"How Can You Have Too Many Children? That's Like Saying You Have Too Many Flowers" ~ Mother Teresa

A Peek Into Our Hectic, Crazy & Loving Family of Eleven

~♥~

Saturday, May 1, 2010

One-On-One

Let's not sugarcoat things. Having 5 month old triplets, 2 toddlers, 2 preteens and 2 teens is STRESSFUL. It's stressful on so many levels. It's stressful on the kids. On the parents. On a marriage. On the family. On EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE. Sometimes I feel as if we are all just barely hanging on.

So far we seem to be doing fairly "ok". Sometimes I have to sit back and watch to be absolutely sure that everyone is doing ok. I still feel that it's my job to keep everyone happy. I've tried to delegate some of that to Aaron, but I have a hard time letting go of that control. Between the 11 of us, we've had a few meltdowns, and a few arguments.

I do notice that Noah is the one that seems to get swept under the rug, so to speak. Many things that he wants to do, don't get done. We have a tendency to think that his wants/needs aren't as important because they mostly revolve around trips to GameStop. But that is when I sit back, and realize that it's important to him. Just because its not soccer practice, a basketball game, work, or a Dr's appointment, doesn't make it any less important. He also doesn't give us grief if we can't do things. The kid is just GOOD.

So last weekend, Noah and I went to GameStop. Then pizza. Just us. Two things that he wanted to do. Two things that were important to him.

I've decided that the one-on-one time needs to be our first priority.

Today, Lilah wanted to take a shower with me. She was in Heaven. Just her and Mommy for 20 whole minutes. She did keep asking "Where da babies?" So, I know she loves them. Even if they are alot of work and very time consuming for me right now.


We will continue to work on the one-on-one with all the kids. It may be our biggest challenge yet, but definately our most important one!

3 comments:

  1. Good for you Nicole with Noah!! You get HUGE props from me for that. I was that kid when I was younger... the quiet, good kid that got swept under the rug because she had loud, needy siblings... so HUGE props to you for realizing that and doing something special with him. :)

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  2. I have to remind myself to spend time with the older, more self sufficient ones. Now that my Rosalie is starting to get mobile, I find myself getting caught up in the housework more than I did before that. Then she gets into something or climbs the stairs because a big kid forgot to lock the gate, again, because mommy got distracted by cleaning ;).

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