If you’re wondering what life is like for someone to raise five children… you’ve come to the right place.
*Confession: when I first found out I was pregnant with our fifth, I googled “having five children…” I just wanted to know “How are people doing it?!”
Today, I will share just a snippet of what mothering five children looks like particularly five children ages nine and under (so they’re approximately two years apart). I will preface that I came back from a fabulous rest and relaxation weekend with a friend of mine. Almost three days without our regular routines of motherhood!! so… I am coming down from the mountain, so to speak. ALSO… we only have five weeks left of homeschool. Can I get a “What, what?!”
Parenting five for me means:
…long before the sun comes up, I could ALREADY have been attending to needs of one or more! A life of sacrifice and surrender, it is beauty and pain intertwined. It ain’t easy, folks… no one has dared said parenting is easy!!
…I have this real tug of being wanted and needed at anytime from five beings plus my dear husband! It’s cool but it’s awful… it’s an age-old warning from the book of Genesis… pain in childbirth and co-depency! haha
…constant entertainment!
…this juggle of teaching and being taught, minute by minute and hour by hour. I have to be humble to want to learn what God is teaching me and my children. Sometimes I take days or weeks to accept the life lesson… oh boy!
…I stand on a ground of sacredness, too. I often find myself beyond able to 1) do what I need to 2) do what I need to do for my humans 3) to juggle appointments, meals, cleaning, laundry, and so on. BUT.. the kicker: I think I am alone! I turn inward and get angry, too much…more than I want to admit.
…I am usually filled with awe… and in wonder (when I am in that place of humility and *got my pen and paper* ready to learn and take in…)
… I feel like I am asking again and again… and again for help from God (which is great… sometimes my pride gets in the way, but really I see his grace sufficient for me)
… makes me wish I could have more! … I love that beautiful place of helplessness .. IN MY CHILDREN…and myself… also the understanding that I GET (both my husband and I get..) we get to care and nurture BUT then… energy runs out, will runs low… and we’re like we can’t wait for x, y, and z but really the pregnancies and first nine months are so beautiful and holy…..
Truly, my family is a gift from my bestfriend & husband down to our first daughter, second daughter, third daughter, fourth daughter, and finally, to the little boy, our fifth… each person a gift and I straddle the ride of surrender and sacrifice and service and joy.
Thanks for staying tuned! I’ll share some more this week!
Abundant Mommyhood 