Hello everyone! I thought it would be a good idea to include a little introduction about myself so you would know who it is that’s writing to you. After all, why should I be telling you about raising a large family unless I have some experience in it, right?!?
First off, I’m the mother of 13 biological children. Yes, that’s right, we have 13 children.
To answer all the usual questions, yes they are all mine (and my husband’s for that matter), they are all single births, I’ve birthed them all at home, they were all conceived while I was married, and, yes, I’m Catholic. I’m sure there are a few questions I’ve forgotten to answer but that usually answers the bulk of them.
No, I haven’t mentally lost it! At least, not yet…
People are always amazed when they see me. I think they are expecting someone who can no longer stand or function (mentally or physically). I’m not sure why that is either. Why has our society made it appear that just because you have lots of children it means that you no longer know how to brush your hair, wash your clothes, or tie your kid’s shoes for that matter? They are fully expecting you to look like you’ve mentally lost it and are ready for a mental hospital. I’m pretty sure I’m still mentally there, although there are days when my kids may argue otherwise.
I’m not going to lie to you; some days are very hard. I have a problem dealing with excessive noise. I’m sure a lot of you are seeing the problem already. How can I have a problem with noise while living with 13 children? Yeah, me too. I think God sometimes has a funny sense of humor. Anyway, occasionally the children will find me missing, but it’s okay. I’m just hiding in my bedroom. Give me 10 minutes and I will be a little better.
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Why do we have a big family?
I started off having children because of my Faith. I wasn’t always a Catholic though. I was your typical public school kid. I was going to get a college degree, marry AFTER college, and have 2.3 kids (or was it 1.7? I can’t remember). However, I wasn’t expecting to meet my husband that senior year of high school. I don’t think my dad was ready for my new boyfriend either, let alone the lifestyle change that happened due to meeting him.
I married when I had just turned 19, five days prior. Two weeks later I was pregnant, as Veronica had come into existence. Our roller coaster had officially begun. As of today, we have continued having children every 18-26 months after that. I’m still obviously fertile (being pregnant, and all) and expect to be able to have a few more children. That is if it’s part of God’s will for our family!
Even though we started having children because of Our Faith I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I grew up in a family with just one sibling, with most of the time being separated from my brother. This made me essentially an only child.
When I married my husband I thought we MIGHT have four-six children (he came from a family with six children). Wow. We had no idea how fertile we were. I joke with Ed that if he only knew how fertile I was he probably would have run the other way!!
The Rewards
Joking aside, life can be tough, but it can also be so rewarding. I cannot imagine not nursing and snuggling with my little babies. And, it’s so sweet to see the little ones playing and wrestling with the older ones. There is always someone around that can play or help one of the others.
Also, talk about built-in socialization! We home-school and no one can tell me my children aren’t socialized. They can deal with children of any age, not just their own school age. I laugh when people tell me my children need to get out with other children because they are homeschooled. Once they meet them their minds change, of course, but it’s still humorous how people can be so programmed to think that the conventional way of education is what’s best for a child.
Please look around!
Anyway, please feel free to relax with a cup of coffee and some dark chocolate. Browse throughout my blog. I try to tell it exactly as I see it. Although, please don’t get the impression that I think I have all the answers. Quite the opposite actually. I am always looking up new ideas! I’m just here to tell you what we’ve tried and/or have found that has worked for our family. You can take it or leave it.
Thanks for stopping by and God bless you!