One of the questions I am most frequently asked is what my days look like as a mother to a large family. While we try and maintain a structured schedule with a general idea of what is supposed to happen there is no average day. Every day is different and nothing ever goes as planned. Some days I don't get dressed. Some days a tantrum takes up so much time that we've missed a part of naptime. Some days I don't do any chores, where as some days I get a lot of chores done. It just depends on the day, what we have going on, and what type of mood everybody is. If I'm in a good mood, things tend to go good. If the kids are in a bad mood, things tend to go really bad. At the end of the day I look back and hope that a lot got accomplished, whether it be the grocery shopping or the laundry or reading with the kids, but if it didn't I'm usually okay with that. There is no such thing as a perfect day for my family. That comes with having a large family. And you know what, I do not care about smoothly run, scheduled days where I get everything done and time for myself as much as I care about Maya, Amari, Kenyan, Gianna, Ira, Arlet, Elaina, and Gabriella Kingston... oh, and that amazing, caring, helpful husband of mine, Wren.
Here is what my morning looked like today...
5:30am- My alarm goes off. Every night I go to bed and hope that my night of slumber will be peaceful and I won't be woken up by any of the children, but like every single night since I have become a mom I am woken up. Once, twice, maybe three times... if I'm lucky. Other times it is more like five times a night. I am so exhausted and ponder hitting snooze, but I know I have to get up. I have a lot to do and I need my day to run smoothly so it's up and moving for me. This morning I have scheduled (for only the first hour of my day!): a morning run with friends, a shower, and, hopefully, fifteen minutes to get dressed, do my hair, and put on makeup. If I'm lucky this will happen, if I'm not lucky I will have to resort to sweats, my hair in a ponytail, and no makeup.
6:30am- I am back from my run with friends. It was great; four miles in forty-five minutes. I've been running almost every morning for weeks now, while Wren is asleep and can stay home with the kids, and I love it. Running not only gives me a newfound energy, but an opportunity to get away from motherhood for an hour. It's just me, my friends, and our "Running Moms Club." Just as I had hoped I came home at 6:30am, showered until 6:15, and got dressed, did my hair, and did my makeup in forty-five minutes. By 7am I am ready to start my day!
7:00am- Wren is up and has started the coffee. The big kids (Maya, Amari, Kenyan, and Gianna) have their weekly school program today so I have to make lunches and get them ready for school. (As a homeschooling mom I feel so weird saying that!) I try to make healthy lunches that are also delicious and fun. But it gets tricky with four (mildly picky) kids. Maya and Kenyan do not like crust, Amari and Gianna do. Maya is allergic to strawberries. Kenyan loves vegetables, while the other kids prefer fruit. This all makes me wonder: have I turned into a short-order chef? I have decided on peanut butter and banana sandwiches in the shape of stars (no crust for Maya and Kenyan!), kiwis and grapes, carrot sticks, and a cheese stick. Oh, and lets not forget about a note for each of the kiddos.
7:15- I have fifteen minutes before the kids wakeup. I have a huge decision to make: I can either use the fifteen minutes of spare time to make the kids a delicious, healthy breakfast other than cereal OR I can use the fifteen minutes to catch up on my emails, call my sister, and drink my coffee in peace. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I feel like a contestant on Deal or No Deal deciding if he should accept the Banker's offer or keep playing the game to try and win the million dollar prize. I decide to surprise the kids and make them a different than usual breakfast. On weekdays we tend to have cold cereal, oatmeal, or yoghurt and granola, whereas on weekends we have eggs, pancakes, or waffles, but I feel like surprising my babies. So I whip up something quick that the kids will love: cheesy scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit salad.
7:30am- Alarms go off for the older kids and Wren goes into the little girls room to wake them up (Ira, Arlet, and Elaina), with the exception of Gabriella who is a newborn and sleeps until she wants. Everyone makes their way to the kitchen. I give each child a kiss and say good morning and then they each take a seat at the table. Some of them are cranky, others are pleasantly and excitedly surprised for the breakfast I made. We eat for fifteen minutes, all while doing morning scriptures. We have a few minutes leftover so Amari vividly tells the family about the dream he had the night before. "I was being chased by a monster but my pet monster came to save me so I got on his back and we ran away from the bad monster! It was awesome!" I love his imagination.
7:50am- Wren and I have less than an hour, fifty minutes to be exact, to get the older kids ready for school: dressed, teeth brushed, and hair done. I settle the little girls in their playpen with coloring books and crayons (and baby monitors!) so that Wren and I can divide and conquer the children. I take the girls, Wren takes the boys. He hates doing the girls hair, so I'm usually the one who ends up with the girls each morning. The clothes I picked out for the kids are in their bedrooms. Maya is wearing a purple shirt with a butterfly on the front and a striped purple skirt. Kenyan and Amari are matching in blue V-neck shirts and black shorts. Gianna is wearing a pink dress with yellow leggings. Then we do their hair: braided ponytail for Maya, a quick brushing for the boys, and a bun for Gianna. Their teeth get brushed. Shoes are on. I snap a quick picture because the kids look so cute and are all matching. Plus, I can't take the picture after they come home from school because their outfits will most likely be stained and the girls hair will not be as perfectly done as when they left in the morning. Soon it is...
