I was just reflecting on how my life has changed over the past year. In some ways, being a mom of older kids is a lot harder than I expected. There is more driving and schedule coordinating. The crying and whining has been replaced by sibling squabbles. But there are lots of perks to having the kids a bit older. Here are my top five.
1. No more diapers! I just realized that my little garbage can by the garage door has become obsolete. Too bad the skidmarks on the toilet seat are not much better than changing a poopy diaper.
2. A day at the waterpark is enjoyed by all, and skipping the nap is no problem. Daytrips without Jared is also a piece of cake. This is significant because in the past, I was the boring one. Jared did all the fun stuff with the kids, and I stayed home with the babies, or came but took care of the babies, or left early with the babies. Well it's my turn now. ; ) While he is at work, we can hit the dollar theater, park, or wherever.
3. In house babysitters! Thank goodness for Elise. She is great at keeping an eye on Simone when I have a couple of errands to run during the day. Yes, she is just under 10. But she is really, really mature, and does a better job than most of the babysitters we've hired. She's got a lot of money tucked away for that ipod she's saving up for.
4. Kids who are old enough to stay home when I make a grocery run. It was just a couple of years ago I felt like a walking freak show with all four kids at the store. Thankfully that number has been reduced by two and I am much less harried.
5. FAR less laundry and cleaning! Kids who clean their own rooms, do dishes, and clean out the car is such a novelty. In fact, one of Elise and Monet's jobs are to unload the dishwasher every morning. Heaven! I can tell them to "go clean the basement" and eventually, it gets done. We usually have our fair share of "(insert child's name here) isn't helping!" before we get to the finished product, but we're working on that part.
