The past few years have been rocky at best. Some of my blackest days occurred as recently as 10 months ago. The past few weeks have been considerably less dark, but very anxious and stress-filled. As I type this, I can literally feel the huge knots that have cemented themselves into my shoulders and neck. Not a healthy way to live. I’ve lost sleep and skipped meals as burden upon burden has entangled my soul. Ick. Have I pressed into the Lord for His strength and guidance? Given Him the anxieties he promises to take off my shoulders? Have I done all I can to remain in constant contact with the Creator of the universe? Not even close.

My sweet Jake will be 15 months in a couple of days. This baby is the epitome of joy. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his mother. Strangers can’t help but smile when they make eye contact with him. He exudes peace, tranquility and happiness. He hasn’t a worry in the world.

But Jake doesn’t sleep through the night. Never has. He still nurses and wakes up a few times a night to cuddle. I’ve never let him cry it out, never left him to soothe himself back to sleep. Am I crazy, wouldn’t I enjoy a full night of rest? Absolutely! But this is such a short, blink of a season. My desire to comfort for Jake overrides my desire for sleep.

In one form or another, we are connected on a continual basis. He knows me so well that even if we’re not in the same room, he still knows I’m here. He’s memorized the sound of my footsteps, the pitch of my voice, rhythm of my breath, the scent of my skin. If he needs me, he’s determined to search until I’m found. He comes to me with and for everything. Sometimes he needs me to feed him, calm his fears, wipe his tears or sing him to sleep. Even in the midst of him playing with his siblings, he’ll often crawl over to where I am, get in my lap, rest his head on my chest and just smile. He only stays for a minute, then crawls back to play again. He just desires for us to be close, if even for a second. Jake has no doubt that he is adored, treasured and loved. He trusts me for all of his needs, 100% of the time. As long as he has me, he has everything he needs to be completely content.

How might the last few years look different if I had that same dependence upon the Lord? If I stayed connected to Him on a continual basis through reading and prayer? If I took everything to Him instead of keeping it to myself? If I really believed how much He adores, treasures and loves me? Oh, how my days would sing a different song if I lived as though nothing + Jesus= everything.

Jake lives an absolutely satisfied life. He is never left wanting or thirsting for more. The Lord promises me the same experience when I truly trust Him. Praying He give me the ability to do so.

Jesus said to her, ”Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  John 4:13-14

Noah is so much like his Daddy. He’s fearless and bold, often times wanting to challenge the world around him. He’s silly, but meticulous, and loves investigating every element of something. He’s also tender and warm, loves hugs and kisses, cuddling and holding hands. He stands up for his siblings and helps them when called for. He loves to love.

But he also resembles me. He’s into art and music and only loves coloring pages that have “lots of tiny details.” He enjoys painting and sculpting, listening to classical and jazz. For his birthday party, he specifically requested that we listen to salsa. He loves watching me cook, and keeps begging me to let him help. I need to start. He’s such a beautiful combination of his parents, and I’m so blessed to be his Momma.

My toothless Noah.

He requested homemade strawberry cupcakes. I made a strawberry cream cheese frosting and topped them with fresh strawberries. I love that he didn't mind them being pink.

May the Lord bless his 8th year.

The past couple of months, I’ve been pouring myself into being a better Momma to my babies. So much, in fact, that I’ve been the most exhausted I’ve ever been in my entire life. Do I regret it? Of course not. My babies have had some incredible moments and we’ve all created some precious memories. I thank the Lord for giving me fresh, creative ideas and enough strength to power through and get them done. I’m still so very far from fully embracing the woman He’s called me to be, but I’m getting there. I was encouraged, which is an amazingly refreshing place to be, considering the intense darkness that’s surrounded me the past 3 years.

Then today, someone calls into question the amount of effort I give to my family. “If you just put forth a little more effort…” they critiqued. “If you don’t, you’ll regret it someday. Your son might grow up wondering why you didn’t…” and the lies begin to flood my mind. My brain instantly begins to replay what I’ve done and haven’t done as a mother the last 8 years, pulling from its archives any situation that previously filled me with doubt. In the few seconds after those words were uttered, I’d gone back months and years, grabbing hold of all my weak moments. Great way to start the morning.

But before all those thoughts had the chance to consume my sleep-deprived brain, the Lord quickly reminded me of my calling. My calling. It will never resemble the calling of anyone else on this planet. It was perfectly and intricately designed for little, insignificant me. But I’m human, and the doubt wonders if He made the right call. Did He understand the type of wife this man would need? Did He really know who He was giving these 5 babies to? Did He consider all my imperfections, my struggles, the areas where He knew I’d slip and fall?