8:45am- We're five minutes off schedule but it's only a two minute drive to school so that is okay. Usually we'll walk as a family to school and drop the kids off, but today the younger girls aren't even dressed yet and Gabriella is still sleeping (say what?). Today Wren will take the girls to school on his way to work. School starts promptly at 9am, though, and so does Wren's job so I kiss the kids and Wren and they are all quickly out the door. As soon as the door slams shut is when conflict begins. Ira starts crying for Wren. This makes Elaina upset, which makes Arlet upset, which wakes Gabriella up. Oh, how great. I run and pick Gabriella up who, thankfully, stops crying as soon as she feels my touch. We head into the playroom where the girls are and I sit down and comfort the three of them, reminding them, like always, that Daddy will be back. Ira is very attached to her father and, because of her experience in an orphanage in Ethiopia, has developed major attachment issues to both Wren and myself. If Wren isn't home she gets very upset. If I am not home she gets very upset. If both of us aren't home she gets EXTREMELY upset. But, Wren and I are committed to Ira and knew that adopting from Ethiopia would come with challenges. We love her and are here for her 100 percent.
9:00am- I get Ira, Arlet, Elaina, and Gabriella dressed for the day. This is way harder than dressing four kids for school because the girls cannot sit still for more than a minute and I have to keep all of them in one room with me while I dress them. This takes twenty to thirty minutes on a good day. Today is a good day, it takes me twenty-five minutes. Although during these twenty-five minutes I thought it was going to take an hour! Gabriella wouldn't stop crying, Arlet wanted to be held, Ira was climbing on top of me, and Elaina knocked over a basket of dirty clothes. I take what seemed like one hundred deep breaths before I'm finally done. Ira is in a yellow shirt with white polka dots and blue jean shorts. Arlet is dressed in a pink romper with flowers. Elaina is dressed in a pink dress with ruffles across the bottom. Gabriella is dressed in a purple onesie that says "I'm cute, aren't I?" Oh yes, baby girl, you are.
9:30am- We head outside to play while it is still nice outside. The forecast says it's going to rain so I want to get the girls outside to play and run around and lose some energy before naptime. If they don't do something to get their energy out each day than there is no hope that they'll fall asleep for nap. And trust me, I need them to take their daily naps. We sit in the front yard. I hold Gabriella who is dosing off between consciousness and sleep. Ira waters our flowers. Arlet and Elaina draw on the driveway with paint. A couple times some other neighborhood moms walk by and we get into talking. Really makes me appreciate living in such a family friendly neighborhood. At one point Ira falls and scrapes her knee and let me tell you my little drama queen acted AS IF IT WERE THE END OF THE WORLD. There was screaming and tears and panic over one little scrap with absolutely no blood. Once again this is over the conditions she lived in in Ethiopia and the constant fear of death my poor daughter had. Anyways, we all went inside, I cleaned it, put a Dora the Explorer sticker on it, and Ira was all better.
10:00am- The girls sit at the kitchen table and work on a jigsaw puzzle while I whip up their morning snack. A couple minutes later an argument abrupts between Ira and Elaina. There is yelling and crying between the two of them and even hitting. I do not tolerate any violence in my home so it was straight to timeout for the two of them. The rule in our house is a 5-minute automatic timeout with an additional 5-minutes if the child does not stop crying, throws a fit of any kind, is argumentative, etc. One of my daughters only had to stay in timeout for the required five minutes, the other had to stay in timeout for five additional minutes. This pushed snack back by five minutes but finally we all have snack together- apples and broccoli- with a lecture about why it is important to be nice to people, especially sisters, and to remember that, at the end of the day, all my children has is their siblings so it is important to nourish their bond and be caring towards each other. How do you translate that to a 3-year-old and 2-year-old? I tried my hardest and I think I got it right. Afterwords Ira walked up to Elaina and hugged her. Aw!
10:30am- Naptime for the girls. We complete our daily ritual of cleaning up snack time and playtime, go to the bathroom, and then I tuck each girl in for a nap. Hopefully they'll sleep the whole 120 minutes. I think so, they burned a lot of energy playing outside. Once the girls are asleep I start my daily chores: laundry, dishes, etc. On today's list is laundry, breakfast dishes, vacuuming, and I have to make the grocery list for the upcoming week. I walk into the laundry room, which is also where the kids keep their school supplies (backpacks, lunch pales, etc.) and see Maya's fieldtrip permission form sitting there. Silly Maya, she forgot her form. Oh well, I guess she'll have to turn it in next week. Except, NO, it says right on the front that it is due today or else she cannot go on the field trip. What?! I call Wren and see if he can come home early so I can run by the school and drop the permission slip off. No, he is in a meeting. I call my next door neighbor, Mrs. Perkins. No, she's in Italy. Finally a lightbulb goes off in my head and I call the school to see if I can fax it to them. Perfect, I can. Problem solved. That was a complete waste of stress and madness for twenty minutes. I continue with chores.
11:30am- An alarm on my phone goes off. I quickly turn it off or else it will wakeup the girls and I do not want that to happen. I read the label on the alarm and it says "Mothers Retreat Conference Call." Oh shoot, I completely forgot. I run upstairs to my office but realize I forgot the baby monitor so I run back downstairs. Once I'm back in my office I shut the door and begin the call. It was very successful and we (the co-planners of this event and I) got a lot planned for our upcoming retreat.
