Mama Duck

 I used to see "those moms" with lots of kids and think I would never be one of "those moms".  They have all the patience and can even do their kids' hair and get them in matching outfits!  Those moms can make meals and crafts and their children *never* fight.

So now for the next 14 days, I'm toting six children around.  I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a lot of kids, no matter who you are.  They don't match, I kind of do their hair, and I have just enough patience to make it to bedtime and start over the next day.  Who would've thought?  Caffeine, chocolate, and the prayers of good friends have made what seemed ridiculous to me, into a reality. 

Of course, this parenting six children thing is for a very short amount of time.  Pretty sure I really couldn't do it all. the. time.

For the past five days, we've been in transition.  Going from having all independent children, who can buckle their own seat belts and play without constant supervision, back to diapers, sippy cups, and "put that down it's glue not chapstick!" has been a shift, to put it mildly.  There is a reason (at least one!) that babies don't arrive in this world as two-year-olds.

This morning I opened a new gallon of milk and threw the lid right in the trash can.  I barely have enough mental focus to write a shopping list, and I'd really rather not talk about what my house looks like.  I keep coming back to the "hit by a truck" analogy.  But it's not like getting hit and run over...it's more like standing still, and then getting hit and stuck on the grill of the truck and flying down the highway.  It's not that the work is harder, it's just so much more constant.

But the Safe Families journey is one that I'm sure we're supposed to be on.  I didn't know it would be so rewarding along with being so tough.  I think the hardest part will be letting our host kids go when it is time to say goodbye to them.

If you want to know more about the mission of Safe Families, check out www.safe-families.org.