Mom Of Eight Sunday Routine

Some people say I have a lot of children. I guess I sometimes don't realize that I do. They ask me questions that I have never thought about before. But when I sit down and think about how I do some of the things I do with the children. I do what comes natural I try things one way and if it dont work I try another way. I brain storm and try a different way untill it seems to go smoothly. I guess I may have a lot of children according to some families. It feels normal its just my life and I wouldnt want it any other way. I can’t imagine it any other way. My mother always said that I would say, “I’m gonna have alot of children some day mom.” Of course you never really know if you will or not. I had my 1st two boys and then I thought I was finished having anymore children. With the five year gap between the 1st two and the five little ones. I’m thankful the lord blessed us with many children in this season of life.Saturday evening after dinner we start getting them around.

I either go to each of the children’s room and help them pick out an outfit or they bring down items to me to look over. Some of those items would include:

The girls

A dress

a t-shirt to go under if needed, or a small dress sweater.

Cloth shorts for summer or Pants for winter (to go under dress)

dress sock

dress shoes

A bow to match and hair ties and brush.

The boys

They are older and can pick out their own clothes. I take a look at their’s on Sunday morning after they have eaten to make sure it has no stains or rips and matches. They do pretty good. The boys have always been easier to get ready.

They pick out

A dress shirt

Dress slacks or pants

socks and shoes

I get each child in the bath or shower. We try to put the two littlest ones in together and as one is rinsing or playing, I wash up the other one. For the two littlest ones I try to ask each child to give me there hand or their foot in spanish so they can begin to learn body parts in spanish. They pick it up very quickly and it’s great review time. Most of the time I give the baths to the children. My husband will pickup the house alittle before bed or relax.

The two older girls normally take a shower together and I come in and help them get the shampoo and conditioner for there hair. ( or they would use the whole bottle for bubbles in the tub or to make a slip in slid ha) sometimes they like to take one separately depending on the time we let them. We try to get everyone and everything done and in bed by 8 pm. And the oldest boys all take there own showers without needing my assistance. After showers they get their pajamas on and if they want me to brush there hair I do but most of the time they like to do their own. We like to let there hair dry naturally before bed, as they watch there favorite learning video. They may grab another snack at that time and after will brush their teeth and floss. My husband and myself with help the 2 littlest to brush and floss. Sometimes we may have to help the other children with flossing. Once a week we brush all of the childrens teeth and floss them for them to be sure they are getting them well.

Once they are all out of shower and settled my husband will gather them around his bedroom chair and read a bible story and talk about it. At that time I pick out my clothes for the next day and nurse the baby. The children will all line up behind my husband or myself and ask for a blessing and kiss before they head to bed. Or ask the lord to help us and them with what they are needing that day. They go off to there rooms to sleep. They read books as they fall asleep.

Some of the nights the three girls will sleep in the room together they have a full size bunkbed on the bottom and single on top. I have found them all squeezed in that one bed before but normally you will find our oldest daughter on top and the two ther girls on bottom together. Isaac is transitioning to having the older boys moving out and it’s hard for him so he has asked if he could sleep upstairs in the toy room. The basement rooms are too lonely for him down there alone now.

In the near future we hope to move all the girls down stairs and let each of them have there own rooms there. Move Isaac upstairs in his own room. And leave the toy room for just toys or turn it into a school room and take the beds out of there.

The baby sleeps with us most nights, but we will transition her to the cot that we lay out in our room for her. She will lay there for the 1st half of the night and then climb or cry and get into our bed later that night to snuggle and nurse again. That gives my husband and myself some quality time to spend together. We have found it is much needed and if we go with out that time it puts a strain on our relationship. So we try our best to keep that time for us. We will watch a movie or talk about our day.

Sunday morning:

my husband normally will wake up earlier then everyone else and start making breakfast for the children. He will then wake the children and have them eat and brush there teeth and then get dressed. He will wake me up if I’m not already up nursing the baby. He will take the baby and give her eggs or breakfast as I start getting around. When I’m finished getting myself around. I do all four girls hair. They brush there own hair as good as they can get it. I finish it and do some sort of thing so there hair stays neat and tidy topped with there bow. Our son gets himself ready and styles his hair by himself. We all make sure the diaper bag has a sippy cup, toys and snacks for the day.

We load in the car my husband buckles one child on his side I buckle the other on the other side and the older ones can buckle there own. And off we go to church!