Twas The Night Before....

My first ever 5k. Nerves had been running strong all week. It had been a week full of family/life/weather craziness.

My 12yo had her friend birthday party...bowling. What was supposed to have been an easy thing for me (no cleaning, everyone meeting there, etc..) ended up being thwarted because ALL the friends said they needed rides and ALL showed up at my home. (to be honest my 12yo probably offered to take everyone!) We had to take two cars, drive everyone there and then drive them all home. ARGH!!!!!

We got home around 8:30 and I started to gather things around for our 5k. 15minutes after walking in the door the lights went out and the house was PITCH BLACK! Kids were all in various parts of our home and they started freaking out. My dh and I grabbed our cell phones and went out to the front to see if it was just our home or the neighborhood. It was the neighborhood.

My husband quickly gathered candles and flashlights while I gathered the kids up and calmed my youngest.

To be honest I was irritated. I wanted to be all ready for the 5k and get to bed early since we were waking up at 6am. But instead we made a inconvenient experience turn into a Positive one.

My daughter had a friend stay after the party. We grabbed my laptop and put in a movie (thankfully it was fully charged for the two of them) My skinny-mini daughter was freezing. She had to cuddle under a blanket and then her friend layed on top of her using her as a pillow. I have to admit I thought, "Great she's going to be so cold tomorrow for the run with the expected temperature and rain."

My oldest son's girlfriend was here and my mom was visiting from two hours away. We put a lit candle on the table and my 17yo, his girlfriend and my mom played Chutes and Ladders with my 8yo and 4yo and then continued with Memory, Dora version.

My little one didn't last long with the game and she wanted to play with a birthday balloon that was hanging on the wall for my mom's birthday (that same day). My husband and I ended up playing volleyball and soccer with her and that balloon.

What a wonderful experience it was!!! If the lights hadn't gone out we would have all been in our own "zones" doing our own things. Two of my other kids were gone at friends' homes and the lights came back on before I stumbled to bed around 11pm. Thank Goodness! I was thrilled to be able to set my alarm for 6am and that I wouldn't have to rely on my extremely low battery operated cell phone to do the job.

Just this morning my 4yo came up to me and said, "I hope the lights go back off today. That was a lot of FUN!"