“So?? How is life with four?”
This is the question we hear the most these days, and it’s often spoken with the eyebrows knit together, indicating concern. Whether for us or the children, we’re not sure, but either way, concern does seem warranted.
Life with four children 6 and under is probably much as you imagine it. We don’t pair the words “free” and “time” together anymore. We’re just storing them separately for now, until Gigi turns 5 or so.
1. It’s loud. There are car noises, bodily noises, shouting, bodily noises (and the ensuing guffaws), and, once in a while, music. And then there’s Gigi. She’s noisy too, so she fits right in. I’m still the quietest person here.
2. It’s messy. Our entire house is messy. We have a very clean friend who comes and helps us with the mess once a week. But then we mess it up again after she leaves. Sorry.
3. It’s needy. We’re all needy. The parents need sleep, the kids need the parents, and Gigi is a bundle of need. Some days I need a shower, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get one. I can, however, count on lots of hugs and some sticky kisses.
4. It’s fun. The day begins with laughter and loud thuds from the boys’ room. I don’t know what the thuds are, but the laughter sounds like the brotherly love that happens before your brother has done anything mean to you which means he’s probably still in bed.
5. It’s late. We run late to pretty much everything. We’ll probably never again taste appetizers or hear the bridal march or national anthem, but on the bright side, we won’t have to turn off our cell phones or sit through the coming attractions either.
6. It’s temperamental. We swing between extremes, from reveling in the marvelous gift of these four children to wanting to drop them off at Mom’s, ring the doorbell, and run. (Ha ha. Just kidding. No, really.)
7. It’s chaotic. This is the part where I should say something sentimental about how much I love everyone (I do) and isn’t life great (it often is) and what a blessing this all is and yes, it really is, and I promised I would never complain if God gave us another child (that was 3 children ago) and look at us now and I need a nap but the boys need clean underwear and laundry trumps nap so just don’t sit down and you’ll make it through until 8:00 when all is quiet (relatively) and no one has starved or gotten lost or hurt (at least, no one’s bleeding at the moment) so drink it all in and be grateful that this is the life God has given you the grace to enjoy.
And in case any of you kids can read this, we love you all and plan to keep every one of you. Now, who wants to spend the night at Grandmom’s?