Insane, take two.

It's a mitzvah to be "me'sameach Chosson v'Kallah." That means it's a commandment (from G-d, since who else gets to issue commandments?) to make a bride and groom happy.

Generally that's said in relation to the actual wedding, and maybe for the week (or even the year) afterwards, but we're taking the commandment a little more generally, and since

1) we've been informed that my husband's brother (the groom in question) really really wants him to come to his engagement party and

2) my husband's life wouldn't be worth much my husband would have to do all the driving himself if he went to a PARTY without me, and

3) farming out the kids on a school night (I mean, it's Sunday, but we'll be back late) is more trouble than it's worth...

So, we're farming out the one who doesn't want to sit in the van for 8 hours in one day, and taking the other 7 kids with us from Rhode Island to Queens (New York). Four hours there, four hours of party, four hours back, transfer 7 hopefully sleeping kids from a 15-passenger van to their beds, wake up bright and early and get everyone to school on time in the morning. Piece of cake.

I'll let all my non-existent readers know how it went, B'li neder (without a vow.)

Hey, enough people already think I'm crazy for having 8 kids in 10 years. What's a day trip to NY?

I must be insane.

Okay, who in her right mind would volunteer to go on a trip that involved 1 grownup and 8 kids (all under 11) in a big van for an hour in each direction, plus another 3 kids and 2 more grownups all together on the T for an hour and a half each way involving 3 train changes in total (2 during rush hour) and a couple of hours keeping track of just under a dozen kids (all under 11) in the Museum of Science?

Me, I guess, because I did. Last week.

3 grownups. 11 children, ages 10, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3, 22mo, 3mo, and 2mo. On the T, because my big van is just a few inches too tall for the parking garage. Two in strollers, one in a sling. Switching at Government Center. (twice, plus again when the T we were on went express on the way home).

Actually, we had a lot of fun. But I'm not volunteering to do it again anytime soon. So this week, we took 2 grownups and 12 children (fewer grownups and we added a 5 yr old) to Carousel Village instead, where my van fits in the open-air parking.

And yes, we all survived the trip.