My kids are spread out in age quite a bit...Stephen will be 15 on Sunday...Griffy is only 8 months old. We have 2 more in between. For a while I was worried about the age difference between my kids..thinking, will they be close? Oh, I do hope so. When Griffy is 15, Stephen will be 30! And I'll be 57! I do this a lot...figure out how old I'll be when each kid is a certain age. I don't know why I do it..but I do it. It kind of makes me crazy. I wish I could stop.There was a blog I came across recently of a mom of 8 kids I think...and I loved what she said in her profile. She wrote that each kid met her at a different age. I've thought about that in my own life. Stephen met me when I was just shy of my 27th birthday. Hannah met me at 30, Will at 34 and Griffin at 41. I think about how much I've learned as a parent during these last 15 years...and how much I still have to learn.
I'll never forget when we told the kids that I was pregnant with Griffin. Stephen, knowing all too well how these things happen, gave us a look of disgust almost. He was not thrilled either when I was 9 months pregnant attending is rowing banquet with all his buddies. Now, watching Stephen with his baby brother makes your heart melt. Hannah is like Griffy's second mother...and Will just makes him laugh like no one else.
So, yes, I'll be writing out college tuition and a preschool check at the same time. Different for most families but for us it works. Now, how old will I be when Griffin graduates college?
I just found your blog yesterday and I love it! We seem to have a lot in common. My kids are also spread out. My oldest just turned 15 and I am due to have a baby in 6 weeks. Plus I have 5 in between- 11,9,7 5 & 2. When I told my teenager I was having another baby he said he was moving out. Luckily, he changed his mind. He has it too good around here plus he would survive about 30 seconds on his own. The funny thing is- he loves the 2 year old! They have so much fun together. I think their age difference actually enhances their relationship. There is no sense of jealousy or competition because they are so far apart in age. I wouldn't have it any other way! I look forward to checking your blog often!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet, Pam! Love the photo & your attitude:) Happy that you already have 22 followers!
ReplyDeleteI have four kids and I started having them much earlier than you did. I had my first at 22 and my fourth at 28. I still do the "how old will I be when they're a certain age" game. I would still like to have a couple more kids eventually. We always said we wanted a big family and we'd have 4-6 kids, but my oldest is almost 8 and I worry that if we had a couple more within the next 5 or 6 years, that it would be weird for my youngest to just be starting kindergarten when my oldet is graduating high school.
ReplyDeleteOh well, what do you do? To be a mother was the thing I wanted to be most in life, I guess the rest doesn't matter much.
That's such a great attitude! Different ages (as a mum) have such different things to offer. I see the same close bond in my nieces and nephews, themselves spread out in ages and it works great.
ReplyDeleteSixty-three, friend. And I'll be 62 at Eve's. Didn't even have to think much about that, since I play that same game all the time in my head. I can beat the rowing story. I waddled around a college campus helping Heidi find classes when I was 6 months pregnant with Eve.
ReplyDeleteI've found that the lessons taught to my older kids are invaluable, and as exhausted as I get some days, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
So so cute, this picture! Your sweeties are adorable!! Off to read some of your past posts ....
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day.
Saskia
xo
You are so cute and I bet the perfect mom at any of these ages!
ReplyDeleteI jumped over here from jen's blog and have really enjoyed reading through your posts. I have a very different age range- my oldest was only 7 when my 5th (and last) was born. That has it's own set of challenges. I believe we are given the kind of family that's just right for us, whatever the challenges may be. I love my own brand of chaos! The view from your kitchen sink is great, glad I followed you over here.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your children "met" you at exactly the right age! Love this post. xoxo
ReplyDeleteWell, first it might help you that you look like you are 31 not 41! Really!
ReplyDeleteI don't do the number game anymore...freaks me out. I get mad when people do it for me..."wow, when patrick is in college you'l be blah blah blah." Don't know why it bugs me but it does.
I love that I am spreading out the best part of my life as far as possible...stretching out those baby years for as long as I can. Once they're gone, they're gone.
I do that game all the time too! When my almost 4 year old turns sweet 16, I will turn the big 50 3 days before her. I don't think I will like that very much!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Stephen!