How I Do It

Whenever I meet someone and they inevitably find out I have five children...the first or second thing out of their mouth is "How DO you do it?".  The first remark is usually either a "You are crazy!" or "God Bless" (which is the nicer version of "You are crazy!")

Let me get something straight, I know many, many, many women have more children than me (my Mom, for example) and I have always looked up to and admired moms of big families.  In fact, I also wonder how they "do it all", and love any tips they can give for being successful at raising well-rounded and happy children, keeping a clean and orderly house, and planning well-balanced meals.  I'm not saying that all those things are happening simultaneously in a large family, but they are possible.  

Now I'll let you in on a little tip for how I can do it all.  

I can't.

At least not alone.  

He makes it possible:

My husband.  He's my secret weapon.

While we appreciate and respect the "traditional roles" of being a husband and wife, we also know that we are a team, and at times those roles get all blended together.  We're very hip like that ;)

Though Phil would love to be able to financially support our family, we absolutely can not make it on his Catholic school teacher salary.  But we feel that he is called to be a theology teacher, and the lack of income is a price we are willing to pay for his happiness and the education of our children (so they can attend a Catholic high school one day). 

So this is where the teamwork comes in.

I help him support our family by working, and he helps me around the house since we are both gone all day.  

We never argue about who cooks dinner, who picks up the kids from school, who goes grocery shopping, who does laundry or who cleans the house.  It's like a well-oiled machine ~ we just see what needs to get done and do it.

Now, there are certain tasks that always fall to Phil: yard work, trash, and making kid's lunches.  And I have my jobs too: handling our finances/bills, mopping the floor, and producing milk :)  Though I'm sure if he was able to, he would even do that!

I am so thankful to have such a great partner in life, and I am also grateful that our children will grow up knowing what it's like to truly help one another.  I think the best part about Phil is that he doesn't even think he's doing anything special at all.  Just doing the obvious. 

 And that's why I obviously love him so much!