The Carousel Ride

Today, I got to say YES!

A trip to a local mall and a carousel ride really hit home the sacrifices of raising a large family. 

The kids had a rainy day off from school and I had planned to take them to a local museum. We pulled into the parking lot and it was packed. I was solo with all the kids and I didn’t want to fight the crowds and be a wreck about losing sight of anyone. The kids were super disappointed, I pulled out of the parking lot with 4 kids crying. I quickly came up with a plan B, there was a local mall close by that was never crowded. I was just looking for an indoor place where everyone could stretch their legs. We hardly ever go shopping at malls and I realized that I could count on one hand how many times my littles had been to a mall.

We headed for the indoor play area in the food court and the littles played. Next to the play area was a carousel. I had planned on spending a little money for parking at the museum and didn’t use it. I made a quick decision and bought 7 of the kids tickets for a ride. You would have thought it was Christmas, the kids were so excited! For that 1 minute ride they smiled, laughed and waved. Instead of being in a mall food court, we were transported to Funland at Rehoboth Beach, where I used to ride the carousel as a kid.

It was so sweet and sad at the same time. Raising a large family we say no almost all the time to extras and treats. We literally don’t have money for anything beyond the necessities. My kids will always have hand me down clothes, shoes and toys, they will never have the newest or shiniest things. A trip out for ice cream for us costs what some families spend on a dinner out. I hope one day they will look back and see that all the sacrifices were worth it. Even though they didn’t get to go to amusement parks or out to dinner often, they have 8 other people that will love them and have their back no matter where they go and what they do. We spend our Friday nights having movie night at home or playing flag football in the front yard, on weekends we go to local parks and free museums, I hope those memories will stay with them. I love that they truly appreciate when we get to say “yes” to that rare treat.

I will remember that today, I got to say “yes” and it was awesome!

Welcome to Our Hive

Want to know what it is like to have 10 children 14 years old and under? Come and check out our hive! This blog is a window into our busy lives raising a large family. 

I am an only child and always wanted siblings. When my husband Bill and I got married we wanted a big family, but never put a number on it. Consciously or unconsciously, I created my own army.

I have been thinking about starting a blog for awhile, but I was afraid to put our lives out there. When I was looking online for families like us, I couldn’t find one that was really like ours. We are the family next door who happen to have 10 children. We are not picture perfect, far from it, and my kids don’t wear matching outfits. I am usually, ok almost always dressed in gym clothes covered in baby spit up, other kids’ breakfasts, dog hair and no make up. Our kids go to public school and play lots of sports and other activities. We have our share of challenges and tears, but also a whole lot of love and laughter! Our life is busy, loud, messy, hard and AWESOME. 

Here are some things to know about me:

• Yes, I drive a 15 passenger bus (It is a cool one, but not quite as cool as Ms. Frizzle's)
• We have 6 girls and 3 boys (all singles) – Bill is terrified of having 6 girls with PMS
• Right now I have 5 kids 6 years and under, 3 kids are 2 years and under 
• In 6 out of my 9 pregnancies I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum– meaning I had severe morning sickness and other complications the entire pregnancies
• Going to the gym helps me keep my sanity

My goal in starting this blog was to share a glimpse into our lives raising a large family. I wanted to document this unique experience for my children and for the blog to be an outlet for me. We have an amazing support group of friends and family, but raising a large family can be a lonely island sometimes. I am looking forward to connecting with other moms (new and experienced moms of small and large families) sharing our experiences, learning from each other and supporting each other.

As soon as people find out I have 10 kids I get asked lots of questions (some very inappropriate ones too). Many of my posts are inspired by those questions, future posts will include cost of feeding a big family, what type of car we have, and how we manage to keep our sanity. I am not a photographer, most of the pictures on the blog will be pictures I take on my phone. I am not a professional writer either but I feel I have a story to tell.

This is our real life.

Whether you have one kiddo or 12 kiddos, we all have similar challenges and triumphs, ours are just multiplied.

I hope you will follow our journey and join our hive.