Wednesday, August 28, 2013

K.I.T.

One of my favorite movies ever even though Heather Graham is in it.
Ahhhhhh!  Life is so crazy right now.  I was so looking forward to the start of the school year after a pretty nauseating and exhausting summer, but now that it's here, I can barely keep afloat. 

With a new school year comes tons of school meetings (both at work and at my kid's school), the busiest two weeks of work in a long time, the start of soccer season, and the hunt for what-to-do-with-Maggie-while-we-have-to-be-at-work-and-the-boys-start-school-but-Maggie-doesn't-start-until-next-week. Answer-she's with the baby at the nanny's house.  Oh daycare costs for two is so not fun.

So we had uniforms to size and sort (thank God for hand-me-downs and generous siblings and friends), lunches to pack, backpacks to clean or buy, soccer balls and shin pads and cleats to purchase or locate, orientations to attend, book sales to run, huge payrolls to stress over, budgets to plan and execute, CCD talks to write (Phil), grad classes to study (again, Phil), and the rest of life to contend with.  Oh, I also have this little problem where I am dizzy/light-headed/breathless all the time.  And this morning, I awoke to find Maggie hanging over the toilet saying she felt sick.  I asked her to flush what was mellowing in there so she could at least stare at a clean bowl.  Then I went to try and find just one outfit that still fits before I have to pull out the old maternity clothes at 10 weeks. Yes, this is my life.

But I'm not complaining.  Ok, yes I was complaining, but I'm not now.  Because this is my life.  This is our life.  This is the life we signed up for when we got married and vowed to accept children lovingly (not easily! not for kicks and giggles!) and God blessed us with these five, soon to be six, little lovies to care for.  

And this is the life we signed up for when we both decided it was best for our family to have full-time working parents (because, as it turns out, being able to afford a roof over our heads and put food on the table IS best for the family).  

And this is the life we choose every.single.sports.season when I giddily sign up my babies for the sports they so love to play, then later crack under the pressure of 4 games and 3 practices each week! 

This is also the life we choose when we continue to be open to life even though it makes for a sick Momma and exhausted Dad who has to pick up all my slack.  

But, you know what else?

This is the life we hoped for back when we were engaged and would daydream about our future.  

Six kids in 12 years of marriage?  Yes, please!  

A loving marriage where both spouses are loyal to each other and the Church's teachings?  How did we get so lucky?  

A crazy, loud, messy house full of little people who are half me and half Phil and 100% unique and pretty much the best people we know?  Where can we sign up?

And so, we're keeping it together.  Maybe just barely on most days, but it's working.  Because this is our life, these were our dreams that became our reality and you know what?  This is the good life.

20 comments:

  1. I agree with you. Sometimes I find it hard to remind myself, my husband, or my family about why we choose to live the way we do, but it just feels more worth it than anything else. It gets tough defending our family choices at times, but I hope people see how truly happy we are. Do we always get what we want, NO, but we have what we need to be a happy functioning loving home. =)

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  2. The first couple of weeks back to school are always the worst. Hang in there! You guys will be back in your groove in no time!

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  3. I just love this... that is all. Thanks for sharing a great perspective, even when things are crazy!

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  4. Sending loving thoughts and prayers your way!!! I know you have your hands full..and while loving every minute...are human too and feeling overwhelmed. We're all praying for you, Colleen, and the rest of your precious family. Someday, you're gonna look back on all this and miss it! Right??!!! :)

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  5. If you ever need help with the littles again like that, please call me! I will make it work and Ava & Clara would be happy to play with them. That's what I'm here for. Love you. Keep it together and it will calm down soon. Would like to take the kids for an afternoon, so you and Phil could have a date (or just sleep). Call me xo

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  6. You keep going girl! So much truth here.

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  7. You go girl!! Your life is blessed. And it is the good life!

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  8. God bless you--you're a busy lady. It's so great to hear a young mom talking about how wonderful it is to have a big family. When I read posts like this, I think the pendulum has started to swing, and we're going to see more and more couples open to bringing lots of new lives into the world!

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  9. Yes! I need to start giving myself that kind of pep talk every morning.

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  10. I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I already have it listed in my favorites. I just wanted to send a word of encouragement that life really does get a little easier as your big kids keep getting bigger (even when you still have littles in the house!)Our family choice was for me to stay home, but we also opted to homeschool when the kids were in the younger grades because affording Catholic school would not have been feasible. I love that your blog celebrates all aspects of Catholic family life, regardless of the kinds of choices we make for our family to run most efficiently! That being said, I think it's ALWAYS crazy this time of year! We have 4 boys playing sports (our oldest child, a daughter, is now grown and out of the house - 1 down!)so 4 sets of games, 4 sets of practices, etc. And even though I am home and don't have little tiny people anymore it's still insane right now with the two big kids back in school, starting the school year with the younger two, getting back in the schedule, adding in new sports teams, etc. So we're all in it with you! And I love the last comment about the "loud, crazy, messy house" - my family to a "T"!

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  11. Yes, THIS is life. I am reading this and typing while my four scream and run around like holy heathens in the background. Yes, THIS is the life I prayed for, yearned for, wept for just a few short years ago. *sigh* It leaves me humbled and then guilty when I contemplate that surely my plate is full enough and God isn't asking more of me. Or is He? That cold coal heart is still stone cold and stubborn, but we'll wait and we'll pray. Maybe, just maybe God will see things HIS way in the end, if I let my stubborn, selfish ways open up just a little bit more.

    As always, you keeping it real helps me keep it real and gives me just the guilt or conviction I sometimes need. Even the Holy Spirit works in the midst of your crazy life and pregnancy sickness, Yay! lol.

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  12. Oh goodness! You're right. What a wonderful life it is! You really do handle it with such grace and strength even if you don't always see it. So many people could only hope for such a life and it's so great that even when it gets this hard, that you don't take it for granted. I'll be praying for you!

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  13. Oh my goodness, I have been such a bad bloggy friend and completely missed your baby news until today. Holy moley, congratulations! Now I have to go get all caught up :)

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  14. Oh goodness! You're right, what a wonderful life it is! I can't believe you keep it together like you do, with such grace and strength! AND that you can appreciate it all when it gets a bit tough. I'll be praying for you!

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  15. Good stuff, Colleen. You hit the nail on the head with this one.

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  16. This is exactly what I needed today. Great post!

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  17. Oh, my gosh, I had a dream about you. And Sarah (hopeful heart) She was running in a marathon, while you and I were working. We decided to take a lunch break outside and I played with your hair the whole time. You had short short hair...weird. We talked about Maggie. That was it.

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  18. Oh my gosh, I love this and it came at JUST the right time! Thanks for the reminder to appreciate the life I have and realize that this IS the good life...this IS the life we signed up for and he life we wanted, and it IS good.

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  19. This made me cry. Hope to be where you are someday!

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