We have a lot of boy heads that need trimmed every month or so and the cost can get crazy. So I was pretty happy to hear that one of my grown kids decided to go to beauty school. No, not one of the girls - it's Andre, my tough, tattooed son. You certainly wouldn't pick him for the hair dresser in a random crowd of people, but he is. He's made it to the floor at school and informed me he's getting good at little old lady perms and manicures. I'm proud of him and of course delighted that he can come to the house and make his little brothers look so zippy and handsome. And guess what he learned this week?.....waxing eyebrows! Jack pot!!!
Large families have some issues that are unique to them and number one is - how can you do it all? There isn't enough hours in the day, let alone, energy in the body to pick up behind, feed, talk to, teach and be there for 10 kids. Even doing away with all but 5 hours of sleep doesn't allow me to be super mom.
I've watched Michele Duggar on 19 Kids and Counting and saw how she copes with all her kids with a "buddy system". Each older kid is responsible for a couple of younger ones and that responsibility includes teaching, dressing and being a second mom. I've watched the show and wondered if she even talks to all of the kids on some days. I knew that this amount of delegation isn't for me. I'd miss "mommying" them.
And I've read this post from another mom of many and she almost seems to resist having the older kids help the younger ones. I understand that feeling of not wanting to force the kids into a role that they didn't choose, but I couldn't fly this solo.
I guess I'm somewhere in between. I need my older kids to be thinking about and helping out with the littles in our house. When we go out to eat at a buffet, I need more than myself making sure the little guys don't fill a plate with just macaroni and cheese and gummy bears. As we head out to church I can only tie so many shoes before I start to cry and please don't think I can negotiate all of my kids at one time through the Wal-Mart parking lot. I need my older kids to listen to the new readers some times, because there's only so much "sounding out" that I can take in one life time.
I don't need second mothers, but I love seeing my kids take responsibility for their brothers and sisters. Helping someone out can never be a bad thing. Especially for this often overwhelmed mother!
I don't know about your corner of the world, but it has been less than hospitable here outside. Seems like months and months of snow and colder than cold.
But today there was hope. The temperature reached a balmy 41 degrees and like a pied piper, the warmer air called my kids out the door. Bikes were ridden, chalk drawings showed up in the driveway and the ball was banging the backboard.
We might just survive another winter.
It's the middle of winter and you're sick, sick, sick of being inside.
Solution?
Geography Fair - where you can travel around the world in one afternoon.
Our homeschool group had our first annual Fair today and it was a great success.
Educational - The kids did all the research and made the display boards.
Socially Perfect- 28 kids from age 1 - 20, hanging out with and taking care of each other. 10 moms, talking to each other for 2 whole hours (heaven)
Yummy - Every form of chocolate goodie that you really shouldn't eat in the middle of the day and food to taste from every country.
We traveled from German to China today and the company was marvelous!
To see more pictures from our Geography Fair, click here!
This bizzare looking thing is one of three cameras that were installed here today. They're part of a home security package that alarms for fire and unauthorized entry. This system can tell if a window is broken or if someone wakes up at 3am and sneaks into the kitchen for left over lasagna. It has remote access and a touch pad screen that monitors all three cameras at once. Pretty cool stuff.
James is excited about all this gadgetry. Me not so much. I know that there are bad guys out there but it's sad that my house is armed and dangerous. And I'll bet anyone that the first time this thing alarms it'll be me forgetting the code. or sneaking lasagna or m&m's.
We're getting a new grand-baby in June and my daughter asked me to come over tonight and help her put the crib together. Which must be because she wanted my company because everyone knows I'm stupid when it comes to assembly. I took one look at the parts she had laid out so carefully and I felt sick and hot. This was crazy! That was the exact moment that I changed my entire parenting philosophy about family bed sharing. Who needs a crib?
I got calmed down, picked up the assembly book and took control of steps 1, 2 and 3. And then....we discovered five major missing parts. Might have happened when the corner of the box was dented and torn. We had to quit for the night but I'll be back when the parts come in. I could possibly like this and I know I'll like the little thing that will soon be sleeping in it.
I dropped in last week to visit my granddaughter Scarlett. She took one look at me and hid under a table. I didn't take it personal. I did however start working on a plan to once again win her affections.
What did I come up with?
Fruit Loops. I met her and my daughter at Ikea today and handed her a pink bag (the pink part was important) with a box of this sugar drenched cereal. (The sugar was also intricate to the plan as her mother is one of those people who believe that children should eat healthy food - I never raised her to be that way, but kids do what they want.)
And Scarlett said, "I love you Grandma Kate".
YES!!
