Bowling with boys...and more boys...

Devin made plans for us to go bowling last Sunday with one of his friends from work, Allen, and Allen's family. I told Dakota that his BFF Nathan could come with us. I called Nathan but there was no answer, so I left a message. Dylan was upset because Dakota got to invite a friend and he didn't. Nathan still hadn't called back so I told Dylan he could invite his friend, Evan. Evan was thrilled when we called and immediately said yes. About 30 minutes before we were ready to walk out the door, Nathan called saying he could go, too. OKAY! Good thing we got the mini-van or there would have been at least one very disappointed friend.

In the meantime, Allen had asked another couple if they would like to come? Yes, they did.... And he asked another lady whose husband is always gone due to his job if she would like to come? Yes, she did. By the way, all of us have kids that come with us as a package deal, or, to put it more accurately in this case, an invading horde.

-Did I mention it was raining? Entertainment in small towns (our movie theatre has 3 whole screens) is few and far between if you can't be outside. People are willing to try anything as long as they can look at someone else's four walls. I'm sure all this was exacerbated by the Halloween candy, still in plentiful supply and causing sugar rushes in children and adults alike. Anyone would have said yes just to get out of the house on a day like this.

We headed for the bowling alley, about a fifteen minute drive in the next town. Devin, who is normally so organized he makes the dictionary seem chaotic and arbitrary, hadn't thought about calling ahead. So we decide we'd better call to reserve lanes with such a large group. OOPS! They are full with three different birthday parties and don't have any lanes available for several hours. I have four boys in the car, it's raining, and I am NOT taking them home to play/fight inside for the next several hours. We furiously brainstorm for a Plan B. There's another bowling alley in a town about thirty minutes away. We call and they have lanes available. We call the other three parties involved and all agree to meet up there. Thank goodness for cell phones!

First off, I have never been in such a tiny bowling alley! There were only eight lanes total and we needed four of them, two with bumpers, for our group. It wasn't until everyone got there that I realized just what we had let ourselves in for. There were two 4th graders, 3 2nd graders, one Kindergartner, and two preschoolers, ALL BOYS... IN PUBLIC! - Additionally, there was a baby girl, but she was just sweet.

One boy in particular was a holy terror. He kept pounding on the video games, sticking his tongue up the slots of candy machines (EWW, gross), pouring out salt and pepper shakers, and generally running wild - even wilder than boys normally do. Our four (gasp) small charges didn't misbehave like that, but they were still boys. -The gentle crash of lofted balls. The pitter patter of spilled soda. The raised, angry voices of brothers dissing each other.- Even Devin was getting stressed and I think the manager was about ready to kick us all out by the time we finished bowling and slunk out on our own. Anyway, a glass half-empty kind of gal might be promising herself to never go bowling again (except in her nightmares). I, however, try to be a glass half-full kind of gal. I'm just glad that, for once, the holy terror wasn't mine! lol