12:15pm- Once I finish the call I look at the clock and realize the girls will be up in 15 minutes. Wow, I completely lost track of the time. I run downstairs to the kitchen and start lunch. Today's menu includes grilled cheese, grapes, and carrot sticks. In the middle of cooking the grilled cheese I burn one of the sandwiches. I'm surprised the fire alarms didn't go off! And as I am chopping the carrot sticks I realize none of the girls can eat hard carrots because of their baby teeth. I quickly change their vegetable from carrot sticks to tomato wedges. Lunch gets done cooking at exactly 12:30pm, which is right when the girls wakeup from their naps. Record time! I place everything on the table and here a door open, followed by footsteps and the word "Mommy, we're up."
It's only noon and my day is only half way done. Oh. My. Goodness.
Part 2 of Day In the Life is coming soon!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
7 Quick Takes Friday (#3)
Wow, long time no blog. My intentions were certainly not to delay this blog, especially because I hate those blogs that are not maintained and publish posts like once every couple months, but life has been very busy in the Kingston household. With eight kids, eight and under, my days are so full that I can never find time to blog, let alone use the bathroom! But, honestly, I miss blogging. I know I only posted a couple of times, but I enjoyed being creative and writing about my family. So, i've decided that that blogging is going to be my "me" time from now on. A couple times a week i'm going to take some time, whether it's late at night or early in the morning or during quiet reading time for the kids, to blog. Wish me luck!
To resume blogging, I'm going to start with another edition of 7 Quick Takes...
1. Maya is now onto her third pair of eye glasses in the last year. She's seven and I can understand that glasses are a new concept and responsibility for her, but seriously, three pairs of glasses? And glasses aren't cheap, either! The first time she left them on the floor and I stepped on them (ouch!). The second time she left them at the park and when we went back they were no longer there. So when we got her new glasses this week, Wren and I sat her down and explained to her how important it is to be responsible and treat her glasses like a prized possession. We gave her a list of rules and decided to do daily checks to make sure her glasses are either on her face or on her nightstand, do not touch the floor, and are not in reach of her younger siblings hands... or the dog's. Here's to hoping this new pair lasts!
2. This week Maya began piano lessons. Wren and I feel extra curriculars are an important part of our children's development. Only the four oldest are at an appropriate age to really benefit from extra curriculars; five being the magic age when the children can begin participating in out-of-home activities. Music is a different story, though, and all of the kids will wait until they are seven to begin playing an instrument. Well, Maya is now seven and she is absolutely thrilled to be playing the piano. For Wren and I it is necessary that our children receive exposure in all different areas of the arts, so each child is encouraged to participate in one art, one music, one sport, and one religion activity. It may seem like a lot, but we space it out throughout the year so that the kids are not overwhelmed. Plus, they enjoy every activity! We let them pick what they want to do as we know it is something they are interested in and will stick to. The four oldest are in soccer (during the spring), the boys are in year-round karate, the two oldest girls are in year-round ballet, all four are in art, and they all participate in Sunday School. We love our tiny little community that has so many extra curriculars for our kids!
3. Fourth of July is a few days away and we are busy preparing for the celebration. This is a huge holiday in our house. It is so important to honor the United States and for my kids to get an understanding of how lucky they are to live in such a great America. In the morning I serve a red, white, and blue breakfast. Red, white, and blue pancakes with red (strawberries), white (bananas), and blue (blueberries) fruit salad. After breakfast everyone, dressed in their red, white, and blue outfits, goes to the annual 4th of July parade in our town. It lasts for three hours and is fun, fun, fun. After the parade we go home and host a barbecue with all our family and friends. There's barbecue food, swimming, lots of laughter, and great memories! Around 9pm we head over to the park to watch the fireworks. When they are over we go home and go to bed. It will be a great day!
4. It has been so hot lately. Every year I look forward to summer because it means no school, but a couple weeks into summer I look forward to fall for the cool, crisp weather. Temperatures have been at an all-time high here where we live, with 100, 105, and 110 temperature days. Hot temperatures only means two things: a cranky mama and eight cranky kids. So we've been spending all our time, and by all our time I mean all our time, in the pool. We literally wakeup, eat breakfast, do chores, get in the pool, eat lunch, get in the pool, eat a snack, get in the pool, eat dinner, shower, go to bed, wakeup, and do it all over again. I'm not complaining, though, because the kids love the pool and are always happy when they are in it. It distracts them from the heat. Oh, the heat. Did I mention how hot it is? Oh, I did. Did I mention how much I can't wait for fall? Oh, I did.
5. Gabriella is nearly four months old and I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? I know three months may not seem like much to some people, but to me, her mother, it is shocking that she is already through one-fourth of her first year of life. Gabriella is my best baby yet. She is so chill and mellow, sleeping through the night (already!) and only crying when she needs her diaper changed. Gabriella loves her siblings and gets the biggest smile on her face when she see's them. She eats like a professional eater and already weighs 16 pounds. I cannot believe Gabriella is my daughter, I feel so lucky!
6. It may be summer for the kids, but for their homeschooling mama there is always work to do. Because I am their teacher also, it means that I have work to do to prepare for the upcoming school year. Lesson planning. Curriculum planning. School calender planning. Classroom planning. School supplies planning. Planning, planning, planning! Good thing I love planning, or else I'd go crazy! I generally plan while the younger kids are down for their naps and the oldest kids are having quiet time, about three hours of uninterrupted time to myself each day. I guess people are right when they say a mother's work is never done.
