Monday, July 8, 2013

This Room

Last week we planned to meet David at work for a picnic lunch.  The kids were pumped, but as lunch time arrived it was raining on and off, and very, very humid...so we moved the picnic indoors.  As we walked in to the staff kitchen Carter turned to David and said..."so this room here is for picnics and psychologists?"

Of course David thought this was hilarious... and, I think, maybe wished a tiny but that this was the purpose of that room. 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Don't Put Things in Your Ears!

I spent 4 hours in emerge the other night because Carter had stuck playdough in his ears.  Everyone in the waiting room thought this was funny...and admittedly it kind of was.  I mean, if I wasn't the mom whose kid had done it, I would have thought it was hysterical! 
Carter wasn't thrilled.  In the moment, in his 5 year old brain, he was being smart.  Carter had been working on a face made out of playdough, and he couldn't get the ears just right, so he was trying to take a mold of his own ears.  It was a creative thought, but in practise proved to be more trouble than he bargained for.  We got the dough out of his ears, and he will likely not try that again.  I admire his out of the box thinking and creativity! 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Big, Happy Family...but crazy? No!

A few months back, friends said to my husband when he arrived to visit on his own "oh, you're by yourself, thank goodness.  We were going to suggest Tim Hortons if you had the whole family!" (here I will add, they had invited us for a visit, we didn't initiate it)

Another person recently said to me "your kids are crazy".  (I will add, she followed this comment with...every family with 4 kids is crazy!)

Both of these comments have bothered me for months. 

The thing is, after much thought and speaking to others, it seems that people assume because you have 4 kids life is just chaos.  The thought of 4 children is overwhelming to them, so they let the imagination of what they assume my life is, overtake the reality of the situation. 

My children are not 'bad' kids.  They are not unruly or out of control.  Sure they have their moments, all kids do, but our reality is not a scene from ...insert name of crazy movie family here. 
My kids are generally well behaved.  I am constantly impressed with how they handle themselves, even when there are other kids around who don't have the same expectations as we have in this family.  David and I have been complimented many times on how pleasant and well behaved our children are.   Despite this, everytime a hear a comment such as the above, it is a stinging blow.

I am sad that so many people are missing the opportunity to spend time with and get to know our fantastic children because of their notion that by way of us having a large family it has changed their genetics and disposition to make them, and us certifiably crazy.  But, it is their loss!

We chose to have a large family, and we love it!  

There is never a dull moment!  We are never lonely, always busy, and our house is full of Love!


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

How would you respond???

This morning my son told me that he was going to marry Autumn.  Autumn or some other girl or boy that he loved.  Then he told me that some kids at school told him that he couldn't marry a boy, and laughed at him because he thought he could.

I assured Carter, that he indeed could marry a boy if he wanted.  That his Dad and I would support him in marrying who ever he wanted, so long as they were in a healthy and loving relationship. 

Now, my son is in JK.  I don't think he knows what 'gay' means, or if he is gay.  We are raising our children to believe in equality for all, to be accepting of all, that you should be with who you love and, most of all, be yourself.  So for him, saying he is going to marry a girl or boy, is just that.  He will marry someone, someone he loves. 

I am sad that he felt ridiculed for thinking he could marry a boy, but I am glad it didn't phase him, he is still saying "I will marry some girl or boy that I love."

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Leaving the House

Trying to go anywhere with 4 children can be a challenge, the biggest hurdle of that challenge, is actually getting out of the house.  Typically it goes something like this...
I yell- "Everyone get your shoes on!!!"  I listen carefully for the pitter patter of 8 feet running to the closet to get their shoes on...I hear nothing.  I call again "Everyone get your shoes on!"  This is typically followed by the sound of at least 2 of the kids arguing about putting whatever is they're doing away, because mommy has asked them to put their shoes on.  One child has disappeared, and one is looking for their shoes. 
It is at this point I think...maybe they should go to the bathroom.  So I seperate the 2 that are fighting (usually Lauren and Julie) and send them each to a bathroom.  When the kid in the upstairs bathroom comes out, I send them to get their shoes on, and send Carter to the bathroom, all while I change Maya so she is fresh for the car ride.  By this point, both Lauren and Julie usually have shoes on.  I ask them to help Maya get her shoes on, while I make sure Carter washes his hands.  While I am standing at the sink with Carter, I realize I still need to brush my teeth, so I reach for my toothbrush as I send Carter to get his shoes on.  It is at this point that Carter announces that he doesn't want to go with us, so he is not going to put his shoes on. 
Maya, who can now open doors, is so excited about going in the car that she is trying to escape out the front door, the girls are trying to keep her inside, and I am standing in Carter's room with a toothbrush in one hand and his shoes in the other demanding that he get them on, because he is going with us.  He takes his shoes, and reluctantly starts to put them on.  I go out to the entrance to check on the girls, and find that Lauren has chosen to wear rubber boots that are a size too small on the hottest day of the year, with the sun shining bright, "because that's all she could find".  Julie on the other hand is wearing flip flops that barely stay on her feet.  I get on my hands and knees and start digging through the hall closet for something appropriate for each of them, only to find 3 left shoes, and 4 right, none matching.  Carter is still staring at his shoes, saying he isn't going.  I finally find the appropriate shoes, just in time to catch Maya as she heads out the front door to play in the street.  The girls are ready to go.  I take them out to the van and strap them in their seats.  I come back to the house to get Carter, he is still refusing to put his shoes on...after 5 minutes of pleading he finally agrees.  I run out to check on the kids, Carter comes behind me, shoes on the wrong feet (but atleast they are on).  I get everyone strapped in the van.  I run back in the house for the one thing I have ineveitably forgotten.  Come back to the van, climb in, start it up, begin to back down the driveway...that's when the smell hits me!  Maya has conveniently pooped since I strapped her in...

