An answer to comments that we get

I have written on this topic before, but this time it's with a different sort of answer. You see, everywhere we go we get questions. There are very few times that we don't get someone saying or asking something about our family. The most common saying being: "Wow! You've got your hands full!" Which is the very reason I named my blog what I did. Another popular one: "Are they all yours?" And I believe equal to the second question is this one, made by a mom with one or two children: "How do you do it? I've only got one (or two) and I'm going crazy!" To this last one my new answer has been this: "Ahhhh, well there is your problem...you only have one (or two)! You see you need at least half a dozen, that way you have help." They of course look at me like I have at least a gazillion heads. No, really, they do. But I really am serious. You see I can speak from experience. I had only one (or two) at one time. And boy was it hard!!!! Things now are a different type of hard, but I know why they think they could never have more than two. And here is a situation to prove to you why:

I will use my two boys as an example. Let us imagine they are the only two children I have. I need to go to the store. I've fed the baby, but he's fussy, he probably needs a nap, but I need food more so :-) So I put the baby down by me and call over my toddler. I put his jacket on, and get his shoes on. Then as I pull him up to stand I smell the smell. A dirty diaper. Oh, goodness I just changed him I think! (During this time I realize that I need to restock my diaper bag before I go.) So I go to lay him down and I need to take his shoes off. But as I do I look over at my baby who has somehow managed to vomit all over himself, the floor, the bottom of my skirt.....Who do I clean up first? If this takes too long the toddler will be sweating hot and the baby will be hungry again!! Uggghhhh!!! And this is where the women in the store are coming from. They deal with this all the time. And when they see me with six children they multiply that scenario in their heads by six! But you see I'm on "the other side". I've been where they were, and in a way I continue to be, only in that I still have a toddler who is in diapers and a baby who likes to spit up all over the place. But here is what this same scenario looks like today:

The baby has throw up all over, toddler has messy diaper......but instead of thinking I will never get out the door, this is what I say, "Isabella!....Moira!....Come here, please!" Isa and Moira come in and I tell them, "Isa, I need you to get a few diapers and wipes out. Put some in the diaper bag leaving one out to change Jed with. Moira, please go and get me another outfit for the baby." While she does that I take a wipe, that Isa got, and wipe off my skirt. By that time Moira comes with the change of clothes, I wipe down the baby and change him. During this changing I call out to Flan and Saoirse to go potty and get their shoes on. Isabella is now done with Jed, so I tell her to get her shoes on and take Jed out to the van and buckle him in. I tell Moira to get her shoes on and take the diaper bag out to the van with her. I shoo out the little girls and tell them to get buckled in the van. I stand up, put on my shoes and grab the baby, out the door and strap him in as well. The younger girls are still not buckled, so I tell them we are about to pull out and they better buckle quick :-)

You see, it really is harder when you have only two. Now things can get chaotic around here when we have too many kiddos not listening at the same time, or a squabble breaks out, but over all it is easier. I was really trying to imagine doing the things I do with only the two boys and WOW my mind starts to "boggle". I think I need to find a shorter way to share these scenarios with other moms that ask me that question, "How do you do it?"