Winter break was full of joy, church, relaxation, fun, socializing, late nights, some sickness, good food, and cups.

It was amazing.

We have a counter space reserved for beverages, the coffee pot and tea pot are there. We have one of those oversized mason jars with a lid and a spout, full (sometimes) of water. During break the kids had free access to cocoa and Russian tea.

And every time they got something to drink they would get a new cup.

Nine kids, a few servings of cocoa each, then some Russian tea just for fun, and then they’d be thirsty after all that sweet. And get a big glass and fill it nice and full and take a few gulps and leave it half full wherever was convenient for them.

There were cups EVERYWHERE, the whole vacation.

Every surface in the kitchen, the dining room table, the living room end tables, the kids’ rooms and even the porch railing. Oh and the bathroom counter.

And the kids did not reuse. They’d take the drink of water and leave the cup on the counter and come back and get a new cup next time they are thirsty. And when cups were gone I’d catch them putting their mouth under the water spout or kitchen sink faucet.

I can’t even do that complex of math, all I know is, we picked up cups nonstop. We would get the kids to clean up too, and the cups would go from the counter surfaces to the sink. And then I would do dishes and they would be in the dishwasher. And then someone would unload and they would be in their respective cupboards. And then they would be all over the counters.

Repeat. For two weeks.

I could have ran the dishwasher twice a day just with cups! It seemed.

And yet we were so busy coming and going that it took me until the end of break to actually realize what was going on with the cups.

It suddenly hit me like woah I have never experienced so many cups in my life, as I was having deja vu loading yet another dishwasher full of cups.

And it brought up memories of them all being little, I love comparing then and now.

Then I filled their cups, and I saved them for the next drink, and maybe even used the same cup for all the kids.

Did any of you other moms notice a cup phenomenon over break?

This week they are back in school. The cocoa and Russian tea are gone.

I am looking forward to a vacation from cups.