2 Children & 4 Years Later...

I believe I mentioned in a forever ago blog that I am terrible at journal writing. I guess a 4 year span would prove it! Anyway, I'm back on board again. Don't ask for how long. Only time will tell.

Since my previous posts, (which I have found very therapeutic to review) my family has grown by 2 children. I guess you could say we are very blessed. To do the math for you, that's 7 children in a little less than 10 years. I'm so pleased with the fact that I can say they are all still alive although I've been tempted to thin out the numbers at times. We have also moved to a different home with each additional child, something to do with a job loss and trying to fit a family of 8 into a 1000 sq ft apartment (that's another story for another day). Due to the job loss, Kevin decided to go back to school full time right after child #6 was born. (Great timing!) He is getting ready to finish his BA in Geology this fall. (YEA!! And I'm soooo proud of him.) To say our lives have been a little hectic would be the understatement of the decade. All I'm going to say is I have definitely developed a deep empathy for all the poor, struggling, married-single student wives out there. It isn't for the faint hearted.

Currently, I have a few thorns in my life that I will write about to vent in a healthy way. (Don't think me ungrateful.) First is Grond the Battering Ram of the Underworld aka our 15 passenger van (ask a Lord of the Rings guru). Grond has so many unique qualities. Grond can never be lost in a parking lot. We can never wash Grond. You see if we were to ever wash Grond, there would be nothing left after all the rust washed away (although I think it was originally brown.) There is never any question of where Grond has been parked. The oil drops tell all. Some people spend a fortune in gas on big vehicles. Not us. Our expense is in oil. Driving Grond is always eventful. You never know whether the battery is going to die on you (when you forget to unhook it)  or if it's too hot or cold to start. (Choke issue.) And the suspension system is awesome for all the children that like to bounce in the back. I could make a killing charging the neighborhood children to ride in Grond. It's better than a carnival ride! It's also an adventure for all the children in car seats. Every time we turn a corner the car seats lean WAY over until we find a corner to turn the other way and upright them again. If you're looking for a tan come ride in the front passenger seat. The visor broke out a few months ago allowing the full effects of the sun's rays to bake a person. If you want to cool off after tanning, you can climb atop Grond and enjoy the swimming pool that collects in the concave roof after a rainstorm. Grond is also a great conductor of weight loss since the sliding door had an irreparable mishap and you have to haul everything in and out the front doors. (Imagine what that means for infant seats and groceries. Not to mention children in general.) The inside of Grond also doubles as a sauna in the summer (no working A/C). What you don't work off you'll sweat off! (I'm looking to lose at least 20 pounds this summer.) There is a perk to Grond though, it has an awesome sound system so at least I can listen to some good tunes while my fat melts away!

Second thorn. I've yet to find a place far, high, low, or clever enough to keep ANYTHING away from children. Need I say anymore?

Last for tonight: radar. I'm not talking about the police car kind. I'm talking about the kind where children are nowhere to be found, you take a quick moment to sneak a piece of chocolate and before the morsel touches your lips there are 6 little leeches looking up at you with puppy dog eyes begging you for a piece. Or there's the telephone radar that sends radio waves through the brains of your children  sending them into a mad frenzy to fight, scream, and tear the house apart. And let's not forget the radar of sitting down to rest or actually eat! It's like children think "Oh look, Mom's sitting down. This is a foreign concept. Life is over as we know it. HELP!" And the grand finale: the moment that the stars actually align in the sky for an intimate moment with your hubby, you forget you even have children, you begin to embrace... and there's a knock on your door (@ 3 a.m.) with a little voice (or screaming at our house) on the other side telling you they've had a bad dream and they want to sleep with you. Did I leave anything out?