7. Speaking of summer, on Friday the kids, Wren, and I will be disembarking on a two-week long road trip. My cousin has a wedding we are going to, so we thought why not drive and make a trip out of it. The kids are super excited and can't wait for the trip. We'll be hitting seven states, with about two days in each state. Not only does homeschooling involve a lot of planning, but so do road trips with large families. I've had to make a driving schedule, plan our hotels, make homemade snacks, pack for eight kids, and more. Wish us luck! I mean, woo, I can't wait!
To resume blogging, I'm going to start with another edition of 7 Quick Takes...
1. Maya is now onto her third pair of eye glasses in the last year. She's seven and I can understand that glasses are a new concept and responsibility for her, but seriously, three pairs of glasses? And glasses aren't cheap, either! The first time she left them on the floor and I stepped on them (ouch!). The second time she left them at the park and when we went back they were no longer there. So when we got her new glasses this week, Wren and I sat her down and explained to her how important it is to be responsible and treat her glasses like a prized possession. We gave her a list of rules and decided to do daily checks to make sure her glasses are either on her face or on her nightstand, do not touch the floor, and are not in reach of her younger siblings hands... or the dog's. Here's to hoping this new pair lasts!
2. This week Maya began piano lessons. Wren and I feel extra curriculars are an important part of our children's development. Only the four oldest are at an appropriate age to really benefit from extra curriculars; five being the magic age when the children can begin participating in out-of-home activities. Music is a different story, though, and all of the kids will wait until they are seven to begin playing an instrument. Well, Maya is now seven and she is absolutely thrilled to be playing the piano. For Wren and I it is necessary that our children receive exposure in all different areas of the arts, so each child is encouraged to participate in one art, one music, one sport, and one religion activity. It may seem like a lot, but we space it out throughout the year so that the kids are not overwhelmed. Plus, they enjoy every activity! We let them pick what they want to do as we know it is something they are interested in and will stick to. The four oldest are in soccer (during the spring), the boys are in year-round karate, the two oldest girls are in year-round ballet, all four are in art, and they all participate in Sunday School. We love our tiny little community that has so many extra curriculars for our kids!
3. Fourth of July is a few days away and we are busy preparing for the celebration. This is a huge holiday in our house. It is so important to honor the United States and for my kids to get an understanding of how lucky they are to live in such a great America. In the morning I serve a red, white, and blue breakfast. Red, white, and blue pancakes with red (strawberries), white (bananas), and blue (blueberries) fruit salad. After breakfast everyone, dressed in their red, white, and blue outfits, goes to the annual 4th of July parade in our town. It lasts for three hours and is fun, fun, fun. After the parade we go home and host a barbecue with all our family and friends. There's barbecue food, swimming, lots of laughter, and great memories! Around 9pm we head over to the park to watch the fireworks. When they are over we go home and go to bed. It will be a great day!
4. It has been so hot lately. Every year I look forward to summer because it means no school, but a couple weeks into summer I look forward to fall for the cool, crisp weather. Temperatures have been at an all-time high here where we live, with 100, 105, and 110 temperature days. Hot temperatures only means two things: a cranky mama and eight cranky kids. So we've been spending all our time, and by all our time I mean all our time, in the pool. We literally wakeup, eat breakfast, do chores, get in the pool, eat lunch, get in the pool, eat a snack, get in the pool, eat dinner, shower, go to bed, wakeup, and do it all over again. I'm not complaining, though, because the kids love the pool and are always happy when they are in it. It distracts them from the heat. Oh, the heat. Did I mention how hot it is? Oh, I did. Did I mention how much I can't wait for fall? Oh, I did.
5. Gabriella is nearly four months old and I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? I know three months may not seem like much to some people, but to me, her mother, it is shocking that she is already through one-fourth of her first year of life. Gabriella is my best baby yet. She is so chill and mellow, sleeping through the night (already!) and only crying when she needs her diaper changed. Gabriella loves her siblings and gets the biggest smile on her face when she see's them. She eats like a professional eater and already weighs 16 pounds. I cannot believe Gabriella is my daughter, I feel so lucky!
6. It may be summer for the kids, but for their homeschooling mama there is always work to do. Because I am their teacher also, it means that I have work to do to prepare for the upcoming school year. Lesson planning. Curriculum planning. School calender planning. Classroom planning. School supplies planning. Planning, planning, planning! Good thing I love planning, or else I'd go crazy! I generally plan while the younger kids are down for their naps and the oldest kids are having quiet time, about three hours of uninterrupted time to myself each day. I guess people are right when they say a mother's work is never done.
7. Speaking of summer, on Friday the kids, Wren, and I will be disembarking on a two-week long road trip. My cousin has a wedding we are going to, so we thought why not drive and make a trip out of it. The kids are super excited and can't wait for the trip. We'll be hitting seven states, with about two days in each state. Not only does homeschooling involve a lot of planning, but so do road trips with large families. I've had to make a driving schedule, plan our hotels, make homemade snacks, pack for eight kids, and more. Wish us luck! I mean, woo, I can't wait!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
An Update
Wow! I cannot believe it has been almost one month since Gabriella's birth. Times are flying and she is growing, growing, growing whether I like it or not... and trust me, I don't like it!
