I had a little reality check this past week as I contemplated what our life is going to look like with 5 kids.
That’s 100 finger/toe nails to cut each week, actually 120 if you count my own. Clint has to deal with his…I’ll have more than enough to cut. And there are 52 weeks in a year…which means I’ll be cutting over 5000 nails every year. I need to see if there is any actual use for nail clippings…maybe we could start running our vehicles on them, it would definitely save on gas.
It’s also 100 baby teeth that have to fall out. Well actually Leighton has already lost 2 teeth, so I’m down to 98 more visits by the tooth fairy. And at a shiny ½ dollar per tooth (this tooth fairy is way cheaper than most tooth fairies out there….but again we’re talking 100 baby teeth here), that’s $50.00. Actually it’s a little more because the tooth fairy gives TWO ½ dollars for the first tooth.
And not just falling out teeth…it’ll be between 100 and 160 (plus my own 28, again Clint has to take care of his own) teeth to brush and floss twice a day. And if I’m thinking the tooth fairy is going to cost me some money…wait till I start adding up braces for those 160 teeth and 5 gorgeous smiles. I think just so I keep breathing I won’t even go there yet.
And then there are shoes. Somehow every day we will have to find a way to get 10 SOCKS and SHOES on the correct foot in a reasonable amount of time. Again, really it will be 12 because I think it’s against the law to drive barefoot. We struggle with just 3 pairs of feet right now…how are we going to add four more feet to the mix. I read somewhere that someone said “98% of parenting is yelling “put your shoes on, we’re going to be late”, and I 100% agree. Someday after I figure out a use for all the finger/toe nail clippings I will solve the mystery of kids and shoes.
And Band-Aids. Right now, in an average week we go through about 356 Band-Aids…so with two more kiddos that will push us way over 500 a week. Awesome.
And you know what? All 5 are going to want to eat at least 3 times a day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. And drink as well. And it’s against the law for kids to only wear socks and shoes…they are going to have to be fully dressed. And while they will all go through a phase where they are happy wearing whatever….like a certain 4 year old who doesn’t think twice about leaving the house with his striped socks pulled up to his knees, cameo shorts (that are 2 sizes too small), a shirt with sharks on it, his super hero cape and a fire man hat on, for the majority of the time all 5 will have to wear something that is somewhat clean and may actually match the majority of the time. Clint suggested we just buy them all wet suits and just spray them down with the hose each night and pray that they stretch as the kids grow. It will cut way down on laundry and I’m really thinking he might be on to something….
It’s going to be crazy. And then some. But it will also be 5 little hugs each night and many sloppy kisses throughout the day. 10 shining eyes (probably will all need glasses which we will somehow have to keep straight…), and bright smiles each morning. Our days are going to be crazy, but also crazy fun and sweet at the same time. There’s going to be lots of messes but also far more giggles and snuggles. The messes will come, whether there is 1 or 5, but the sweet memories that we will make and the goofy times will (I pray), far surpass the craziness that we will come to know as our reality.
Hiking Mommy 