Friday, April 5, 2013

To The Mother Of One

Goodness gracious... We've been having spring break and with that, having a ball. I love breaks from school and I am really excited for summer in 2 months.

My in-laws wanted to take the kids for a day of fun during the break... All except Magnus. My mother-in-law doesn't do diapers*, which I totally get, considering how many she changed over the years with 7 children. So, the older 4 went off with Grandma and Grandpa to have some fun in the sun, and Magnus and I stayed home to have our own one-on-one fun.

Now, just so you know, Magnus and I are home alone together 3 days a week for 2 1/2 hours while Bear is at preschool. However. Magnus takes his nap during that time, so we don't really get much time to play alone together, you know, and stuff like that.

Also, that being said, I know I have posted about what a crazy/busy/cute-little-troublemaker Magnus is. So, here's how our day went: Magnus ran, and I chased. He played, and I followed. He told, I obeyed. He said jump, and I said how high. He asked, I gave. He made messes, I cleaned them up. And etcetera, etcetera.

You guys. I was exhausted by the end of the day. And while I loved playing with my baby, do you know what it made me think of?

How truly grateful I am that my first few children are so close in age and that they always had a playmate. I think I would have been dead from exhaustion otherwise. (I mean, I was exhausted all the time anyways, but for other reasons, that I preferred :)

I also thought of how much harder it is to be a mother of 1 child, instead of 5. You are their playmate, All The Time. And, while I love my children, I just feel like other children are better cutout for that job.

It did reiterate to me though... I LOVE my children. With a love that I can't even describe because I feel like my heart might burst. That kind of love.

*I feel I have to explain that, of course my MIL changes diapers when she's watching the kids for us. She doesn't, you know, leave them swimming in pee and poop until we get back from wherever, and tell us they need to be changed. She just doesn't take diaper age children on outings. So, there you go (because I know you were wondering.... ;)

5 comments:

amberkei said...

Oh, my goodness! I know! When Ty goes to kindergarten I think I'm going to pray Penny grows up just a tiny bit faster for Paige. She should be able to sit and play though. Yeah, it's still gonna be all me!

ERIK & CASSIE said...

Very interesting to hear the perspective of a mother of five because I feel the complete opposite! I have no idea how anyone handles more than 1! By the way, the people who are renting your old place here have an army of stick figure people on their car! There must be 12 kids in that family! I wanted to take a picture to show you, but didn't want to seem like a creeper :) miss you guys!

Emily H said...

I'm with Cassie I don't know how people do it with 5! As mine have gotten older they are playing well and entertain one another so I do get where you are coming from there! I love hearing about M! You need to do a post documenting all of the crazy stuff he has done! Miss you!

Alycia Grayce (Crowley Party) said...

I don't have kids but my mom had all six of me and my siblings by 30, and sometimes I just look at what she did in awe :) haha

Becca and Brian said...

Totally agree with you on having just one kid! much more exhausting to entertain one!