I'm not entirely sure what you're asking because the phrasing confuses me a little. Are you referring to how I manage to take good care of this crazy house without going insane myself? I've always been easy-going. And to tell you the truth, I more or less leave all of their personal spaces alone and focus mostly on keeping straight the kitchen and living room, which isn't much. I never had kids, but I was the oldest of five and have always been expected to multitask. Before I came to this house I had been a live-in nanny to two families. This has been the easiest and least stressful of my placements (with the occasional annoyance that I might cook something and then no one wants to eat it). Traditional human families who would do something like hire a nanny are often stuck-up and don't have a loving relationship with their children (or not as much as they need to), so coming here and being expected to just maintain a house when I get around to it and do what I can is really low-key for me.

What has been the most difficult to adjust to since moving in?

Transportation. I have to admit that having to go through a pool and then having to waterproof myself and anything I bring in if I don't want it to get soaked through is an inconvenience.

Does Ivy leave any pain in the ass footprints on the ceiling and walls, or has she grown up enough to clean up after herself?

Ivy's just delightful. And awfully polite for someone in her situation. I just have to thank my lucky stars that I didn't have the chore of raising her to be that way. Ivy can be messy like any of the other household members, and she does leave weird little smudges in places like ceilings and walls, but if she's notified of the problem she's usually agreeable about cleaning them up. I think she enjoys being asked even though she reacts with eye-rolling reluctance like any teenager being asked to do something by an adult. (I think she likes when people recognize openly that she can do chores that others can't do easily. It's cute.)

Being the oldest of five, undoubtedly you have a strong sense of responsibility towards your siblings. So, should any happen to end up in dire straits, do think you'd be willing to have them room over with the crew? Or do they not share your adaptability and would get the screaming mimis upon meeting the more "unconventional" members of your adopted family?

Oh, well, my little siblings all seem to have support systems that would not include running to Old Big Sister for help. All but one are happily married and have their own lives, I actually rarely hear from them except for an occasional "hey, it's been way too long!" around the holidays. (My sister Jean, the one who isn't married, was never very close with me in the first place.) I do think that on the off chance that one of my siblings somehow needed my help, I probably would not bring any of them to this place. I would go and help them in their cities, if they could even get a message to me. I tend to be pretty hard to find out here.