Now, the whole process takes generaly 15 minutes on the best of days.  On these days my house is left in whatever state it finds itself in from the daily living of a family of 6.  Our house is currently on the market.  I can get a call at anytime that someone wants to see our house.  This means we have to leave, and the house has to be CLEAN when I do.  I hope it sells quickly!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Kids! They make you laugh! They make you cry! And they scare the crap out of you!

The other day my son took off his shirt and said "feast your eyes, ladies" to myself and his sisters. 
No self esteem issues there!


Lauren tried on a beautiful multi coloured and multi patterned dress the other day...came out of the changeroom, pasted herself to the nearest wall and said "look mom, I'm modern art".  Smart kid!


Maya has taken to climbing up on the toy kitchen and jumping down on to the couch shouting 'canda ball' (canon ball) as she drops! 


After Lauren had some gas while driving the other day...Julie announced that we should strap her to the roof 'cause then mommy wouldn't have to pay for gas'...

Thursday, May 3, 2012

10 Things NOT to say to people with more than the average number of children!

So I was inspired to write this little piece based on an article I saw today titled: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Friends Without Kids.  It was actually a nice little article, and I can respect her point of view...it made me think, however, of all the things people have said to us about having 4 kids, that can be unbelievably annoying.

10.  "You do know how this happens, right?"  - No!  Please share with me?  Was it the Rock and Roll music?  I think I missed every year of reproduction in health class from grades 6-12...  Yes, I know how this happens!  I am a functioning member of society and fairly intelligent, but thanks for checking.  You could have saved me from myself (or my husband, LOL)!

9.  "Are you Catholic?" - No, I am not.  I didn't know they had a Monopoly on the large family thing...maybe I should check that out.

8.  "You're not going to have any more are you?"  OR  "This is it right?"- I am personally done having kids, but what if I wasn't, what if I was pregnant right now...who are these people that think they know how many is the right number for our family unit...besides, let's be honest our kids are pretty darn cute, the world wouldn't be hurting if there was a couple more from this gene pool floating around (kidding, kidding)

7.  "I'd shoot myself in the head!"- This is one of my favourites and I am not lying when I say I have heard it more than once...here, give me the gun, I'll help you out with that.

6.  "We wanted to invite you, but there are just so many of you." - Do I even need to explain why this is insulting?  Why did you feel the need to share that with me?

5.  "Do you drive a bus?"- Yes, yes, I do, and man is that thing a pain to park.  (Insert eye roll here).

4.  "The fourth one will just raise herself." - That's right we parent a little less with each one.  We're working our way up to free range parenting.

3.  "Was the last one an accident?" - Define accident?  Do you mean unplanned?  Because I am not sure anyone does the act that causes babies "by accident".  And for the record...no, the last one was not an accident.  She was most definitely planned.

2.  "That's crazy"  or "That's insane"- Well lucky for all of us, that the father, of these accidental children to an insane, Catholic mother who knows nothing about reproduction, is a psychologist!

1.  "You must be Super Mom!" - Yes!  Like my cape???    No, I am not.  I am just a regular mom, that does what she needs to do to keep her kids, safe, healthy and happy, I just happen to do it times 4. 


Now, I will admit, I play along when these things are said, and joke with my friends about them, but sometimes, it is really hurtful to hear these things from people who are clearly making a judgement on your family.  David and I chose to have a big family, we Love it and wouldn't change it for anything in the world!