This morning I pulled myself off of the couch at 7:30. No Mark and I are not having marriage troubles, but since for the past 3 nights I’ve spent more time awake and coughing than sleeping, I moved to the couch in the hopes that one of us is able to get some sleep so that the kids can have at least one nice parent. Someone (or several someones) in our family has been sick since mid-January. One hazard of living in a big family; re-exposure.
So now you’ll all forgive me for not announcing the winner for the 16×20 rolled canvas print last week, right?
Congratulations to Katy who blogs at The Country Blossom for winning the canvas print from UPrinting.
Lest you think that things are calm and quiet here with all of the sickness, when I sat down to the breakfast table this morning four of the children had spoons hanging from their noses and Colby had the honey jar dressed up in his napkin. Nicholas and another unnamed child poured oatmeal down the front of their clean outfits and Mark told me that my brilliant laundry system isn’t working. (He actually said, “It stinks!” but it was said in love and he’s right.) I’m not going to comment as to whether we are outgrowing the laundry system or if there is a problem of implementation. 
Life is never dull.
If you missed the day that the I live blogged the whole day, you missed a whole load of laundry ending up with purple polka-dots, preschoolers attacking our house with sticks, spilled paint, sibling squabbles and a very early bedtime.
Don’t miss this Thursday’s edition of 4 Moms, 35 Kids- How Moms of Many Manage. Our topic will be “Outings with All Littles”, how do you handle an OB appointment with 5 kids, 5 and younger? grocery shop with 4 kids under 4? The 4 Moms will share their best tips for handling many young children out in the wide world.
Have you been there, done that? Are there, doing that? Be sure to visit Thursday and share your thoughts and/or questions.
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Thank you so much!!! I am thrilled!!!
And the spoons on the noses thing made me chuckle!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
They would have made me chuckle too, if I’d been feeling better. As it was I just gave them a “you’re weird” look.
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Katy~' Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I have given that “you’re weird” look to my kids many times as well!!! LOL
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Who are we to criticize or judge you?? Lol I do well to stay on top of our laundry and cleaning, and I only have three kiddos running around! (Two of whom are at school all day long, outside of the house!)
Hope you feel better soon!!
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We also have been battling sickness and the laundry is a mountain! I spent this morning folding, sorting and calling each child to my room to take his or her pile away. I am still not done!! We were sick with stomach bugs this weekend and last week so the washer is full of all the big stuff; towels, sheets, blankets, etc. My husband said we need two sets of machines!!! I was tempted to run down the street and just throw all the linens in the big machines at the coin laundry! I did that when we moved a few months ago to get caught up….it worked!!! But being 8 months pregnant with number 8, I am too lazy to go anywhere! Anyway, Kimberly, we will be praying for you all to recover SOON!! When ever the sun is shining I make the kids go out in the direct sunlight for awhile to get some vitamin D!! Maybe we will get some more sunshine this week!!! Hang in there!! You are not alone! And isn’t it wonderful to remember that what we moms do all day is indeed eternally significant!!!! Even the laundry…..
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Thanks MomStarr.
We’ve avoided the stomach bug so far…
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Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. In A Shoe is written by a friend, and is a favorite, and when she said she was teaming up with you, I was so excited!
I have a house full of Littles, and my husband works long hours. My sister gave me some of the best advice, after I said I was going to wait until the children were older to do such-and-such. She replied, “Then you’ll be waiting forever, and you’ll never do it.”
That is so true! I take all five of mine everywhere with me–the zoo, midwife appointments, the library, the grocery, clothing shopping… If had followed my first inclination, my children would not have seen a giraffe in person until the oldest was somewhere in her teens!
It just takes time, training and patience.
I begin when they are itty bitty in a “kangaroo” carrier, and they learn what is expected early on. It doesn’t always turn out beautifully, but at least I know I can trust them all to act in accordance with the situation.
We’ve had many great adventures together! I wouldn’t trade even one of them–children or adventures!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
KimC at Life in a Shoe is my blog hero! I have read her blog since she found out she was expecting The boy. I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know her better through working together.
That is great advice. We too have done a lot with our children. I think that “wearing” the baby is one of the keys to success and something that I didn’t learn until a little later.
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Hope you all feel better soon!!
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