Seriously.
I have never been one to overcommit myself. I enjoy peace and quiet. I enjoy being still, being at home. Now, my life is a mad dash from one thing to the next ~ from picking JCT up from pre-k to lunch to nap to pick up Joshua. . . And, even when we are all home for several hours at a time, my life is anything but relaxing.
Here is an excerpt from a typical evening at my home. . .
I am nursing Erik Daniel, while Elijah is literally climbing me to get to his baby brother, JCT and Joshua are playing football in the living room (and I am yelling at them to stop before they break my favorite lamp, that cannot be replaced, and I'll be really upset if they break it, and they better stop the tackling and wrestling right now!), dinner is nearly burning in the oven, laundry is waiting in the washer and the dryer, there are clean dishes in the dishwasher that need to be put away before dinner ~ so I can load our dirty dinner dishes, Joshua has a project we must complete, we really need to practice his speech worksheets and do his flashcards and work on his handwriting, Erik calls to tell me that he has to stop by football practice on his way home ~ someone hurt their knee (translation: it will be at least 45 minutes before he gets home), Rain is barking his head off at Mr. Cole walking his lab Bruno in front of our house, a little someone is yelling "I'm done! I'm fun! I'm done! I'm fun!!" from the powder bath on the other side of the house, I feel a tension headache coming on, and all I want to do is tinkle, but just as I get up (still holding Erik Daniel and nursing him ~ it is an art I am perfecting with time), I hear a pot boiling over on the stove top, and I see that JCT is already up walking around with his pants off ~ bottom unwiped because he just couldn't wait three seconds for me to walk across the house!
This is my life. And, it is not an isolated incident. I could write this paragraph with different sentences all day everyday! Do you feel me? Is anyone else with me here? Because sometimes I feel very alone in my craziness. It is then, when I am feeling all alone, that I turn on Jon and Kate Plus Eight, and I smile because someone not only understands, but their life is even crazier than mine! And, for some odd reason, I find comfort in that! Man, I love that show!
I do love my life, but I have been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. One of these days, one of these sweet days I will get it together, at least a little bit!
It might be a crazy life. . . but it's my life. . .
17 comments:
Oh Erin, I have to confess it is so nice to hear that you are a REAL woman!! With your inspiring spiritual posts and pictures of creative baked goods and even a sparkling interior of your minivan, I was beginning to suspect otherwise.
I am with you - I know how it feels, looks and sounds.
Hang in there. These days will soon be but a memory that we strain to remember the details of.
You're doing a GREAT job.
You are definitely not alone - I'm living there, too. And I only have TWO boys. You really are managing much better than I would be in the same situation!
I've so been there. Like last night....my 1 year old wants me to hold her ALL the time, my 3 year old is sick with the stomach flu and throws up about every 45 min, but refuses to except that she needs to so she screams NO the entire time, my 7 year old is trying to finish her story and is constantly asking how to spell something, and my 8 year old needs help with her Math....UGH!!
My husband is out of town:) until Sat. and now all 4 of my girls have the stomach flu. Life is really really ugly sometimes!!!!
Thankfully the Lord gives us those wonderful days hear and there to get us through:):):)
Ha! The last part made me laugh when you said you turn to Jon and Kate plus 8 ... I do the same thing. I feel overwhelmed often with just my TWO and turn there and feel like I can get myself together.
You are NOT alone, Erin. With all the love that comes with raising children is a lot of hard work. You're doing fine! Hang in there :)
Life's pretty much the same here. It's a normal thing. I read this post and laughed because it sounds all too familiar!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Aww! How is it that I only have one 19-month-old, and yet that description sounds so similar to my days...yet you have four?? :o)
Great picture, by the way. Thanks for that surprise when I opened your blog this morning!
I so hear you. My newest little one is almost 2 months and it is crazy around here with 3! I'm homeschooling so I'm not running to schools but running a school at home! I've been wondering how you find time to do your baking. You must have super powers to get that done to. Take heart in the fact that it will calm down. Or at least that's what I tell myself.
Ah honey I have lived it. Unfortunately mine who are now 10, 13, & 14 still wrestle in the house and I have to yell at them to go outside. Laundry is never ending, and many dinners were burned on my watch.
About the lamp, how do I say this sweetly....PUT IT UP! Meaning get one that does not hold as much value during this stage in their life. I have shed many, many tears on things that have broken in my house. I remember one melt down I had telling anyone in the house that was listening "I can never have pretty things in my house."
It is still true today, but I know when they move I will have pretty things. But for now I have things that handle things bounced off of it or kids bumping into it.
Hang in there, don't feel alone.
Oh how I wish I could say when you kids get a little older, more independent it gets easier. Truth is you just trade the crazyness for another; rushing from activity, games, church activities etc to another. Laundry still piles up, dishes still sit the dishwasher and I never have time to get a haircut.
I won't say enjoy these days, but I would say this too shall pass and you will soon miss some of it!!
...and when you look back on this post in ohhh....10-15 years you'll smile in loving memories of days like this. I don't have little ones yet but this post made me smile so big and dream of days like this when we have a house full of little ones (because that is the goal:o) )!! I think you a do great job on your blog of capturing memories for you and your children!
Oh I know exactly how you feel!! I feel that way regularly! Like I'm being pulled in a million pieces, like I want to change my name, and like I want to hope on the nearest bus headed for Tucson! I hope you have a better day and that you can keep your eyes on the Lord during those stressful times...it is so hard for me to do that. You are doing an awesome job with your sweet, little men!!
Oh yes, Erin, I am with you! I'm a mama of four too, and it is a whirlwind somedays (a lot of days, actually)!! In my pre-child days I would not have said that I enjoy alone time or having things quiet. However, that is something that I've really, really learned to appreciate!! I love my crazy life, but I also really enjoy when they're all sleeping and I get to experience solitude and quiet.
I love this post! The funny thing is, one of the main reasons I read your blog regularly is because I always get a sense of peace and calm! Ha! Ha! You are not alone...obviously from the comments on this post! I am a mother of three and like you, more of a homebody than I ever realized-but I am finding as my children get older (my oldest is in 3rd grade) the busier I am-which means less time at home. Hang in there! Your family seems so precious, and they are blessed to have a Mommy who values and serves their home the way you do.
Erin,I only know you through your blog but so many times I have thought, "those little boys are sooo blessed!" I,too, was glad to hear that you have the normal Mommy moments. Not because I wish chaos on anyone but I think it is helpful to know we are all having similar experiences. :)
My dh has helped me so much at night as we sit and talk about my need for everything to be a certain way, house neatness, kid's behavior, etc. I think God is doing a lot through me in this wonderful privilege of parenting. Thankfully He will not leave me as I am!
Blessings to you and your sweet ones!
Erin - that is my life too, day after day. Not just one-off crazy times, but all day every day :)
Oh how glad I am for a God who remembers our frailty and sympathises with our very limitedness.
And you know, the kids are so forgiving, aren't they! They probably won't remember a thing of it. they'll just remember the cozy feeling of being part of a large, loving family...
I've never commented before-but you are not alone! I have two boys and a baby on the way. With boys, our house is never quiet or dull! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with boys that wrestle, and laundry and dishes that I can't keep up with!
Hang in there-we're all in this together! :)
Oh can I relate! This is typically the scene at my house as well. Thanks for writing this as I know it encouraged a lot of us to know we're in this together.
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