More on the "big family"

So back to this big family - I have "big" kids and "little" kids. Since the littles (as we sometimes call them) were born, the big kids have had to do without movies with mom or extended "big kid" times with mom. I really do miss that - I remember taking them to Valley Fair when they were 8 and 10 and we had such a freaking blast. Part of me regrets that we are still a couple of years away from being able to leave the littles and do that again.

At the same time, we DID have those years, which is cool. And they have my ex (their dad) who does those things with them, like golfing, and movies, and other stuff. When they're with me, they're stuck doing little kid stuff, but it's kind of cute how my almost 14 year old DS stares at the baby giraffe in wonderment and tickles his baby sister and how my 11 year old DD invents the most ridiculous and crazy and hysterically funny games for her baby sister.

I love my photo of my big guy, minus the sullen expression that sometimes seems permanently affixed to his face, at the Como Zoo. Okay, he wore his headphones the whole time, but he did usually leave one out so we could talk.

I think it keeps them young in an age where kids are growing up so fast, and closer to home because they do enjoy the little ones. It gives them license to PLAY. It also is teaching them a lot about how much responsibility and sacrifice is involved in having children. I'm pretty confident my big kids will be very responsible when they start having sex LOL

Here's ODD who was pissy about going to the beach, finding her smile while playing in the sand.

(The cutie in the blue trunks is the hubby - he's a big kid too when we're at the beach!)








I get one on one time with the big kids. The other day, ODD came with me for lunch with a friend, which she thought was neat. Tonight the littles were so exhausted they were both asleep by 7, so we played scrabble and pictionary and made nachos and her birthday cake too.

DS and I sometimes sneak out to the library alone together, and he stays up the latest so we chat, or play cards, or he sits and reads while I knit. The two year old still gets lots of time with mama while the baby naps, and the baby gets her mama time at the breast, and at night sleeping with me, or when she's in the mei tai and we just snuggle and I breathe her in. She's so sweet and warm and yummy.

Speaking of the baby, there hasn't been much baby action in this post:

How's that for unbearably cute? New longies in Alligator Knits "On Safari" BFL - my own pattern, adapted from several I've tried.

And of course the two year old terror. She's so gorgeous and full of life. Drove me bonkers today but she's so worth the effort.