Gabriella is a great eater and wakes up every hour on the hour to eat… no joke! Her sisters and brothers love her and all they want to do is hold her, kiss her, and make her smile… though we all know she can’t even smile yet! Her personality has definitely been showing, even at a few weeks old! I think she’s going to have a bit of attitude and toughness in her, but also a girly side. She’s feisty and not very patient, and the girly side is just a guess... probably because I love dressing her in pink, frilly outfits!
Gabriella loves her new brothers and sisters, and they love her. Each child is adjusting well to their new sister and enjoy playing and helping with her. Speaking of the kids, here is an update about how each child is doing since Gabriella joined our family:
Maya, who has done the whole big sister thing six other times, is yet again a wonderful big sister, which comes to no surprise. She is always by my side, helping me with whatever is needed and tries to finish her schoolwork and other responsibilities early everyday so she can help feed, change, play, and watch Gabriella. And trust me, I love and use any help I can get!
This is probably the first time Amari and Kenyan have been so excited for a new baby. It's not that they weren't excited when Gianna, Ira, Elaina, or Arlet joined our family, but they were a lot younger then and didn't quite grasp the concept of a new baby. But now they do, and cannot get enough of their little sister. Amari and Kenyan are perfect for hugging, kissing, and holding Gabriella because they cannot get enough of her. Kenyan isn't into changing or feeding Gabriella, but he loves to play with her. Amari, on the other hand, loves to change and feed Gabriella, and actually prefers this to playing with her. Maybe because she cannot actually play yet.
Gianna is a great big sister and I can already tell that she is going to have a special bond and close relationship with Gabriella. She is already talking about sharing a bedroom with her little sister and what she is going to teach her when she is older. It melts my heart and is one of my favorite things about having a lot of children: my kids love each other so much!
Ira is also a wonderful and amazing big sister. She is still a little bummed that she didn't get a baby brother like she hoped, but still loves her sister just as much and is slowly warming up to Gabriella. There have been a few moments of jealousy, but that is to be expected. The cutest thing she has said since the birth of Gabriella is "Gabi, I am your big sister and I will always love you. I will buy you candy when you're older and sing you songs and read you stories." It was priceless!
Elaina, at two years old, has been the entertainer when it comes to Gabriella. As she is so young she isn't very interesting in caring for her sister yet, but she loves to perform for her by singing and dancing. That is no surprise, though, considering Elaina's HUGE personality. I'm pretty sure I have a future actress on my hands! But there have been a few times of sisterly bonding between the two of them; like how Elaina insists on picking out her outfits every morning, or how she likes to (gently) comb through her baby sister's wild hair!
Last but not least, Little Miss A (Arlet) has done surprisingly well as a big sister. She doesn't mind sharing my attention and always wants to be in the same room as her baby sister. When Gabriella is crying, Arlet is the first one to get my attention and she leads me to whichever room Gabriella is in. She also loves to climb in her sister's crib and pretend she is the baby. I love seeing her as a big sister!
I am We are so in love with Gabriella. She has brought so much joy and happiness to our family and I cannot imagine life without her.
Wow, eight kids! How lucky am I?
Gabriella is a great eater and wakes up every hour on the hour to eat… no joke! Her sisters and brothers love her and all they want to do is hold her, kiss her, and make her smile… though we all know she can’t even smile yet! Her personality has definitely been showing, even at a few weeks old! I think she’s going to have a bit of attitude and toughness in her, but also a girly side. She’s feisty and not very patient, and the girly side is just a guess... probably because I love dressing her in pink, frilly outfits!
Gabriella loves her new brothers and sisters, and they love her. Each child is adjusting well to their new sister and enjoy playing and helping with her. Speaking of the kids, here is an update about how each child is doing since Gabriella joined our family:
Maya, who has done the whole big sister thing six other times, is yet again a wonderful big sister, which comes to no surprise. She is always by my side, helping me with whatever is needed and tries to finish her schoolwork and other responsibilities early everyday so she can help feed, change, play, and watch Gabriella. And trust me, I love and use any help I can get!
This is probably the first time Amari and Kenyan have been so excited for a new baby. It's not that they weren't excited when Gianna, Ira, Elaina, or Arlet joined our family, but they were a lot younger then and didn't quite grasp the concept of a new baby. But now they do, and cannot get enough of their little sister. Amari and Kenyan are perfect for hugging, kissing, and holding Gabriella because they cannot get enough of her. Kenyan isn't into changing or feeding Gabriella, but he loves to play with her. Amari, on the other hand, loves to change and feed Gabriella, and actually prefers this to playing with her. Maybe because she cannot actually play yet.
Gianna is a great big sister and I can already tell that she is going to have a special bond and close relationship with Gabriella. She is already talking about sharing a bedroom with her little sister and what she is going to teach her when she is older. It melts my heart and is one of my favorite things about having a lot of children: my kids love each other so much!
Ira is also a wonderful and amazing big sister. She is still a little bummed that she didn't get a baby brother like she hoped, but still loves her sister just as much and is slowly warming up to Gabriella. There have been a few moments of jealousy, but that is to be expected. The cutest thing she has said since the birth of Gabriella is "Gabi, I am your big sister and I will always love you. I will buy you candy when you're older and sing you songs and read you stories." It was priceless!
