A standard question lately is, "What's life like with three?" My answers are always feel feeble.
You'd think that I'd have plenty of time to think about such a response, since it's my life right now. That I'd be thinking about how it's changed with three.
But, truly, I don't have a good answer.
Sometimes it's beautiful, with lots of snuggles, songs, books, and outdoor time.
Sometimes it's bickering and hurts, when I'm not able to witness exactly what happened between the older two while I'm changing the diaper of the youngest in another room.
Sometimes it's shuffling three beings out the door only to discover that one laid a massive number two that must be changed before our outing.
It's navigating the beginnings of telling falsehoods and how that affects trust.
It's noticing behaviors that weren't there months before and wondering how much is developmental and how much is a result of our change in family dynamics.
It's finding moments throughout the day to focus on each child, on their own. Encouraging dialogue and listening to feelings.
It's a leaky roof and lots of phone calls with roofers and insurance.
It's a family full of wants and needs, running on sleep deprivation and limited time.
It's an insatiable appetite from breastfeeding.
It's being a short order chef of snacks and meals all day long.
It's slicing up watermelon & handing out popsicles to survive afternoons during this hot, muggy summer.
It's getting out of the house when we all need a change of pace, but savoring the ease of time at home and in our own yard.
It's the excitement of a broody hen, then chicks hatching. The joy of finding a robin's nest with a baby bird and two eggs, right next to our house.
It's taking each day moment by moment.
It's saying "no" when you normally say "yes." And learning that both words are healthy & necessary.
It's lots of smiles, tears, emotions, apologies, laughs, and hugs.
It's stretching further than we thought we could, and then a little further.
It's realizing how fast the time goes, how five years of parenthood could already have passed us by. It's wanting to stop time, reverse it, and speed it up at the very same time.
It's feeling thankful, humbled, worn, complete & full of love.
You'd think that I'd have plenty of time to think about such a response, since it's my life right now. That I'd be thinking about how it's changed with three.
But, truly, I don't have a good answer.
Sometimes it's beautiful, with lots of snuggles, songs, books, and outdoor time.
Sometimes it's bickering and hurts, when I'm not able to witness exactly what happened between the older two while I'm changing the diaper of the youngest in another room.
Sometimes it's shuffling three beings out the door only to discover that one laid a massive number two that must be changed before our outing.
It's navigating the beginnings of telling falsehoods and how that affects trust.
It's noticing behaviors that weren't there months before and wondering how much is developmental and how much is a result of our change in family dynamics.
It's finding moments throughout the day to focus on each child, on their own. Encouraging dialogue and listening to feelings.
It's a leaky roof and lots of phone calls with roofers and insurance.
It's a family full of wants and needs, running on sleep deprivation and limited time.
It's an insatiable appetite from breastfeeding.
It's being a short order chef of snacks and meals all day long.
It's slicing up watermelon & handing out popsicles to survive afternoons during this hot, muggy summer.
It's getting out of the house when we all need a change of pace, but savoring the ease of time at home and in our own yard.
It's the excitement of a broody hen, then chicks hatching. The joy of finding a robin's nest with a baby bird and two eggs, right next to our house.
It's taking each day moment by moment.
It's saying "no" when you normally say "yes." And learning that both words are healthy & necessary.
It's lots of smiles, tears, emotions, apologies, laughs, and hugs.
It's stretching further than we thought we could, and then a little further.
It's realizing how fast the time goes, how five years of parenthood could already have passed us by. It's wanting to stop time, reverse it, and speed it up at the very same time.
It's feeling thankful, humbled, worn, complete & full of love.
