The hunting tent (camp out as Gray calls it).
He was in 2yr old boy heaven!!! I love that face.Sunday, March 14, 2010
Last but not Least!
On Friday, my Mom took Sam and my nephew Jax out to lunch, so Gray and I got to hang out all by ourselves. Rarely am I ever with just one of my boys. Gray being the youngest of four loves being with people and he actually doesn't really like being alone. I hope in the Fall when Sam goes to Kindergarten that he will be okay with just me. We might have to schedule some serious play dates. Anyway, on Friday we ran several errands (so much easier with just one) and Gray gets to walk instead of being in the buggy. His favorite part was going to Dick's sporting goods. I need new running shoes and wanted to check out what they had. It took forever just to get back to the shoes because we stopped at this!!!
The hunting tent (camp out as Gray calls it).
He was in 2yr old boy heaven!!! I love that face.
The hunting tent (camp out as Gray calls it). He was in 2yr old boy heaven!!! I love that face.
Texas Texas
Last week we received a sweet e-mail from Blake's teacher about a little play they would be putting on in his class. Of course it was about Texas! Who is surprised? I knew it when his characters costume was a cowboy!!
Yeah, Sam took these wonderfull artistic pictures of mine and Blake's feet. Just a glimpse of what goes on when I am talking with other adults.
Back on track. This was Blake's little group of cowboys/girls. I thought it was funny because Blake said Sophia (the one holding the papers) was being really bossy. I hear that a lot about Blake's "girl" friends.
The family picture. Tyler did come from his class to see the play, but had to leave because some really fun and exciting things were happening in the library. (I have no idea what). By the way, I can't wait to get my braces off.
My sweet Cowboy!!!
Yeah, Sam took these wonderfull artistic pictures of mine and Blake's feet. Just a glimpse of what goes on when I am talking with other adults.
Back on track. This was Blake's little group of cowboys/girls. I thought it was funny because Blake said Sophia (the one holding the papers) was being really bossy. I hear that a lot about Blake's "girl" friends.
The family picture. Tyler did come from his class to see the play, but had to leave because some really fun and exciting things were happening in the library. (I have no idea what). By the way, I can't wait to get my braces off.
My sweet Cowboy!!!
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Why Big Families are Easier!
Below is a blog entry from a bloggy Mom that has four children and pregnant with her fifth. (McKMama) I loved this blog entry for obvious reasons. I honestly get a comment every time I am at the grocery store or the park or the boys school about having four children so close together. "Do you know how that happens?" "Are you Catholic?" "Wow! You have your hands full." "Did you plan on having four kids?"I need to do a whole other post on the fact that they are all boys!!
Just to be honest, my husband isn't quite on board yet, but I would love to adopt someday (sooner than later). So Yes, I LOVE big families and I totally believe it can be easier, in a lot of ways.
Why Big Families are Easier:
Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.
Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.
Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.
Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.
Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.
Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.
Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)
Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.
Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.
Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.
Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.
Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.
Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.
Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.
Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.
Just to be honest, my husband isn't quite on board yet, but I would love to adopt someday (sooner than later). So Yes, I LOVE big families and I totally believe it can be easier, in a lot of ways.
Why Big Families are Easier:
Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.
Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.
Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.
Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.
Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.
Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.
Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)
Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.
Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.
Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.
Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.
Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.
Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.
Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.
Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.
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