Elaina, at two years old, has been the entertainer when it comes to Gabriella. As she is so young she isn't very interesting in caring for her sister yet, but she loves to perform for her by singing and dancing. That is no surprise, though, considering Elaina's HUGE personality. I'm pretty sure I have a future actress on my hands! But there have been a few times of sisterly bonding between the two of them; like how Elaina insists on picking out her outfits every morning, or how she likes to (gently) comb through her baby sister's wild hair!
Last but not least, Little Miss A (Arlet) has done surprisingly well as a big sister. She doesn't mind sharing my attention and always wants to be in the same room as her baby sister. When Gabriella is crying, Arlet is the first one to get my attention and she leads me to whichever room Gabriella is in. She also loves to climb in her sister's crib and pretend she is the baby. I love seeing her as a big sister!
Wow, eight kids! How lucky am I?
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Peak Into My Day Today...
Today was a bad day. One that I just need to write down. It was stressful and long, tiring and hectic, and just... bad.
"Mom... Mom, wake up," is what I woke up to my 7-year-old whispering to me at 6:30am this morning. I knew whatever Maya needed was important because she is NOT a morning person and never wakes herself up in the mornings. When I finally rolled my 39 week pregnant self out of bed, Maya informed me that she absolutely needed homemade chocolate chip cookies baked to bring to school... today... for 30 children. I told her there was no way I could make that happen for many reasons: 1) the notice was just too short, 2) it was not possible for me to lug my very pregnant belly to the grocery store with 7 kids at 7am to buy cookie ingredients, and 3) there was not enough time for me to bake chocolate chip cookies for 30 kids within an hour. She began crying, but I told her I was sorry and she'd have to wait for another day, but she was convinced she needed to have chocolate chip cookies made for her class. Ten minutes later, Maya came into my bedroom and said she called her aunt and convinced her to watch the kids while I ran to the store to get ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. A couple minutes later my sister was at the house and, yep, an hour later I was home baking chocolate chip cookies. Oh, the joys of having a very independent, quite bossy child!
The flu has definitely been going around our town, and bad, so I have been quite the nurse lately and working to prevent any viruses from entering our house. Basically, i've been making everyone washes their hands every a million times a day and we've been socializing very little with other people. Well, today after breakfast Amari said he wasn't feeling well. He looked a little pale and said he was tired, so I put him down for a nap. A couple minutes later, BOOM, he had thrown up all his breakfast... and probably all of his dinner from the night before. He continued throwing up and has been throughout the day. And to make matters worse, Gianna's sick now also. The two of them are my hospital patients right now, camping out in the living room together with jello and Spongebob, having very little contact with the other kids because I do not want them getting sick. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and I do not have another sick child on my hands.
Today the little girls (Ira, Arlet, and Elaina) were supposed to be napping in their bedroom. All was well until I heard giggles coming from upstairs. I ignored them for a few minutes because this isn't the first time the girls were giggling and playing together when they were supposed to be napping, but I finally went upstairs after a couple minutes. When I walked into their bedroom I was in absolute shock. The girls decided it would be fun to play "painters" but they couldn't find any art supplies in their bedroom so they decided to use the PETROLEUM JELLY found on the nightstand. There was petroleum jelly everywhere. On the walls. On the bedroom furniture. On the girls. The girls looked up at me and stared at me in surprise, as if they knew they had just been caught doing something sneaky. To try and make me feel better, Ira even said "but Mommy, we were just making you a masterpiece!" I did get upset, but reminded myself that these things happen and I shouldn't have left the petroleum jelly in the reach of my little ones. I quickly got them in the bath and then spent two hours getting the jelly off of every spot in their bedroom. I guess Wren and I saw this coming when we decided to stick the three of them in a bedroom together. My sisters and I always got into the most trouble together!
Today, when all the kids were playing quietly and I was finally having a moment of peace and relaxation, the fire alarms went off throughout the house. Istayed calm panicked and quickly tried to get all my kids outside. I didn't see or smell any smoke, and I wasn't cooking at the moment, but i'm a very cautious person and wanted to keep my kids safe. The fire department showed up and went inside, but they came out a couple minutes later and reported that the reason the smoke detectors went off was because they were dusty. Odd! We went back inside, I called my sister, and said, "I've just had a terrible day. I need some help... and some quiet. Do you think you could come over?" And my amazing sister came over and took the kids to her house for a couple minutes while I took a nap. In absolute silence. It was blissful. I think Wren was surprised when he came home to a quiet house and me passed out on the couch. "Um, honey, where are the children?" he said. Haha!
My stressful day is definitely impacting my impending labor! Labor is near, I can tell, but has not yet come. I am having painful braxton hick contractions, but no "official" signs of labor. I am getting a bit tired of being pregnant, but it is definitely worth it and I cannot wait to meet my baby girl!
Today was just a bad day. And everybody has them. But at the end of the day, I am reminded that the bad days are small and insignificant compared to the joys and blessings I have in my life.
My kids are happy and healthy.
My marriage is strong.
My family is fortunate to not be so affected by the bad economy.
A new baby is joining our family any day now.
My family has a roof over our heads and food on the table.
We are living a beautiful life.
And the bad days are so, so worth it.
