What is it like with five children?

I over heard a lady at church, who delivered her baby in the same hospital while we were there having our fifth child, tell someone that her baby is twelve weeks old.  In surprise I looked up at my husband.  “Bobby is twelve weeks old?” I asked.  Wow!

For a while it seemed that one day would just kind of disappear into another.  I went from one needed task to another in a deliriously tired state.  I felt needed and pulled in so many directions at once it was impossible to think past the immediate need.  I tried to answer an email one morning and was interrupted five times before I gave up.

Thankfully things are beginning to get a little bit easier.  Now that Bobby is getting close to the three month mark, his sleep, eat, and awake times are longer and more predictable.  He is now interested in the world and will sit happily for stretches of time looking and batting at toys hanging within his reach.

I am still searching daily for the balance, trying to determine what is priority and what can wait.  I have shortened our school days for a time and that has helped a lot toward keeping a happy home!  My relationship with my children has to be more important than how many math problems we cover in a day.

I am working on saying, “Yes.”  I noticed my girls had gotten so discouraged with me that they would begin a sentence, stop and say, “Oh never mind.  You’ll just say ‘no.'”  So when ever possible this last week I’ve said, “Yes.” We’ve made extra trips to the library, sipped hot chocolate, played games, read books, and so much more that I would have missed out on.

So that’s my update for ya of how I’m doing with five little blessings.  Now, if I could just quit getting these horrid colds…