Illegal Aliens

We were graciously given homes to stay in during our Memphis weeks. The very last week we were there, we had just one night that we needed to return a home to a sweet family helping us. So, rather than settle into a new home with all our little olive plants, we opted for one night in a hotel. If any of you have more than two kids, you know the problem already. Hotels only let two kids stay in a room with two adults. The alternative? Let some of my young-uns stay in a room alone? No way. So, what does a normal, sane set of parents do? Sneak them in the back door. Now, I am not publishing which hotel this was because what if they google it and read this post? We might be considered illegal aliens in their hotel. But then the problem came, what to do with the little aliens? There were all kinds of shrieks of laughter when the clerk knocked on the door with extra blankets and pillows...giggles when we crammed them (the aliens, not the pillows) into the closet until the clerk left. In the end, CC and I slept on the pullout bed. We started with three kids in the big bed. Then after much rolling and giggling, decided to put one of the three on the floor. Then we put Perma-Baby...ooops, I mean Sweet Cheeks, on the floor by the kitchenette. But what to do with the boy? They had no crib. So, we put him in the hallway leading to the bathroom, then set up an ironing board with a sheet over it, so he couldn't see anyone. That worked GREAT. Suddenly everyone had to go to the bathroom (I suspect just to see their chubby brother). Then he'd call out someone's name and they just couldn't resist peeking over the ironing board to see him. We were strict. We were very strict. No talking. Roll over to face AWAY from your sister. No laughing at Big Ben. But you know what? The next morning when we had made it through the night, I saw them all piled up on this one bed, and I had to take a picture. I told them, "This is what family memories are made of." And if any of you hotel owners recognize your curtains or bedspreads, this was somewhere down in Mexico.