Our Tribe of Ten
What it's really like to live with 9 other humans
When you have 8 kids like we do, people tend to ask a lot of questions, like "WHY?" Many people want to know what it's like to live in a large family. It's difficult to describe but here's a list to get you started. These are 10 facts you may not know about our tribe of ten.
#1 We are loud.
Even if 10 people talk in normal voice tones, it can get noisy. We don’t talk in normal voices. We often have to raise our voices to be heard over the other 9 people who are also talking at the same time.
#2 We keep cows in business.
We consume several gallons of milk a week. A trip to the grocery store usually means we pick up about 4 gallons.
#3 Shoes are going to kill us.
We spend approximately 94. 6 minutes a day looking for someone’s shoes. Ten people each with at least 3-4 pairs of shoes—that’s over 70 shoes floating around the house. There’s always at least one person who can’t find a matching pair when we were supposed to be in the car 5 minutes ago.
Yes, my children have left the house with only one shoe, mismatched shoes, broken shoes, and 2 lefts shoes. I have often told my children that I know exactly how I will die. Shoes will kill me. I will trip over one and break my neck. If not that, then the legos will surely get me.
Shoes will be the death of me.
#4 It takes a village.
It takes a village to get our village out the door and into the car. Everybody has to get themselves ready and help someone younger. Except the 4 and 3-year olds. They are usually too busy looking for their shoes.
#5 Our laundry is never done.
Our laundry is forever in various stages throughout the house:
On the floor
Washed, but not dry
Dry, but not folded
Folded, but not put away
Back on the floor
#6 We can always find someone to snuggle with.
Nobody is ever lonely in our house. The extroverts among us love this! Though I love snuggles with my family, I am a flaming introvert and I occasionally look forward to the opportunity to miss my family for a short break while I sneak away.
Yes, I know. God has a quirky sense of humor giving the task of raising 8 young-in's to an introvert who loves peace and quiet. I always tell myself that someday the house will be clean and quiet and I will wish they were all home again.
#7 Our children learn personal responsibility early.
Mommy just can’t keep up with everybody’s details and I’ve quit trying to pretend that I can.
#8 No one is replaceable.
When some children are away, 4 or even 6 kids feels like a small family. We always miss the ones who are gone.
Brotherly love melts my heart!
#9 Our children are comfortable with all age groups from adult to infant.
Nothing melts my heart more than watching my 17-year old and 3-year old adore each other.
#10 There’s no such thing as “too many children”.
Some people call me crazy. Some people feel sorry for me. My secret is that I am blessed far beyond the mess, the noise, the laundry, or the lost shoes. I get to hang out with some pretty amazing people every day. Sure, I’m stretched and some days are hard, but I wouldn’t trade our craziness for a more “manageable” life if I had to miss out on our tribe of ten.
What do you love about your family? Share in the comments below!