As many of your know, Dave and I have been getting a taste of what it is like to have kids. Our 11 year old nephew Nainoa arrived a week ago on Wednesday 6/19 and our 9 year old niece Kaimalia and 5 year old nephew Maluhia arrived a day later. I think they call this “getting thrown into the deep end of the pool.” It has been a bit crazy and a bit of an adjustment but mostly it has been a lot of fun and we are going to be sad when our house is empty later this summer.
There are many things that people without kids inherently know about what it must be like to have kids. Eating out costs a lot more, kids have bedtimes, you can’t just hit Happy Hour whenever you want, etc, etc. Then there are all of the things you learn along the way. That has been the interesting part!
Kids eat a lot! Our 11 year old nephew is a big kid and a growing boy so we expected we would be cooking for 3, not just two. Kai and Malu however are little kids so I expected they would maybe makeup one more person between the two of them. Ummmm, no. Kids eat more often and more food than we do. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and then some. And coming up with reasonably nutritious meals requires forethought, preparation and time. Our regular 9pm (or later) dinnertime just doesn’t fly anymore.
Everything takes longer with kids. Leaving the house for a few minutes? Nope you can’t just walk out the door and go. First you have to pull all three kids away from whatever show they are watching (I will not miss kid TV), whatever they are doing on the computer, whatever board game they are playing, etc. Then you have to tell them to get shoes and possibly a coat on. Or maybe you need to tell them to get a clean shirt because another thing I’ve learned is that kids are messy – especially 5 year old boys! OK ready to go? No. Not quite yet. You will probably need to send at least one kid upstairs a second time to get a shoe or whatever they were supposed to get the first time and you will probably have to send the 5 year old up a third time. Then we need to ask the obligatory question, “Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?” OK, now we are ready to go but I can’t find my keys!
Oh wait, all of that in the last paragraph, that was for when you are only leaving for a few minutes. If we are leaving for longer it is a whole new story. Water bottles, snacks, books, a blanket to lay on at the park, the camera and extra batteries because everything has to be photo documented, etc., etc.
Leaving the house isn’t the only thing that takes longer. In the past bedtime looked something like this; let the dogs out, get some water, toss a few dishes in the dishwasher, carry some laundry up the stairs, brush my teeth, maybe read for a few minutes and go sound to sleep. Now it is more like this; tell everyone it is time for bed, get them to stop watching their show, playing their games, etc., tell them to get changed, tell the 5 year old again, tell them to brush their teeth, ask the 5 year old if he brushed his teeth and when he pauses before answering tell him to get back in the bathroom and brush his teeth – what was he doing in there earlier? – pick a book, read a story, turn down the lights, go to bed. Close my eyes and open them 3 minutes later as my door creaks open and a child comes in. Now comes decision time. Let them crawl into bed? Let them bring their blanket and pillow in and sleep on the floor? Go sleep in their room on the floor? Yep, in the last week we’ve been through all of these scenarios and more.
A few other random tidbits; when you have three kids in the house you will find sopping wet towels, weird puddles of liquid, unidentifiable globs of “stuff” and more. Most of these things seem to happen in the bathroom. Kids also involve a lot of blood. Good thing I don’t get queasy too easily.
But then there is the other side of having three kids in the house. Sharing favorite books like “Where The Sidewalk Ends” with my niece and nephews has been a huge treat! Dinner may have to happen earlier but it is a lot more fun. Board games are always out – and I got to teach my 11 year old nephew to play cribbage! Daily walks to the park keep us all – including the dogs – happy. The zoo, Seahawks Play 60, the M’s game and other fun activities are even more fun with the kiddos! Hugs and giggles and love are never in short supply! And really, who needs peace and quiet when you can have hugs and love and giggles. OK – I like my peace and quiet too but if I had to choose to only have one or the other I would never give up the fun we’ve had in our first week of Camp Aunty and Uncle!
So, are you wondering how I have time to type of this long message when I have three kids in the house? Ha! Trust me I wouldn’t. The kids are having a sleep over with our friends Jon and Karen and their daughters tonight. So what are we doing with a free night? Very little – and it is great. We are going to have a really yummy dinner though and we are going to eat late! But I do admit I’m already looking forward to tomorrow afternoon when the kiddos are back!
trudysglass 