"Mom... Mom, wake up," is what I woke up to my 7-year-old whispering to me at 6:30am this morning. I knew whatever Maya needed was important because she is NOT a morning person and never wakes herself up in the mornings. When I finally rolled my 39 week pregnant self out of bed, Maya informed me that she absolutely needed homemade chocolate chip cookies baked to bring to school... today... for 30 children. I told her there was no way I could make that happen for many reasons: 1) the notice was just too short, 2) it was not possible for me to lug my very pregnant belly to the grocery store with 7 kids at 7am to buy cookie ingredients, and 3) there was not enough time for me to bake chocolate chip cookies for 30 kids within an hour. She began crying, but I told her I was sorry and she'd have to wait for another day, but she was convinced she needed to have chocolate chip cookies made for her class. Ten minutes later, Maya came into my bedroom and said she called her aunt and convinced her to watch the kids while I ran to the store to get ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. A couple minutes later my sister was at the house and, yep, an hour later I was home baking chocolate chip cookies. Oh, the joys of having a very independent, quite bossy child!
The flu has definitely been going around our town, and bad, so I have been quite the nurse lately and working to prevent any viruses from entering our house. Basically, i've been making everyone washes their hands every a million times a day and we've been socializing very little with other people. Well, today after breakfast Amari said he wasn't feeling well. He looked a little pale and said he was tired, so I put him down for a nap. A couple minutes later, BOOM, he had thrown up all his breakfast... and probably all of his dinner from the night before. He continued throwing up and has been throughout the day. And to make matters worse, Gianna's sick now also. The two of them are my hospital patients right now, camping out in the living room together with jello and Spongebob, having very little contact with the other kids because I do not want them getting sick. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and I do not have another sick child on my hands.
Today the little girls (Ira, Arlet, and Elaina) were supposed to be napping in their bedroom. All was well until I heard giggles coming from upstairs. I ignored them for a few minutes because this isn't the first time the girls were giggling and playing together when they were supposed to be napping, but I finally went upstairs after a couple minutes. When I walked into their bedroom I was in absolute shock. The girls decided it would be fun to play "painters" but they couldn't find any art supplies in their bedroom so they decided to use the PETROLEUM JELLY found on the nightstand. There was petroleum jelly everywhere. On the walls. On the bedroom furniture. On the girls. The girls looked up at me and stared at me in surprise, as if they knew they had just been caught doing something sneaky. To try and make me feel better, Ira even said "but Mommy, we were just making you a masterpiece!" I did get upset, but reminded myself that these things happen and I shouldn't have left the petroleum jelly in the reach of my little ones. I quickly got them in the bath and then spent two hours getting the jelly off of every spot in their bedroom. I guess Wren and I saw this coming when we decided to stick the three of them in a bedroom together. My sisters and I always got into the most trouble together!
Today, when all the kids were playing quietly and I was finally having a moment of peace and relaxation, the fire alarms went off throughout the house. I
My stressful day is definitely impacting my impending labor! Labor is near, I can tell, but has not yet come. I am having painful braxton hick contractions, but no "official" signs of labor. I am getting a bit tired of being pregnant, but it is definitely worth it and I cannot wait to meet my baby girl!
Today was just a bad day. And everybody has them. But at the end of the day, I am reminded that the bad days are small and insignificant compared to the joys and blessings I have in my life.
My kids are happy and healthy.
My marriage is strong.
My family is fortunate to not be so affected by the bad economy.
A new baby is joining our family any day now.
My family has a roof over our heads and food on the table.
We are living a beautiful life.
And the bad days are so, so worth it.
Friday, February 22, 2013
7 Quick Takes Friday (#2)
2. The Tooth Fairy has made FOUR stops to our house this week. Wow! Maya (7) has lost three of her teeth this week and Kenyan (6) has lost one. The little kids think this is the absolute coolest thing ever and keep trying to pull out their own teeth! I'm not sure what they like more: the idea of the tooth fairy or finding money under their pillow. Hmmmm! One thing is for sure, though: the Tooth Fairy is going to be broke with the amount of kids in this family!
3. Wren and I are obsessed with Downtown Abbey! For a long time people told us we should start watching the show, and, probably after the 20th time of being told, we finally watched an episode. AND WE ARE HOOKED! Right now we are beginning season 2. We're not big television watchers, but this is one show that we definitely take time to watch. Wren and I make a date out of it, too. When we aren't totally exhausted and out of energy from raising 7 kids and being 9 months pregnant, Wren and I will lay on the couch at night and watch an episode or too. It is a great way to spend time together!
4. Kenyan and Amari love soccer so much. They have been playing since they were little boys, so every soccer season I sign them up to play on a team. They have already played for two years now and love it every year. That time of year came again where the boys were asking if they could play soccer. Of course my immediate answer was yes, but then I got to thinking about how soccer is just falling at the worst time for us this year. The league begins in March, this is when the baby is due, when we're expected to move (separate post coming soon), and when Wren has to go on a business trip for two weeks. After I had already said yes, I thought about possibly telling the boys it wasn't going to work out. But then I imagined their little faces and having to disappoint them; plus, it is just not worth it. We can make it work. It is more important to me that my kids are happy than not letting them participate in extra curricular activities for my sanity. Yesterday I took the boys to meet their team at a pre-season party and they were SO happy and SO excited. It is so worth it!
5. Maya has been interested in helping me in the kitchen lately. Each night when I cook dinner she is right by my side, helping me and learning. It is so much fun and such an amazing way to spend time with my daughter. She has graduated from observing and doing a few small tasks, to completely making side dishes on her own. Looks like I have a future chef on my hands! Of course she isn't cooking or baking anything too complex, but Maya makes some delicious cheddar biscuits. She is learning so much and she told me this morning that helping me cook will make her a great future wife and mommy. Awwww!
