What it's REALLY like... HEAR YE, HEAR YE!

I can't tell you the number of people who ask me what it's like raising four boys.
This whole blog is an inside glimpse at what it's REALLY like - but I will save the very BOYISH stories for my "WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE" posts. You scared?

The four amigos are going to love this when they are older! He he he.

Before I begin I want to say that as crazy as this life can be - you have no idea what a special feeling there is in our house with all these brothers growing up together. Owens' teacher raised five boys and one day she was talking to me about this very thing - I teared right up because I KNEW just what she meant. I love it.

So here we go.

When I see blog posts about the delicious dinners women are preparing for their families (with a divine picture to prove it) - I have to chuckle because that is sooo not what dinner time is like at our house.

It's not that I don't cook - I do - and I learned from the best I might add (shout out to a great mom). It's just that the hours between 5:00 and 8:00 pm hold enough chaos in them to about kill Brian and I off. It's preparing dinner, homework, ballgames, scouts, boyhood rowdiness - and it's all at the same time. Things have only become worse since Quinn joined the clan because he can't stand this structured time of day. He climbs on the table grabbing homework, clings to my legs while I'm chopping, pulls everything out of the drawers, cries...you know just generally making it all run even smoother.

The other day during dinner I hear Hudson proclaim, "HEAR YE!! HEAR YE!" I couldn't help but laugh...you know it's crazy if your child has to make a statement like that to get himself heard.

I was talking to my friend (who shall remain nameless) about this and she informed me that she simply reads to her kids while they eat dinner. They sit quietly listening to the stories. Oh...well that's discouraging. I always thought her house was about as busy a place as mine and now I'm picturing her kids in formal wear, eating a rare rib eye, and quietly listening to mamas' bible stories.

Should I feel like I'm doing something wrong or should I embrace the fact that there is a lot of fun and love in our chaos?

Instead of a beautiful picture of a dinner I've prepared, I thought I'd share a picture of what our dinner time is REALLY like. Here is Quinn devouring his meal. I usually feed him myself but this night called for me to just "let him at it" while I took care of everyone else.

I don't think he minded a bit.



"This mess isn't MY fault! You're the one who gave it to me!"


And that is what it's REALLY like.



I dedicate this post to my friend with the perfect dinner routine. I almost lost my ability to relate to you...until you told me you were serving Cup O' Noodles for dinner that night. Awesome. That's why we are friends.