12 Things Every Large Family Kid Knows To Be True

There's nothing quite like the large family life. Between the staring strangers, messes, laughing and chaos, there is always fun. And there is never a dull moment. If you have many siblings (or kids), I'm sure you can relate to what I'm about to say, but if you don't...well...here's a little peek into what it's like to live in a large family. Enjoy! :)

 1.) It's noisy. All. The. Time.
Perhaps the dog is barking, somebody is either crying or laughing, or someone else is banging a spoon and a pot lid "making music." And finding a quiet place to study or read? Yeah...not happening.  
 
2.) You don't really know how to cook in small quantities
After becoming so used to doubling (and sometimes even tripling) recipes, it really takes some serious calculating to make a small batch of anything. Just the thought of having to shop and cook for less than five people sounds like a challenge! 

3.) When you play board games, you almost always have teams
Very few games have enough pieces for everyone to have their own, so it's either Apples to Apples, Monopoly, or everyone doubles up. There also may be a few games on the shelf with homemade pieces, because it really doesn't make a difference if you can just change up the rules a bit!

4.) The mountains of laundry
 The laundry never ends. It's a constant cascade of dirty clothes coming from who-knows-where that somehow ends up clean at the end of the day. I really respect the people who had to wash all of their clothes in a river before washers and dryers came around! Those appliances are large family life-savers!

5.) The looks from strangers everywhere you go
You become used to the gaping mouths when the kids climbing out of that van just keep coming...and coming...and coming. And you are always prepared to answer when you are asked, "Are you all really siblings?" for the billionth time. 

6.) Calling "dibs" on everything
Whether it's the front seat in the car, the next round of Mario Kart, or the last piece of cake, you better call dibs, or it may not be there in five minutes!

7.) Family photos are close to impossible
With a "let's all get in closer!" here and there, everyone will at least all be in the picture. Several pictures must be taken, however, because somebody isn't smiling, or somebody else blinked. You can only hope that there is at least one good one, but there are no guaranties.   

8.) You constantly get mistaken for your younger siblings' parent
You pretty much have a default reaction of smiling nicely and nodding when people make comments to you and your younger siblings such as, "You have such cute kids!" and "Are you being good for Mommy?" All the while, you are trying your hardest not to laugh at how crazy it would be if you were actually their parent!
 
9.) You can focus in almost any environment 
I think this should be considered a superpower. Sure, the vacuum is running and the kids are playing a noisy game of hide and seek, but you really have to study and focus, so somehow you have just learned to tune things like that out. Occasionally, quiet does become necessary, and the closet ends up being the only place to re-gain your sanity. 

10.) Being on time (or even better, early!) is a huge accomplishment
"Don't worry! We won't be late." "Wait, where are my shoes?" "Oh, I forgot my coat." "We're missing someone!" 
Sometimes, the best thing to do it plan to leave a long time before you actually have to, and you may end up leaving on time! Who knew coordinating so many people to go somewhere could be so difficult? :p 

11.) Nothing "family sized" is truly family sized
Almost everything advertised as "family size" is usually bought in double or triple quantities. Buying in bulk is the only way to ensure that you will only need one of something, so the majority of the groceries are bought at Sam's Club! 

12.) You wouldn't trade it for anything
No matter how many disagreements and squabbles you have, you all still love each other to death. You share years packed full of inside jokes, memories, and difficult times that were walked through together. Each of you have learned not only how to get along with a wide range of personalities, but also how to work on a team and accomplish things together. There is an incredible bond between you all that will be there for the rest of your lives. No matter what life throws at you, you can always find a huge web of support in your very own family.


I really love living in a large family. Yes, more often than not, it does seem like a tribe of monkeys, but the laughter and love that fills our home adds quite a bit of adventure and fun to life! I love each and every one of my crazy, noisy, but oh-so-awesome siblings! You guys rock! :) ♥

 

   ~Megan ♥

*picture via Google

growing up

As I sit here in my cozy nook with just a mug of coffee and an empty page in front of me, I realize how much I love afternoons like this. It is so quiet and peaceful that it seems even the clock is ticking delicately, as if it doesn't want to break the silence.

It's on these days that I find myself in deepest thought. I have been thinking a lot lately about all of the things I took for granted as a child...all of the made up games, all of the stories both written and told, all of the stuffed animals that I owned, every moment shared with the people I love the most. I want to hold my breath--to make time stop. I don't want to leave my childhood behind, but I can't help it. I don't want to let it go.

Why was I so eager to finally grow up?

 I guess I never really thought about how much changes when you grow older...people change, circumstances change, feelings change, and interests change. (seriously, I really wish it wouldn't be weird at my age to spend hours playing with my dolls. :p) 

When two of my older siblings got married, I realized how short our younger years really were. I miss all of the crazy games, afternoons spent trading our toys, and our "treasure hunts" through the back yard. But most of all, I miss having them home all the time. I miss having all of us crowded around the dining room table for dinner, or squeezed on the couch for family devotions. I miss all of the games of capture the flag in the back yard, all the afternoons spent raking leaves, or building a snowman. 

And then I think about my younger siblings. What will they have to look back on when they are older? Will they have leaf jumping, snowman building, tea parties and afternoon bike rides? Will they have someone to look up to, someone to go to when they need a friend? I lose my patience with them far too often, but there are only so many more years left before I will be moving on as well. I don't want to waste them worrying about the stuffed animals on the bedroom floor, missing things, or broken belongings. I want to be the older sister that they need. I want to mean to them what my older sisters mean to me.  Take time to appreciate your siblings, older and younger, and work hard to build solid relationships with them. You won't regret it!

I still have a lot of growing up to do, but my deepest regret is that I was never content with being a kid. I was so busy wishing for the next big thing that I failed to live in the season I was in. So to all of you who are wishing you were older, wishing you could grow up and move on with life: Slow down. Enjoy life. Make memories. You may have many years ahead of you, but you will never get these years back again. And trust me, they really do fly past.

   ~Megan ♥