I have a confession to make: I’m really, really enjoying having 4 kids.
It’s such an obnoxious statement, making it sound like it’s a piece of cake. Which it isn’t. Unless you mean a piece of doo-doo cake, then well, um, fair enough.
Parenting 4 kids is a lot like standing in the middle of a matador ring with a herd of wild bulls charging at you (and also each other) and your job is to make sure that everyone ends the day with nobody hurt or bleeding. Some days, we find a rhythm and it’s almost beautiful to watch, but more often than not, I’m just holding on till I hear the bedtime bell ring and I can herd them all off to bed.
Except weekend mornings. Weekends are like a breath of fresh air. Everyone’s happier, the kids are less fight-y, and we have a Saturday morning routine where all the kids tumble around on our bed playing crazy games for an hour. Also, now that Theo is bigger, he’s so pleased to be actively participating in the mayhem. On these sort of mornings, my heart is full and the madness of the week seems worth it. I mean, how did we luck out so good?
A typical Saturday morning conversation goes like this:
Me: SERIOUSLY, THESE BABIES ARE SO CUTE I CAN’T TAKE IT.
Husband: I think it’s your ovaries that can’t take it. Want to have some more?
Me: We already have some more. One more coming soon.
Husband: We can go for maybe one or two more. Two more girls, round it off to 7.
Me: That would be cute…OI, STOP IT!! No more, I can’t have any more. We’re done here.
***
In an ideal world, we’d be basking in bliss all weekend long, but with 4 kids, there is no such thing as an ideal world, so come Sunday morning, we got served a nice, large slice of doo-doo cake.
Baby Theo started vomiting, followed by a fever, then Finn got all lethargic and ill, then by the evening, both Truett and Kirsten came down with a temperature, accompanied by all the signs of stomach flu – diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, the whole works. Which also translates into too many bedsheets changes and super gross mop ups. The baby will poop and it will trigger Tru’s vomiting, which will make Kirsten gag and run.
The downside of having so many kids in such close quarters is that viruses like hanging around here too. We try everything from essential oils to immunity-building supplements, but the potent viruses still party like it’s 1999.
So on this fine Monday, we have 4 sick kids slumming it out here making me barf bag presents and I’m not sure if this whole 4+1 kids gig was such a good idea.
Yeah, ok, still is.
No Comments