"Those crazy. loud people in the corner? ... Oh, those are my peeps!"

So things this weeks have gotten better ... in a strange way. Baby Geo was sick with a high temp (though considered low grade fever) of 99.8 and the adjacent ranges on both sides as well as being hyper-cranky and unable to sleep. Back and forth to the doctor, we went testing for flu, which he was negative for, then thought it was teething, but he hasn't displayed the slightest fever or temper tantrum during the last 4 teeth. Then Doc G (as I like to call him in my head!) and Nurse Marilyn discovered lil Monkey was suffering from ... Roseola ... basically an illness in babies and toddler characterized by high fever for 3 or so days followed by a rash that lasts a day or two. Unfortunately, the contagious period is before the symptoms (fever) show up, luckily the day we went to playgroup his fever appeared (like an hour after we left) so Doc G. didn't think that he was contagious anymore (though I did tell the moms and so far no one has had issues.)

So that fun-ness started Tuesday with his fever breaking on Thursday night and then we've been dealing with the extreme crankiness since Tuesday and the rash showed up today while we were at that zoo celebrating his (upcoming) first birthday.

So anyway ... back to the title of the post ...

So at playgroup on Tuesday, one of the other 4 moms asked if we wanted to do an early lunch (it was like 11 a.m. I think) at the local Mexican restaurant. Usually, I beg off not really wanting to expose the public to Baby George's antics when he is around other kids, but I talked Lara, mom of a 3 yo and 6 mo. old, who also usually says no, and we headed off to see what mayhem ... I mean, food, we could find.

Luckily, the restaurant was empty as we took our places, 5 tired moms and 6 hyper kids ranging from 5 months to 3 years. Once we got settled and food ordered, that's when the real fun began ... lil 5 mo P is suffering from colic and his mom was visibly anxious, so another mom took him and rocked him, as her 2 year old daughter, S, tried to climb out of the high chair. Meanwhile, Baby George was thrown anything he could get his hands on, and 3 year-old SG was commentating on his antics. On the other side of me 18+ month M was trying to revert to easier day, trying to grab Baby George's bottle and baby puffs. SG's little sister MB slept through the whole thing, and the moms, well we just monitored the circus until the food arrived at which point all sort of other craziness ensued ... like Baby George decided he wanted a nap and kept putting his head on the table and crying, SG decided after her mom substituted nearly everything on her plate that she just wanted to eat the sour cream, M decided his beans were not the ones he wanted, but Baby George's look like something he wanted to try and S kind of threw a fit at the other end of the table, though my side of the circus was too noisy to see why.

Then as well finished, I found myself holding SG and M on my lap, while Baby George sat beside me confused as to shy I wouldn't take him out of his chair. P still fussed, not quite happy still and S ... well there was too mch going on to see where she was. Then SG decided to hold the door open for complete strangers, S decided she wanted to go outside even if her mom wasn't ready and Baby George ... well, he still wanted out of his high chair.

Finally, we finished paying, wrangled up the kids, making sure the right kids went with right mom and headed out.

Yep, afterwards I realized 2 things ...

1. these were my kind of people. They get me. They don't just understand the craziness, they live it ... I don't have to hide or be embarassed that my kid feels the need to out-scream other children in public or practice pitching with whatever he can get his hands on ... and

2. We'd be millionaires if we had a reality show ... I mean really, 16 and pregnant ... you girls haven't got anything on us!

Until our next cup of tea ...