Stretching Summer
Next week we’re slated to officially begin our lives as a homeschool family. We plan on doing it pseudo-year-round, so I’m trying to squeeze every last drop out of summer this week.
I took the kids to a secluded park today. We’d not been to this one before, but we’ll definitely be going back. It was quiet and just the right size for my kids. Plus, there’s a walking trail around the small playground for me. Ahh!
Something about the artist in me just can’t pass up a chance to take photos of the kids at a playground. Maybe it’s the bright colors, or all the clean lines, or maybe just the free-spirited moment of it all. Whatever the reason, here are my wacky kids today:
Ferris enjoyed just being outside, but she also
liked the shady spot we found for her.
Evan still loves swinging, but relished the independence
of climbing up and down the playground steps
all by herself. There’s a reason we call her “Monkey.”
I had a bit of trouble getting Connor
to do anything but swing, so this was a rare moment.
Brady, who refers to playground locations by color,
really enjoyed scaling on the “ramoon” (maroon) mini climbing wall.
Here I am with my new Kindergartner, Andy.
Not many teachers get to kiss their students.
By the way, I scored major cool points with the boys
by wearing a baseball cap today. I hadn’t done that in years. 
In a rare moment, I got them all to sit still:
My stair-stepped blessings.
August 26th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Looks like you all had a fun day. Good luck with the upcoming school year
August 28th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I am just starting my family. I am having my first in Jan. My husband and I haven’t decided how many children we will have, but I just have a question for you. Is it hard having 5 starting at 5 years old? I am just curious because I would love to have 4, but I am not sure how it would go! Any help or suggestions you have would be great!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hi Brandi,
You want to know if it’s hard to have five children, five and under? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know any different. I assume it’s difficult, but I have nothing to compare it to.
I don’t think five is any more difficult than two, though! The blessings FAR outweigh the struggles, in my opinion. The way I see it is this: God tells us children are a blessing, so why would we want to reject His blessings?
In my experience, having my kids so close together is pretty convenient. Once you get in the habit of changing diapers, it’s really no big deal. I’ve been changing diapers now for almost six years. I’ve had up to three in diapers at a time. I had three boys, then two girls, so I just shuffle clothes down a few drawers. So much easier than storing them and then dragging them back out later to wash and use again.
The kids entertain each other and really get along pretty well. They’re best friends and playmates, not to mention roommates. They also entertain me on a daily basis because they’re kids, so they’re hilarious.
I think the toughest part about my life is not the number of kids I have, but outside things. My husband’s work schedule is insane, so many days I’m at it _all_ day alone. Add to that the fact that I have a graphic design business and attempt to do projects from my basement. It’s all good until there’s a deadline.
As long as you’re able to roll with the punches and remember God is in control (so we don’t have to be!), you’ll be fine. The first six weeks with a newborn is always the roughest as you try to figure out a routine and sleep. Keep me posted about your little one. We love babies (obviously!)
-christa
PS- I’m going to check out your blog now.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:02 pm
[...] OK… Now, step back in time with me just a bit. Remember this? [...]