A Post to Shatter the Super Mom Image

I hear all the time how I am a super mom because of the task of tending to five(and 3/4) kids. I think people think just because we have several kids that I possess some super power to get things done all the while smiling and laughing and never raising my voice. Uhh, not true.

I'm human just like the rest of us. In fact, the simple things like taking the kids to the park to play, doing a fun craft, going to story time at the library don't happen a whole lot around here. We stay home most of the time. We don't often do play dates. I make simple meals. I raise my voice more than I'd like-mostly because if I didn't I wouldn't be heard over the unimaginable noise from the kids and dog and all their new non-dead battery Christmas toys. I get tired every day around 3:30 and sometimes I sleep on the couch while the kids think I'm watching a video with them. I tend to eliminate things from our school day that aren't absolutely necessary. I hate glitter, finger paint, and play dough. While I used to do regular crafts with the kids now we do them maybe once or twice a month. We only do bath time for the kids 3 times a week unless something terrible happens that makes them nasty(like a bad dirty diaper). We live VERY simply because it's TOUGH right now with so many tiny children. I often say, "We're kind of a big deal." to others who haven't ever really been around us too much. It's true. Even on our BEST day it's a big deal to have us over for a meal. It's a big deal to take the kids on an outing. It's a big deal to go outside. It's a big deal to get everyone dressed in the morning. It's a big deal to go into a fast food place and sit down because often we can't fit at one of their tables. Little things are a big deal.
Take for instance a simple bike ride. I see many families out in our neighborhood riding up the new sidewalk and suddenly thought how much fun it would be to get our kids new bikes out of the garage and take them up the sidewalk to the church parking lot to ride. Not thinking, I include the dog in our escapade. I chat it up with Manly and he decides we can give it a try. SO, we spend 30 minutes getting everyone out of their pjs and into regular clothes, socks, and shoes. We don coats because it's freezing, so that takes another 5 minutes. Once we get outside the dog(who is scared of EVERYTHING) goes nuts when we open the garage and takes off running. Pulling off her collar which is attached to the leash in my hand. We quickly run to get her back and get her fastened up to the wagon(which by the time is holding Mia and her new "bike"). We get all the helmets on(another 7-10 minutes because this is the first time most of them have been worn. Everyone gets their new bike, heads to the driveway, and I hold the dog while Manly closes the garage again.



 

Lulu with her new bike. If you look behind her you'll find evidence of my 2013 purge! Ha!

 

My sweet Mia ready for a ride in the wagon. You can see the dog leash on the wagon handle in this one!

 

Bubby McQueen on his new cars bike.

 

 KK with her pirate helmet(which obviously still needed to be adjusted now that I look at it) and her new pirate bike.

AND we're off...uh, maybe. Addi is having trouble with her pedaling, Isaiah can't steer, and KK is driving like a drunk. We finally make it on to the sidewalk with Manly basically pushing both Addi and Bubby while I'm pulling the wagon with one hand and holding the dog leash with the other. We were doing fine until we got to the neighbors house and there was a TREE over the sidewalk. SO, we're working on getting the kids around the tree(which had fallen in the snow storm) and a loud truck comes driving by. Because the dog is scared of everything she, yet again, takes off running. Again she breaks free from her collar and runs out into the very busy street. I drop the wagon handle and take off SCREAMING into the street. Yes, SCREAMING AND RUNNING(at 32.5 weeks pregnant). I'm yelling, "YOU STUPID(which is a word we aren't supposed to say) DOG!!! You're going to get ran over in front of my kids! YOU STUPID DOG!!!!!!!" A mini van likely carrying a family we go to church with came driving down the road, scares the dog back OUT of the street and into Olivia's arms. She had thrown down her bike and was very calmly calling out to her. We TIGHTEN the silly collar and regroup. By this time Manly had made it to the wagon and Bubby and Addi had gotten much better with their bikes. I got the wagon back into gear and we FINALLY made it to the church parking lot. By now I'm so tired I just want to turn back and head home, but that's when the fun begins! Bikeapaloozah 2013 was underway!!

Smittles gone wild. Ha!

So the world knows, there are some battles not worth fighting. One of them is trying to get Addi to wear regular clothes. If you see her out and she is wearing something like this know that she dressed herself, I'm glad to have a child that can dress on their own, and it's not worth breaking her heart to tell her that people don't wear black boots and capris with a poofy coat to ride a bike. She actually didn't want to wear the coat either, but I told her that the tank top she was wearing underneath would not be enough to keep her warm in 45 degree temps. P.S. I love her face in this pic.

KK with her cool bike! She's so proud of it.

Isaiah is actually really good and will likely be riding without training wheels soon.

Mia on her new Dora "bike." She loves it and it makes her feel big.

Brubbs takes a turn on the Dora bike while Mia is running around screeching with joy.

 

On our way home we decided to take an alternate route through the neighborhood back roads instead of on the busy road sidewalk. Here is Manly teaching the kids how to use their new bikes BREAKS!

 

 I know that we are so blessed, and there are MANY things I love about the kids all being small together, but I look forward to the day when the little things will be somewhat simple again and I won't be risking any lives to go for a Sunday afternoon bike ride.