6. Yesterday, when Wren was at work, I called him saying I was having a rough day. I spent 30 minutes cooking a delicious lunch for the kids, only to find that none of the kids felt like eating what I had made. Arlet and Elaina would NOT go down for their naps. Amari scraped his knee and thought he needed to be hospitalized... literally. One of the kids broke a vase. Basically, the craziness of yesterday was insane. Thirty minutes after I called Wren, two of my sisters showed up at my door saying they'd take over the fort while I went out for a couple of hours to have some time for myself. Wren had called them and asked them to come over since he was at work and couldn't. Wow, I have the best husband and sisters ever. With four (magical, relaxing, peaceful, quiet) hours to myself, I felt like I had gone on vacation for a week. First I bought a new book from Barnes and Nobles and spent an hour reading it in my car (I needed absolute quiet), then I went out to lunch, got my nails done, and lastly, I went to fulfil my
7. Guess what?! Wren and I picked a name for baby #8 last night! We feel it is absolutely perfect for our baby girl and cannot wait to put a name to the face in the upcoming weeks. It is a name that we both equally love and it has a very special meaning. Just like our previous pregnancies, we're not sharing until her birth. But a couple weeks isn't bad, right? It's better than nine months!
Friday, February 15, 2013
7 Quick Takes Friday (#1)
2. My four oldest children had eye appointments yesterday. It was definitely time to see whether Maya and Gianna have poor vision like me or great vision like Wren. While we were at it, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to take Amari and Kenyan to get their vision checked. The appointment lasted three hours and I was definitely worn out by the end. The appointment was during their usual snack time, so they were all cranky and in need of a snack; and by the time their exams started (45 minutes after we checked-in!) they just wanted to run around and play! Amari also had a difficult time, he was so scared of all the machines. (Ever since we brought him home from Ethiopia, my little boy is very scared of things he's not used to in his normal environment. We've been working with him, slowly but surely, and we can definitely see an improvement in his ability to adapt to different situations, though.) After three hours, a few tantrums, and lots of crying it was determined that Maya, Gianna, and Amari do not need glasses. Wow, I thought for sure the girls would need them! Unfortunately, Amari does. And I say unfortunately because he's definitely going to have a difficult time adjusting to them.
3. I've been a reading fanatic lately. I've always loved reading but am finally getting to the point where I can find time to read each day... even if it may be at night before I go to bed. I love, love, love memoirs and biographies. Some of my favorites are Bloom, Heaven is Here, The Obamas, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, and The Freedom Writers Diary, though I could go on and on about my other favorite books! My love of reading has definitely rubbed off on my kids. Seeing Mommy read encourages them to read and they think its cool when they see me reading... I love that! We've gotten in the habit of having "Mommy/Children Reading Time" at night before bed. I sit with the oldest four and we read together for 30 minutes. It's a great way to spend time together and educational, too!
4. The oldest four are home schooled, but their curriculum is based through the school. Every Monday they go to school and interact in a regular classroom setting, with other students, and learn everything kids of the same age learn; their work is assigned on Monday, throughout the week they work on it, and on Friday they go back to school to turn in and have their work graded. It's great for their social skills (not they have any social issues, they have six siblings after all!) and they love that they have a teacher and friends. Since there was no school on Friday, the kids went to school on Thursday, which also happened to be Valentines Day. Maya, Gianna, Amari, and Kenyan all got to participate in the Valentine's Day festivities the school had to offer, including giving each of their classmates a valentine. It was a great day!
5. Speaking of Valentine's Day, Wren and I went on our first date of the year on February 14th. We usually try and go on a date every two weeks, but lately we've either been too tired or too busy to go to dinner and a movie. Instead we have been waiting until the kids go to bed, then stay up talking and laughing over dinner in our home (which is equally as special), but it was Valentine's Day and Wren thought it was the perfect excuse for a romantic night out. He surprised me with dinner at my favorite restaurant- The Melting Pot- and a trip to the bookstore for a couple of new books. My husband knows how to make me feel special: fondue and books! Then we went home and, even after a delicious dessert of chocolate fondue, I was craving chocolate covered strawberries and Wren whipped some up for me. I just love my husband!
6. This probably isn't newsworthy, but I feel like I need to write this down. My 4-year-old daughter, Ira, is currently obsessed with frogs. And by obsessed, I mean addicted. She has at least ten stuffed frogs, frog pajamas, frog slippers, frog bed sheets, frog books, and a frog beanie. None of my children have never been this interested in something, but Ira is truly committed to her froggies! She has a birthday coming up and I have a pretty could idea of what she wants the theme to be. Can you guess? FROGS!
7. I cannot believe in less than one month another Kingston baby will join our family. This baby has technically already joined our family, but it will feel more real when she is actually here. Wren and I are finishing up all the last minute preparations we need to complete before baby: install the car seat, pack my hospital bag, make childcare plans for the kids, etc. One thing we still have to do, though, is come up with a name. We've gone back and forth between our favorite names, but cannot seem to agree. This has never happened to us before, and with our other pregnancies we came up with a name by the sixth month. Oh well, she'll have a name sooner or later!
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