I wrote the first My Life in Numbers post back in 2020 - you can find it here. And now six years later with a span of children ages 16 to 5 years old; my Life in Numbers looks a little different.
My little sister has three boys under five and it is such a vivid reminder of those days of little little kids that are so full of physical needs. Everyone hanging on you and needing assistance in every single thing. It's so physically exhausting AND mentally exhausting. God bless you mommas out there in the thick of little little kids. I promise, it gets physically easier (a lot of different hard to come too, but the physicality of raising little kids was just a brutal assault...literally). Sometimes my sis calls me at 11a on a weekend and I whisper to talk because all my kids are still asleep?! Meanwhile, she's been up since 5a and put a full day of mom'ing in. Good grief, remember those days!? Again, God bless you mommas of little littles - I'm sending you all the hugs.
Those days have passed for me, and although I still love a good snuggle from a nephew or rocking a toddler to sleep - I am fully relieved that part of day in and day out is over. Because we are really living in the very sweetest spot right now with kids that are independent leaving my body free most of the day (although I still have plenty of kids trying to sit on my lap all day or literally follow like my shadow all around the house) What a gift it is that they still want to be around me, but also - why are you following me?! LOL, B says at least once a day, "Okay, everyone out; I get to talk to Mom by myself for a second!"
The physical part of mothering has mostly ended, but it is now emotionally and mentally exhausting (big kids = big problems) Truly though, it is mostly blind joy...because these kids are hilarious and interesting and helpful (mostly) and thoughtful (mostly) and patient (mostly). I sit around in awe and wonder that I get to be the mom of these kids stretching across this canyon of ages and stages. Because we have teenagers and we know the struggles there; we are able to appreciate and have patience for our littlest kids' struggles and we can see how fast they grow up (look at these teens and tweens!) so it is easier to cherish and recognize that little kid magic. And because we have little kids we are able to appreciate all the big kids' independence and thoughtfulness. We can still catch little glimpses of those toddler eyelashes and have such appreciation for seeing them go from small to big.
We are currently living in such a brief moment in time of the whole span under one roof and it is dazzling to be on the mom side of it.
I'm not saying it's not hard every single day still (it is - have you tried feeding a family of 8 with four of them athletes? How about laundry for 8 - LOL. How about back to school paperwork for 6? Now put it all together, balance that calendar of sports, homework, laundry, and meals. Girl, it's wild over here).
But I also know that I am about the luckiest freaking son of a gun in the world to be the mom of these six kids in this house with this man right now in this moment. So, I'm setting my eyes to gratitude and holding on for dear life. (I wish you were here to see this Tab of six years ago, you could not have even dreamed!)
My life today by numbers:
3 book clubs I participate in
3 out of 6 kids have been out of the country
4 out of 6 kids can do a 3-string braid
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