Their-cation: The sequel to the ever popular My-cation

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Their-cation: The sequel to the ever popular My-cation

I meant to post before we left on vacation but instead here I am with 3 days of vacation left and I've finally found my way around to the computer. We are on a Their-cation adventure! 11 kids all under the age of 5 in one house. You can visit Karen if you want the hosts perspective on this circus-act.

It has actually been really fun and there have been several relaxing moments so far. Today, I think that all but one kid was down for a nap/quiet-time AT THE SAME TIME for a couple hours. When this happens we crank up the baby monitors and party like it's 1999. Really. In 1999 none of these children were even a glimmer in our eyes. In fact, in 1999 I was in northern Michigan with this same group of people over New Years and when I think back to how different things are now...it makes me very grateful. There are 11 little bodies and souls that have been born out of the love and relationships that were forged back then.

Several of my friends who are up here with us dated through highschool and college...actually, not several, all. I'm the only one who married an Outsider - someone I hadn't met as a minor. Anyway, when I think back to the fun we had in highschool and college I sometimes wish for that freedom - what parent doesn't occasionally? But today as I watched all of these new little bodies run around in the sand and splash in the water and collect rocks and bugs; as I watched them develop their own relationships and and preferences for one friend or another; as I listened to them tell their newly acquired knock-knock jokes, I was struck with the realization that five years ago not one of these kids existed, except in the mind of God.

11 little bodies and souls. Born out of the ordinary love of my friends and out of God's love and generosity to all of us. It's easy to think about how different life is now for our little group as compared to life five years ago but the really amazing thing is that there are 11 little people here who are alive at all. Someday, I pray, they will all be blessed by having their own little people running around and changing their lives for the better. Life is good. God is good.

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Loves and Loveletts

Lex - somewhere in her mid-30's. Homeschooling mom as well as a homeschool graduate. Lives in a little Burg in the Appalachian mountains but will always have a little Michigan inside her. Mother of 6 that were born within 9 years of each other. Lover of audiobooks, praying through singing, birding, asparagus patches, and photographing kids. Grateful for the gift of community - the beauty, the ugly and the mediocre. Follower of Christ.

John - Late 30's Theology Professor, aka The Love Doctor. Always burning the candle at both ends he works hard during the day to form the future of Catholic priests and in the early mornings and evenings he carts children to and from activities and makes his wife mean G&Ts. Evangelization, providing music for Mass and adoration, sharing insights from St. Thomas Aquinas are what he's most known for in his professional life. Doing the dishes every night, dropping everything to meet us in the ER, and fixing the constant rotation of things the kids break are what he's most popular for here at home.

Anthony - Thirteen. Geography and grammar are where he shines academically - both requiring a precision that Anthony has a hard time not overusing. He enjoys playing soccer as often as possible and he stands out on his team as being a guy with his head and his body in the game - attentive and thinking. He works hard on living with equanimity as an introvert in a crowded, loud, busy home.

Rosie - Ten. Leader of "The Tribe": the three loveletts that were born within 2.5 years. She is a hard worker in school and rarely requires my help, just plugs along and gets her stuff done. She takes a lot of art classes and keeps a nature journal and I love what she is able to observe and translate through a pencil. She loves to make up all sorts of games and fun pretends for the younger member of the family. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a Rosie.

Thomas - Nine and all E. Energetic, enthusiastic, eager, excitable, extroverted, exhilarated and engaged. The only trouble we have with Thomas is that it's hard to keep him busy enough - he has an appetite for life that can be overwhelming! He's been this way ever since he mastered crawling. He was off and the rest is history. Anthony wrote this limerick about Thomas this year.

My brother is energetic

His body is super frenetic

He yells and he jumps

and he gives us all bumps

But Thomas is never pathetic.

This is all true.

Cecilia - Eight. Cece is such a great "smack-dabber". Smack-dab in the middle of the family and always wanting to be part of the team. She is generous, inclusive and positive. We often call her excited, positive, can-do presence, "The Power of Positive-Ce". She has none of her older sister's innate sense of fashion and often rollicks around in outfits that make me question her ability to see colors. And patterns. And cleanliness.

Catherine - 5 going on 30. Probably the most thoughtful and caring person in the house. She is totally normal when it comes to wanting to run with the big kids and "do it myself" and other such developmental standards. What sets her apart in our family is that she is so tuned into how other people are feeling and how her actions effect them. When she throws a fit (which she still does occasionally) she is the only child to offer unprompted apologies and amends. She is our sunshine.

Gloria - 3 and THE BABY. She is well ensconced in her role - having no desire or inclination to reliquish her tyrannical hold on all the people older then her. We do her bidding and she entertains us by singing herself little songs, letting us tickle her and having big beautiful eyes and super long eyelashes.

Love Life - Our Grand Tour

Thursday, July 3, 2008