have our own spaces that belong to all of us, we’ll be fine. They’re learning the rules at my house, but it will be nice for them to have their own room to escape to and their own things to play with. They’re even getting better about cleaning up the disaster areas that three kids on the loose invariably create (John’s minding his own business seperately - can’t blame him.) At the moment, my incredibly tolerant dogs are keeping the herd busy, which has the advantages of wearing the dogs out too.

So, it’s OK now, and I can see that it will be fine in the future, but man. I can also see that this is a little overwhelming. Good thing Junior comes home tomorrow.