Phew. Have you
ever had one of those days when you get a glimmer of what your mother went
through on a daily basis when you were growing up, and you think, “How did she DO that every day??” I had
one of those days today. My mother and four of my younger siblings (I’ll get to
how many of us there are total in a bit) are staying with me this week while
they attend a three-day bible study in a small town just south of Indianapolis.
This morning, I saw them out the door at nine, and my day started in full force.
I started the enormous pork loin
marinating for our New Year’s Eve dinner this evening. Really – it was huge. I
should have taken a picture. After that, I showered, washed up what felt like a
million dishes, swept the floors, and ran a couple of loads of laundry (I only
own five bath towels, so I’m doing laundry every day while my family is here).
My roommate arrived home for a couple of hours during that time, and helped me
move the table back to the middle of the dining room so that my family could eat
dinner around a table tonight. I helped her load up her jeep for a trip with
her family, and then returned to the apartment to grab my purse and run to the
grocery to pick up the few things I forgot during my original NYE preparation
shopping trip. Upon returning, sundry cooking and cleaning chores were
completed, including the peeling and chopping of something like 20 potatoes (I
lost count). Right now, I’m sitting down with coffee and my computer to grab 30
minutes of writing time before my family returns for dinner.
While my day was hurrying along, I began to think about
mothers who do this kind of thing every
day. Now, I do believe that your every day life to you than it would be to
someone who doesn’t do what you do every day, but still. And then, I started thinking about my own Mama. She
began her motherhood adventure in 1985, and has been raising children full time
ever since. Eleven live births and five miscarriages later, she is one of the
busiest people I know. The day I just had – she does that and more every day. Oh – and she homeschools, so
she does all of that while all of her
kids are home. When asked how she
does it with that many kids, she replies, “Well, they came along one at a time,
so you have time to adjust before the next one comes along. It’s not like I
started out with eleven kids.” Even though her life runs nonstop, she never has
and I don’t believe ever will belittle what is difficult for someone else. I call
her sometimes to whine about my work life, and she never laughs at me. Except for when I’m being stupid, but then I
deserve it.
Well, now that I’ve divulged the info that I have ten
brothers and sisters, I should probably answer the inevitable questions.
Questions that I got at least a million times growing up:
1) Where are you in the line up? I’m number one.
2) So, that means you helped a lot? I guess so. We all helped a lot. That’s what you do when you’re part of
a large family.
3) Are you all full siblings? Yup.
4) Any multiple births? Nope.
All singles. Amazing, really. I did the math once – my mother was pregnant for
a grand total of nearly 13 years.
5) How many girls and boys? Three girls, eight boys.
6) EIGHT boys? Yes.
Eight boys. And yes, I love having that many brothers. And yes, they are
annoying sometimes, but isn’t everyone??
7) How old is the youngest? The youngest is seven years old.
8) Catholic or Mormon? Neither.
9) Are your parents done having kids? The number of people who really ask me this question is somewhat
astounding. They don’t ask the people with two kids if they’re done… But, yes,
they are done.
10) Do you want that many kids? Sarcastic answer that I really
want to actually give someday: Well,
my mother got married when she was eighteen years old and gave birth for the
first time when she was nineteen years old, and had eleven live births and five
miscarriages over a period of twenty-four years. I’m almost thirty, single, and
definitely not pregnant. Female fertility rates drop significantly at age
forty-three. You do the math. It’s a fun word problem. Completely honest, less sarcastic answer: I’d admire my mother for
her choice to raise that many children, but no, I don’t plan to have that many,
even if I had enough time before I’m too old.
Bottom line: I’m thankful for my mother, and I’m thankful
for all that she did and continues to do in her chosen stay-at-home mom way of
life.
Stay tune tomorrow for a post reflecting over 2014 and
welcoming 2015.
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