big family

i love this article! i hope my dear friend (who has a big family and has had a rough month) reads it and smiles.
(article originally written by matthew archibold and posted on my charming kids blog)


Why big families are easier:

Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.

Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.

Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.

Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.

Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.

Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.

Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.

Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.

Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.

Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.

Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.

Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.

Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.

Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.

gymnastics

maggie loves her "mastics" class. she goes wednesday mornings and gets to see her friends and cousin there. its a parent/tot class, so either jeff or i go with her and help her do her little moves.
this week i had worked, so jeff got to take her. he was helping her with forward rolls, and her teacher, mr. chad came over to assist them.
he kept telling her to put her nose to her knees and then he could help push her over into a roll.
she wasn't getting it, and finally she told him
"mr. chad, my belly is too big for dat."

yes indeed.

oatmeal

do you know the 10 lb bags of quaker oats that costco sells? you probably don't even look at them, because only me and michelle duggar buy oatmeal in that quantity.
i think oats are healthy and they find their way into most of my baking.
i keep these large large bags of oats in my pantry, on the lower shelf with all the other giant containers of food.
funny thing about those oats - when you are in a hurry to leave for work - your two year old cherub might decide to grab the bag and shake it all over the kitchen floor.
now if it weren't my kitchen, my oats, my two year old, this would have been an awesome picture/video. it was like the christmas snowstorm in there. notice there are no pics.
i didn't find it that much of a photo-op at the time. kind of wish i would have, words just can't do it justice.
maggie looked at the kitchen, looked at me and took off running for the hills.
smart, smart little cherub.

good hygiene

ashton and i went out grocery shopping today to get away from the sick little maggie for a bit.
(she has pneumonia and really isn't that friendly)
we hit costco to get our enormous size boxes of goldfish, milk, coffee and fruit, as always stopping to get a giant hotdog on the way out.
we had to run in walmart for a few things and while in line ashton has to go potty. the restroom was right in front of my checkout, so i said go ahead buddy, i will be right here.
he runs in and out in a flash.
did you wash your hands?
he darts back to the bathroom.
he comes skipping back to the line and says this.
"mommy, grown up people never wash their hands."
yes they do honey.
"no mommy, that guy right there went tinkle and then walked right out without washing."
this man was standing in front of us waiting for his wife and got pretty flushed.
"i mean, even when they know they are supposed to, they never wash them."
thanks for pointing that out buddy. germs are gross and you will always wash.
"yes mommy, until i am a grownup right?"

whats not super

i can tell you what is not super. its not super to work 13 hour shifts, four night in a row in a crazy busy place.
it is also not super to get totally behind on your children's lives. example: molly has girl scout work that needs to be completed asap. permission slips that need to be turned in yesterday. rats.
it is also not super to roll out of bed after four hours sleep to a nice audible wheeze coming from your two year old.
it was super to have a fresh pot of strong coffee waiting for me....
it was super to have my husband frantically finished and PUTTING AWAY the laundry...
but back to the not super stuff.
she is wheezing, fevering and crackly on her right side. (the same side her pneumonia was on earlier this year)
not super that my hubby is off to school and i can't take her anywhere right now.
or that i have dinner to make... other children to take care of... homework to help with...
on the other hand, it is super that i have all those things i guess.
i just sure do not appreciate them as much when im exhausted.