In an effort to get me blogging regularly, I want to begin a feature called Family Fridays. In these posts I'll give a little peek into our crazy life and let you know what's really on my heart.
"Someone please find Mommy's other flip flop! Check under the couch. Find the baby's pacifier, stop pounding on the piano, dry up that spill, let Mommy go potty in peace, and someone please pick up THAT BABY!"
In a skinny little house with five rowdy, growing children, life can be pretty chaotic. I'm no help, really. I always have about 14 projects going on at one time, I have an extreme aversion to working after the kids go to bed, and I have an unenviable ability to overlook clutter. In short, our wonderful little life is far from perfect, and I am far from being a "Supermom." (Case in point, as I take the time to write this post I hear screams emitting from my girls' room upstairs. I'm pretty sure they're being attacked by a tiny, crazy little man. Don't worry; he's their brother.) Some days, it really gets the best of me. I become overwhelmed and short-tempered. I forget that I need to find joy in my children, and instead find only frustration. I think about the things I need to do: starting a batch of yogurt, folding the laundry, mopping the kitchen floor, doing bookkeeping for my business. I forget what is truly the most important thing.
But, by God's grace, more often come the moments when I realize that no matter how overwhelming and chaotic, this is truly the life I want. People call us "brave" for having five kids...and maybe they're right. But we didn't have a big family because we're brave, or to prove our bravery to all of you. We did it because we longed for it, and because we knew that God would give us the strength to do life with a house full of children. We always wanted a big family, and now that we have it, who am I to become frustrated at my kids for just being kids? So when I become overwhelmed, I try to stop, breathe, and remember: this is exactly what I want. I really was built for chaos. Not that I don't demand order from myself and my family; I have to, I must. The kids have chores, they have times when they are to be quiet and listen, they have times when they need to leave me alone to accomplish a task. More often than not, though, we are all in the kitchen or the living room together, talking over each other, laughing, yelling, grabbing, reaching, crying, talking, giggling, hugging, and loving. These are the times when I need to stop thinking about my list of things to do, and enjoy our life.
The other day, we were having one of those crazy moments. I was sitting on the couch, baby propped up in my lap. My husband stood in the middle of the room, probably attempting to walk away to accomplish an important task. But he was stopped by our eight year old, Grace, who just had to tell him her newest joke. (She loves to tell jokes. They are long, involved, and often more perplexing than funny.) As he listened, our three and a half year old, Adelaide, tried to interrupt in her very loud, piercing way. "I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMESING! I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMESING!" This is Addy's favorite phrase; I hear it at least 80 times a day. On either side of me were the final two pieces of this crazy puzzle, our six year old Evangeline, who was kissing and squeezing baby Jane, and our two year old son, Jude. What Jude was doing sent me over the edge from overwhelmed and frustrated mom who just wanted the kids to get ready for bed, to blissfully ignorant lunatic who could not stop laughing. He was methodically taking the raspberry bubble of spit from Janie's lips, and wiping it on to my nose. Over and over and over. I died. And I remembered, this is exactly what we wanted. Thank you, Lord, for ridiculous moments like this, to remind me to find joy amidst the chaos.
"Someone please find Mommy's other flip flop! Check under the couch. Find the baby's pacifier, stop pounding on the piano, dry up that spill, let Mommy go potty in peace, and someone please pick up THAT BABY!"
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| This is one of my favorite shots of family chaos. |
In a skinny little house with five rowdy, growing children, life can be pretty chaotic. I'm no help, really. I always have about 14 projects going on at one time, I have an extreme aversion to working after the kids go to bed, and I have an unenviable ability to overlook clutter. In short, our wonderful little life is far from perfect, and I am far from being a "Supermom." (Case in point, as I take the time to write this post I hear screams emitting from my girls' room upstairs. I'm pretty sure they're being attacked by a tiny, crazy little man. Don't worry; he's their brother.) Some days, it really gets the best of me. I become overwhelmed and short-tempered. I forget that I need to find joy in my children, and instead find only frustration. I think about the things I need to do: starting a batch of yogurt, folding the laundry, mopping the kitchen floor, doing bookkeeping for my business. I forget what is truly the most important thing.
But, by God's grace, more often come the moments when I realize that no matter how overwhelming and chaotic, this is truly the life I want. People call us "brave" for having five kids...and maybe they're right. But we didn't have a big family because we're brave, or to prove our bravery to all of you. We did it because we longed for it, and because we knew that God would give us the strength to do life with a house full of children. We always wanted a big family, and now that we have it, who am I to become frustrated at my kids for just being kids? So when I become overwhelmed, I try to stop, breathe, and remember: this is exactly what I want. I really was built for chaos. Not that I don't demand order from myself and my family; I have to, I must. The kids have chores, they have times when they are to be quiet and listen, they have times when they need to leave me alone to accomplish a task. More often than not, though, we are all in the kitchen or the living room together, talking over each other, laughing, yelling, grabbing, reaching, crying, talking, giggling, hugging, and loving. These are the times when I need to stop thinking about my list of things to do, and enjoy our life.
The other day, we were having one of those crazy moments. I was sitting on the couch, baby propped up in my lap. My husband stood in the middle of the room, probably attempting to walk away to accomplish an important task. But he was stopped by our eight year old, Grace, who just had to tell him her newest joke. (She loves to tell jokes. They are long, involved, and often more perplexing than funny.) As he listened, our three and a half year old, Adelaide, tried to interrupt in her very loud, piercing way. "I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMESING! I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMESING!" This is Addy's favorite phrase; I hear it at least 80 times a day. On either side of me were the final two pieces of this crazy puzzle, our six year old Evangeline, who was kissing and squeezing baby Jane, and our two year old son, Jude. What Jude was doing sent me over the edge from overwhelmed and frustrated mom who just wanted the kids to get ready for bed, to blissfully ignorant lunatic who could not stop laughing. He was methodically taking the raspberry bubble of spit from Janie's lips, and wiping it on to my nose. Over and over and over. I died. And I remembered, this is exactly what we wanted. Thank you, Lord, for ridiculous moments like this, to remind me to find joy amidst the chaos.
Beautifully written. I love that I can picture it in all its specifics.
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