Anytime I’m with all five of the boys, I find myself counting under my breath periodically as I try to keep an eye on everyone. It can be a little nerve-wracking at times, especially in crowded places.

My mom came with us to the zoo on Sunday afternoon, and it was more crowded than usual, because they have a pair of baby jaguars. She overheard me counting, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …” as we were heading from one exhibit to another. She made a great suggestion, which I implemented immediately. Instead of me counting to five, just assign each boy their number in birth order. Then, when I say, “Count off!” they recite back their number so that everyone is accounted for.

It worked pretty well, except that J was in a sour mood and mumbled his number, and Ri couldn’t seem to remember his number. It’ll take practice, but I think it’ll work.