An Apology to My Mother

A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law LeeAnn gave birth to her 4th baby girl!  This brings the grand total of Daphne's cousins within a year of her on either side to 7 girls and 2 boys.  Wow!  I'm still amazed by it and a little sad the streak is ending.  For the first time, in a very long time, there is no one in the Bush or Adams families who are expecting a new addition...yet.  

Knowing how much LeeAnn's 3 older girls have loved smothering baby sis with love, I offered to bring them to Mesquite for a couple of days to give Mike and LeeAnn some much needed time alone with each other and their newest addition.  For less than 2 days I became a mother to 4 which was a tremendously eye-opening experience.  I thought life was busy with my mobile little lady, but I quickly realized just how peaceful our life is when it's just the 2 of us at home.  

With the girls at the splash pad - we went to two splash pads in a row and the girls were in heaven!

Sadie (8), Macie (6) and Laney (3) are well-behaved, sweet little girls, but even so I was amazed at the juggling act I had to preform to take care of all of their needs.  A brief breakfast sketch looked a little like this:

5:45 AM - Daphne wakes up early as Burke is leaving for work - within 10 minutes Macie and Laney are in my room, playing with Daphne and making her laugh.

6:00 AM - Put Daphne in her highchair with a few cheerios - get half the ingredients out for pancakes - help Laney go potty - Sadie wakes up - get all the girls cups of milk - warm a sippy of milk in response to Daphne's shrieking

6:15 - Girls complain they are all hungry - get remaining pancake ingredients assembled - cut up banana chunks in response to more shrieking from Daphne - wash strawberries for the girls to snack on while I mix ingredients - clean up Laney's spilled milk

6:30 - Finally finish a pancake for each girl - say a prayer - get syrup from pantry - cut up bite-size pieces for Daphne - refill milk - get jam from the fridge - respond to Daphne's frantic waving hands (baby sign-language for "all done") by cleaning her face, hands and tray - cut up Laney's pancake - get napkins for the girls

6:45 - Turn around to find 3 half eaten pancakes and abandoned milk cups on the table while the girls pull out markers, scissors, paper, tape, etc..to make masks - clean up syrup on table, chair and floor - find glue for Sadie - put scissors out of reach - get string for the girls - clean up dishes - take markers away from Daphne - comfort Daphne after she hits her head on the tile from throwing a tantrum after the markers are taken

7:00 -  Clean up glue on the couch - help Macey make a mask - find stapler for Sadie - help Daphne color with crayons - help Laney make a mask - notice fruit and milk still on the counter in the kitchen - resume cleaning kitchen - take stapler away from Daphne & place her on the carpet while she throws yet another fit

Etc., etc., etc., 

It's about 9 o'clock when you realize you haven't had a single thing to eat or drink yourself and you've had to go to the bathroom since 6:30, but never found a moment!   

 

Daphne in her hilarious terry bathrobe just dying to run back into the water 

 

Mom, I am so sorry I never understood the madness that was your life, nor the contribution that I was to it!  I do not know how you survived with 8 children!  And don't get me wrong, the girls were a delight to be with and Daphne had a blast with her cousins, but I was so relieved when we got them back to their parents safe and sound!  How did you do it for all those years Mama?!  

I told Cassie, "Now I understand why none of my sisters with more than 2 kids blog anymore!  I didn't even have time to take a shower for 2 days or check my email - there's no way blogging would happen!"

So huge round of applause for you mothers who juggle the needs of several demanding children day in and day out.  I don't know how you do it and I have been thoroughly terrified thinking that some day I will be in that boat myself.  I worry I won't be a very good mother to more than one.  LeeAnn reminded me that it is a gradual process - they come one at a time.  Be that as it may, I'm still nervous and will happily enjoy my peaceful days with Daphne for a good while longer!

The girls with their new friend Olivia making a tunnel with their legs for Burke to drive the remote control car through.  What cuties!