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!                

Emotional Mommy!

In the past 6 weeks our baby Maya (22 months) has stopped breast feeding, gone from crib to toddler bed, high chair to booster chair, sippy cup to regular cup, pooped in the potty twice...and today she dressed herself in her pyjamas by herself, (granted one arm was through the neck hole and her pants were up in the front, but not over her diaper in the back, but pretty good for her first time).

This little growth spurt was ineveitable, but it is hitting mommy pretty hard.  I get teary eyed thinking about it. 

We have 4 little people, that is enough for this family...but ohhh...I didn't know leaving the baby stage would be so emotional for me...

...especially since I know what is coming and I love that too...and I am so looking forward to the new stages we are headed too with our older children...

Does every mom go through this???

Holy Week

So last Sunday was Palm Sunday.  We arrived at church and were handed a Palm leaf to celebrate Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem...Carter immediately turned his Palm Leaf into a machine gun and pretended to shoot everything in sight.  Trying to curb this behaviour I bent close to his ear and said "Carter, this is NOT a gun!  He responeded with "I know mommy, but I am pretending IT is" quite emphatically. 

On to Maundy Thursday and Good Friday...I shared in a Prayer Vigil with the youth in our Presbytery.  It was a fantastic night of prayer and reflection, with some fun thrown in there too.  When I arrived home Lauren and Julie asked if I had stayed up all night.  I said 'no' that I hadn't managed and had fallen asleep for a couple of hours during the night.  They told me "that's ok mommy, the disciples didn't manage either"... This is funny because part of our covenant with the youth had been to stay up all night (but if you did pass out Jesus would be ok with it, because it wouldn't be the first time) ...but yay to my kids for remembering the Sunday School lesson!

Finally, Easter Sunday.  We had the usual Easter Egg hunt then get ready for church.  Easter Sunday service was beautiful, and we had a fantastic day with the kids...they were tired from all the early morning searching, but had a fantastic day!!!

  

High Praise

We very rarely drink anything but apple or grape juice in our house.  Yesterday, however, we tried berry juice.  At breakfast yesterday morning, I poured Carter some of this juice.  As he watched the red liquid flow into his glass he said  "ugh!  what is THAT mommy?"  I told him it was berry juice, and to try it.  He took a big swig and said "hmmm, that is not gross mommy!"  I said "wow!  That is high praise, Carter".  He said "high praise?  What is high praise?  I think I am allergic to high praise!"

A perceived allergy to high praise...what does that say about my parenting???

Volunteering...my quest to say no for Lent...

I gave up volunteering for Lent.  So far it has been pretty good...I have had a slip up here and there, had to revision and refocus, but all in all it is going well.

I do keep getting asked, however, "will you do this for me, after Lent then?"  I think they have missed the point...

and I hope I have received the message of this endeavour loud and clear...but I am sure it will be a process, with lots of revisioning and refocusing along the way.

What did you give up, or bring into your life this Lenten season?  I would love to hear from others about their journeys through Lent.  Are you struggling like me?

Where Procratination Can Get You...

Yesterday morning while I was in the bathroom downstairs, Maya was in the bathroom upstairs unrolling a brand new roll of toilet paper into the toilet.  I came upstairs to find this and promptly closed the bathroom door.  The kids needed breakfast and to get dressed, this could wait...I thought.  So, I went about the morning routine of our household, forgetting about the problem in the bathroom.  Forgetting until I heard Carter call from the bathroom..."uhhh"  (as if he has never made a mess in his life exasperated sigh) "what a mess Maya made, I'll help clean it up" as he flushes the toilet 5 times.  I run to the bathroom...the water is rising, the toilet is running...its not stopping...water is creeping across the bathroom floor, coming fast toward the hallway...I wade across the quickly rising mess lift the back off the toilet...the floater has caught the flap for the opening making the water run continuously...I lift the floater, close the little flap thing (yes those are technical plumbing terms) and begin the process of cleaning up my bathroom floor.  I finish up and take the mass of wet towels down to the laundry room to find that half the water had leaked through the floor onto my baskets of clean clothes...more mess, and more laundry. 
The whole time Carter is following me repeatedly commenting about the mess Maya made but "I helped".  You helped alright buddy!  You taught mommy a valuable lesson about procratination!

Best Feeling Ever!

Maya called me Mommy today! 

First time she said mommy...not mama, or mommm...so I am sure she was actually talking to me, not just stringing sounds together.  I know that she has called me mama for awhile...but it still feels good to hear that first mommy!

Best feeling ever!  Love!