1000 Words

1000 Words

 

Faves

Here are just some of my favorite pictures of our time leading up to Christmas Eve.

 

Holiday Clothes

This SNL skit made me laugh out loud a few times...

'Tis the season!

Doing What I Do

 

I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I don’t know how you do it." I frequently just smile off the comment and take it mostly as a compliment. But the truth is, I don’t know how I keep up with the kids the way I do. I can’t think about it too hard otherwise I get overwhelmed. But, frankly, I don’t know how other parents do things that they do either.

Sure, we have five children in under six years and a lot of people would not want that for themselves.  I can tell you, Hubby and I have discussed that, that we don’t know how other parents have children so spread out. There are many people that we know that have children five years or eight years or even a decade apart and that is definitely not for us. 

 

Yes, our house probably resembles a daycare on given days but all our children are playing with the same toys and they are very close to the same developmental level. Once hubby and I agree that our family is complete, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will be closing up the babymaking shop and starting to give away everything possible when that youngest baby outgrows it.

My life's dream has always been to be the mother of a big family. I think about life with the tiny humans we’ve created, and how I am almost entirely the primary caregiver -- certainly the commander-in-chief of our home, and it is the most exhausting and challenging job I’ve ever had. And yet I wake up every day so excited to do better and to do it again and to learn how to be a better mother to these tiny humans. 

 

I think some people feel that way about the job they are paid to do, their work career. I am very lucky that I have a work career that allows me to fulfill my life‘s passion which is motherhood to a large family.

But honestly, motherhood and parenthood is difficult whether you have one child or 12 children, and when you factor in living away from family, working parents, animals, and a healthy marriage, I don’t think anyone can know how anyone “does it". 

Our individual natures and how we do what we do -- the different lives we choose to have and how we live them... that’s what makes the unique personalities and God-given talents of human nature so amazing. No one knows how anyone does what they do. Hopefully, they are fulfilled in what they do and find great joy and passion in doing what no one else could. I know I do.

 

Although, a little more sleep might be nice.

 

10 On The 10th

I have really come to cherish these 10 on the 10th posts because it encourages me to take pictures of our daily lives, not just the special events.

Especially right now with a brand new baby, my being on maternity leave, and Christmas in full swing, I'm glad to have an excuse to document our craziness...

Great start to the day... we've recently invested in a program to help Tracey be dry at night... and this morning was her first dry morning -- so she got a blue star!  This is a really big deal!

Off to school...

Home from school and nursing the baby... and looking at the piles of laundry still waiting to be folded and put away.

Christmas cards and birth announcements

Home from school and reading to the girls while nursing the baby

Soon everyone wants to hear the story

Then Lee Lee and Caroline want to hold Hunter

We have 24 ornaments to hang on a little tree as we count down to Christmas... today was Howard's day to hang an ornament

 While I made dinner, a spontaneous musical show began in the family room... first Tracey sang for Howard, Lee Lee, Caroline, and Hunter (Caroline is still holding him in this picture)

Here's the full Christmas-ey, laundry-filled, child-filled scene...

Then Howard sang

Lee Lee accompanied on the guitar

Hunter handled the music in stride

Lee Lee on vocals with Tracey on guitar

They had to coordinate their duet

Howard and Caroline were captivated

 Then Caroline performed for Hunter

Dinner's ready

I found the picture that Cabela's took of our family over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised with their photography.  What a great picture of the six of us.

Four littles and Hunter in the bouncer

Lee Lee singing in the microphone to Hunter

Next thing I knew, she had given Hunter the microphone 

Then she put the microphone on the floor to clap for Hunter

Christmas paper up and ready to hang Christmas cards!

Bathed and ready for bed -- Tracey helping keep the two youngests calm while I was helping the twins

Staring at the Christmas lights in our bedroom ready for his bedtime feeding.  This may be my new favorite picture of Hunter.