Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Mama Sleep

I think that the biggest challenge of a large family that has such a big age span is the multiple stages we have to deal with all at one time.

It's always been a crazy mix in our house.  We did three kids 3 and under at the beginning.  That was complete chaos.  Add in a few more, and by the time Ellie came around, we had six living children within 10 years.  That was certainly very busy, too!

 Just a different kind of busy.

When you have all babies and toddlers, they need you for almost everything!  Once they start school, they get a little more independent.  Then, sports start and the world that revolved around home and family really explodes.(and mom and dad add taxi driver to their titles!)  Multiple siblings on multiple teams makes for crazy sports seasons!

Add in another baby when your oldest two are in high school and it really gets interesting!  And then, just when you think that the having a baby and a toddler at the same time has passed, we got to do it all over again!

Don't get me wrong, Luke and Kate are blessings!  I mean...just look at these faces:)  (Plus, without them Ellie never would have been a big sister!)

It's just that the completely unique needs of each child are at opposite extremes! (Although sometimes the teenagers...one in particular who shall remain nameless...sometimes act like toddlers!)

Take tonight for example.  It is 11:09pm and even though the past three nights have been worse than usual in regards to sleep, I am up blogging because I am trying to wait up until my oldest two come in the door!  Mike is with friends and Andrew is at a junior counselor meeting for pro-life boot camp that is coming up in July.  

Chances are, any moment one of my two youngest cherubs will awaken and need?/want? me by their sides.  Some nights one wakes the other up and they are both crying at the same time!  Ahh...a mother's symphony!(insert eye roll here!)

Yet, as much as my weary body longs for bed in my humid room....Is there such a thing as a Central Air Fairy?  Oh, that would be such bliss!...my mama rest won't really happen until I hear the 'beep' of the car locks and hear those footsteps through the door(and the door being re-locked!).  I may even fall asleep but it won't be soundly.  That has only happened once....during the winter when Mike had the crazy late basketball practices.  I fell asleep around 11 waiting for him and woke up in a panic at 2am not knowing if he had come home...trying to peer out the window in the dark to see his car...without turning on lights and waking up the rest of the house!

This driving thing is so.not.fun!

Right on schedule...11:15 and Andrew is home and Luke is starting his evening moaning and babble.  One home and one to go.

We were friendly years ago with a woman who had 10 children.  She always said that in Heaven, she would be the one sleeping in the corner, making up for all those sleepless nights!

I think I will be right along side of her:)

Comments (5)

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True, true, true! I always thought when the little kids grew to be big kids, I'd finally get all the sleep I wanted. Not so! The big kids are up later and later, meaning I am up later and later, but still having to get up early for the little ones. And mine aren't even old enough to drive yet! I'm thinking there's going to be a special place in heaven, full of lovely, comfortable beds, for all the mamas who gave up years and years of sleep for their babies, both big and small.
1 reply · active 614 weeks ago
That's a nice thought:)
We did the three kids under three thing- but then we were done. I can't imagine adding two more in- do you ever sleep? ;)
1 reply · active 613 weeks ago
not much:(...it's my one complaint!
what a busy woman you are! What a beautiful family though. I'm just catching up w/ some a-z blogs from April, and I love finding other believers in the blogosphere. I love your categories, and want to visit again. Became a follower in April. Hope no migraines bother you!
from The Dugout

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