I survived the invasion!

Last night, my house was invaded . . . by a group of teen/pre-teen boys! Daniel had four friends over to spend the night for his birthday (would've been five friends, but one was out of town). If you've never been around a group of boys of this age, here's what you have been missing:

• Getting to be the only ones in the theater to watch a summer hit, "Get Smart" (I actually enjoyed the movie more than I had expected)


• Having your kitchen stool confiscated to use to help get one boy back over the neighbor's fence after he went to retrieve the basketball. At first, the boy got out, but the stool stayed behind.


• A dining room table full of snacks: Chex Mix, Cheese Puffs, Doritos, Double-stuff Oreos, brownies, peanut butter pretzels, Reese's peanut butter cups.


• Nerf gun battles throughout the house (I had to escape the living room where I was reading to avoid being caught in the crossfire).


• A collection of no less than 20 (and that number's probably off) empty soda cans in various stages of collapse (some were even torn in pieces)


• Getting to get up at 2:00 a.m. to go tell everyone to keep the noise level down.


• Waking up at 8:00 a.m. to find the house very quiet, but the fridge door left open (thankfully, it was probably only since about 4:00 in the morning, so everything was still cold inside).


• Finding the following on the dining room table in the morning: my kitchen sink soap dispenser, a tub of cream cheese, a bottle of mustard. I'm sure it had something to do with the game of "Dare", but haven't figured that mystery out yet).

Yes, I survived and will live to have the guys all over to our house again and again over the next few years (I hope). These guys have known each other since they were babies and it would be a blessing to have them all still be friends after they have graduated from high school. That would make this mom happy!