Being that Juliet is a newborn and I don't want her getting wet, I have to sit out while Charles swims with the kids. Someone has to always be with Caleb and Ashley in the water so I just brought a picnic and happily took pictures. :D Juliet is such a sunshine and my sidekick so we were fine just sitting and watching the kids play.
Getting out doesn't necessarily have to always cost a tons of money, that's why we joined a community center. Usually we are at the YMCA every year but they just didn't have much to offer. It was just a gym and a pool. I'm super excited this place was built because I feel like for such a low monthly fee my large family can just get out and hang out here whenever we want.
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| Ivy at the top |
When I was signing up I asked if there were any other large families that come. I love meeting other moms with lots of kids. They said yes and they had just been in the other day. I said I hoped I would run into them sometime. The guy said, "Yeah, they were here. The kids were all over the stairs and being crazy." Hmmmm... that statement was loaded. I got the hint that he was saying the mom couldn't control them but he wasn't really being rude. I think since large families get watched more, there is a bit of a higher standard. You wouldn't notice as much if one or two kids were just going up and down the stairs. Sure they laugh and make some stomping noises but times that by seven or 10 and it can seem really chaotic and out of control. Imagine a small daycare set loose on the stairs. Therefore, I do get on my kids a bit more about setting an example for other kids. "But mom, that kid is doing it!" I know but that doesn't mean it's okay is the same thing I tell them every time. For awhile there we were hardly ever getting out to save money so when I would take the kids out, it was really tough. We've been having to train our kids and remind them again that in a restaurant you can't talk as loud or be as wiggly as you would at our own dining room table. My older three had lots of training because we went out A LOT with them. My younger three had very little training since we rarely were going out so we've been really working with them. Baby Juliet's job is to just be cute. :) We even write the littlest ones a chore card that says "Be cute". Caleb is turning three pretty soon and he'll be getting his first chore. There first chore at three is always to pick up shoes and put in shoe bin.
Do you ever notice when you are in a restaurant and people are just staring? I don't think it's because they are being rude but more that they are just curious how a large family functions. They want to see how you control your kids, what their manners are like, and how everyone interacts. One time we were in a little pizza joint and a lady kept staring at us. I felt a bit uncomfortable but just tried to ignore it. She was alone and dressed very nice. Well, when we went to go pay for our food the waiter said we were paid for. I asked him how that was possible and he said that lady had paid and wanted us to know we had a nice family. I did notice that she had a sad look on her face and was very quiet. Then I wondered what life was like for her. Was she able to have any children? Does she have children but they are grown and raised? Is her family broken? I had no idea but my heart went out to her because she had sad and longing look on her face.
3 comments:
Wow! What an amazing community center! I wish our area had something like this. We do have YMCA's but nothing this fun. It's so hot here in the summer you can't go outside past noon. How was this built? Private donations or a city tax? I seriously want to get something like that here in okla for my grandchildren:)
Your little Juliette is just beautiful like her sisters. You are so blessed. Congrats on the new job! That must be a huge relief.
Blessings
Kim Chrisman
I have a story too. Last weekend we went to my husband's grandfathers trailer park and they were having a park wide garage sale. We had set up to sell some of our toys and decided to go looking around. Across the street we went to one of the garage sales. There was an older lady there that was just in awe of my kiddos. She had asked if they were mine and I said yes, these were my 5. She was surprised and went on to explain that she had only one and was so happy that I had more. She had such a sad face and was just so in awe of them that she was practically begging to come visit them over at hubby's grandfathers place that hubby did tell her that is was ok. They are over there everyday. But the lady had seem to have so much regret and sadness in only having one and wanted to visit and see my kids. I do think that older women do regret only having small amounts of kids later in life and I am so blessed God gave me 5. I do hope that she could be blessed if she came over to see my kids.
Kim, there are only 4 of these in the states but I know what you mean. We have been waiting and waiting for this. We always went to the Y but were limited on stuff to do.
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