Let's face it, having four kids is a lot. I know some people even have more - my hat is off to them - but most people have less and if you are a one-er or a two-er, or even have stopped as a three-er then read on, because you will probably send your husband off for a vasectomy immediately. As a total newcomer to the four kids game, I am a total learner, just 30 days in. The difference between having two school-age kids and venturing into another one with our number three was child's play compared to going from three to four with the third still only just two.
It is actually like having two families - the rounds of meals and clothes washing is phenomenal and even worse, we are on two sizes of nappies - ugh! All to be coped with on a steady stream of broken night's sleep which is not actually much to do with the new baby - she is a pretty good sleeper. But with other kids around, someone always wakes up at some point.
When the baby was 7 days old we did our first trip to a supermarket with all the kids and I spent the whole time counting them. Two trolleys: one with baby in car seat, one for food, one toddler in the trolley, oh no, she wants to get out and walk with her sisters, back in the trolley, one, two, three, four, one, two .... where is the toddler? I have parked the food trolley, where did I leave the trolley with the baby in it? One, two, three, four... back in the van, please girls. Quick! Quick!
We will soon be used to our enlarged size, the mass of children swarming around us wherever we go. And I expect that it won't be long before we are sitting on our balcony of an evening with a cold beer and remembering the crazy days of having a young family, worrying about what they are getting up to at university, or on holiday with their friends, and will be missing their noise, kookiness and general mayhem. I suppose I want to write it all down, because I know that these small details will be long-forgotten in the mists of time if I don't.
I admire you with four kids!!! and you don't finish counting them… ; -)
ReplyDeleteI propose to babysit Connie when you want when you will be back...
I'm finding two hard and very much looking forward to those cold glass of wine on the patio evenings !
ReplyDelete"sitting on the balcony having a cold beer...remembering the days of having a young family...." You have hit the nail on the head with this post... 4 boys and 27 years later ages 27, 25, 22, 18 nine years start to finish and I am still counting still worrying still wondering where they all are and if they are OK.. I'd give anything to hear the squabbling and be amidst craziness and nonstop mayhem. ENjoy ever single minute of those darling little girls and have fun!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered what the number is, where having another doesn't make very much difference. So it's not 3 to 4, then?
ReplyDeleteI have a friend whose just had a 5th, and the family seems to have taken it totally in its stride. Life has just pottered on. So perhaps it's 4 to 5. Do you fancy trying it out, so you can refine my theory for me?
I hope that comment of mine didn't depress you. The family I'm talking about has kids a lot older (from 5 to 14), and the husband is around a lot during the day. And a lot of extended family locally.
ReplyDeleteI think 4 kids would finish me. Three nearly did.
I bet you're doing brilliantly. We had the two family thing going a while too.
ReplyDeleteI think four is sweet in that it's liberating, or was for me, I knew I hadn't a hope in hell of getting ahead, it was just days of damage control, fun, chaotic days though. I seriously had nothing left to lose by the time 4 came along. Now we're at the wondering where the time went stage. sob sob.;)