He is so faithful to bring to my mind the glorious evidence of His work in my life over the years. It rings truer and louder than the stream of disappointing memories there just seconds before. “Remember where I called you from, how I shifted your heart and mind to the become the woman you are today. I’m far from finished with you, but daughter, remember… “

I’m doing exactly what He wants me to be doing, and raising my babies the way He’s calling me to. No, it won’t work or fit for every family. But I’m not responsible for every family, I’m responsible for mine. I will probably often be met with opposition from the world. Someone, somewhere will always disagree with what I’m doing here. But I don’t answer to man, but to God. And when the seeds of doubt attempt to take root within my soul, I’ll remember why I’m even here in the first place. He is the God who works wonders.

“Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
   to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
   yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
   and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
   What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
   you have made known your might among the peoples. ”

Psalm 77:10-14

I love the contrast of the 2 colors. Both brown, but one with a golden tint, the other a little red.

After Nathan chopped his bangs a couple of weeks ago, I tried to fix his masterpiece and live with the resulting do. Not possible. He also complained, along with Noah, that it was too hot, they didn’t like it in their eyes, etc. And while I love the long hair, I love my boys more. If they want it short, then short it is. For now, anyways.

I know I’m a little biased, but those are some handsome mini-men. So blessed that at least for now, they’re all mine.

Noah wanted to be the same height as Nathan, so he knelt beside him. Sweet.

No, I didn't alter the color, they're really that tanned. We've spent a lot of time in the sun this summer and the sunscreen isn't always remembered. Cuties.

I love thinking about their relationship when they're older teens or young adults. All 3 of my boys are so blessed to have their sisters and each other. Siblings are awesome. Give your babies lots.

We started last Thursday, with our weekly trip to the movie theater. I’m loving this summer series of movies offered at our local Dollar Theater. We saw the human version of Charlotte’s Web for the first time, and I left wanting three things: 1. to move somewhere that actually has 4 seasons, 2. to live in the country and 3. to have a barn where a talented spider can spin words for her pig friend. I loved that movie.

Friday, I spent the day cleaning and packing for our trip to San Antonio for Father’s Day Weekend. Jeremy wanted to golf with my brother, and we wanted to visit the Kiddie Park. Traveling with 5 babies can be a bit of a challenge, especially when I’ve got a few that want to puke the second we pull out of the driveway. We usually pop in a DVD or two, but I decided to try some audio books this time. I thought they’d get less sick if they were engaging their imaginations instead of only their eyes. Thank the Lord, it worked and we remained vomit-free the entire trip. We listened to Roald Dahl’s, Charlie and the Glass Elevator, the sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was pretty hilarious, and I couldn’t help but smile as the sound of baby giggles filled the car. Sweet, sweet sound.

Whenever we’re in another city I love eating at restaurants that we don’t have here, so Saturday, we had lunch at Cheesy Jane’s thanks to their kids eat free coupon. So yummy! Then we finally decided to brave the 103 degree temperatures and head to the park. I knew it was well shaded, there was a hot, brisk breeze and we had plenty of water.

Their first ferris wheel experience. They loved it!

This was by far, their favorite ride.

Sweet Hannah, "driving" little cars around a track.

The fact that my big girl, on her way to turning 9, can still laugh like that on a baby ride makes my heart feel so good.

The water was irresistible, had to splash in it.

I loved watching the breeze blow their hair in such a whimsical way.

Nate seemed a little unsure about the stability of the boat, but Noah loved it.

Poor Jake, see how flushed he was? It was HOT!

Even the girls liked aiming a gun at their Momma.

Hannah was adorable. No matter how many times she "flew" by me, she'd smile and wave, after she shot me, of course. 

I think Noah aimed the best. I could feel those bullets zooming past my face.

Took him a few minutes, but Nate finally settled in and started shooting.

This turned really quickly and abruptly. Can you tell they loved it??

I love how hard they were laughing.

Carousel's can't help but make you feel all nostalgic. Love it.

A really nice family was having a birthday party and asked if the babies wanted to hit the pinata. Hannah couldn't believe the amount of candy they were getting to keep!

After a couple of hours, baking in the South Texas heat, we headed back to my brother’s house to cool off. It’s incredible how heat like that can really zap the life from your bones.

Father’s Day morning, we presented Daddy with his yearly t-shirt. I’d include a pic, but I can’t locate the shirt right now. It had all 5 hand prints on it and said, “5 High-5′s for the BEST Daddy!” Needless to say, he loved it. We also had the pleasure of visiting my brothers church and watching him play his guitar with the band. Such a talented young man who loves the Lord. He’ll be an amazing Daddy someday.

Jeremy got to select where we’d eat for lunch, since it was his day. We were all starving after church, so he glanced out across the parking lot, saw a random place and picked it. Maggiano’s. It was wonderful. During our 45 minute wait, I was able to explain to the babies how because our family alone is 7, we’ll probably always have to wait at least a little bit when we eat out. I thought it was a neat observation, but they were more concerned with eating already. That was some of the best service I’ve received, and the food was amazing. I’m still dreaming about my crab & shrimp cannelloni, and the amazing sampler of 5 desserts we enjoyed.

The drive home that night was challenging. I thought it would be fun to not select the first route the GPS offered, but the 3rd. Found out, it’s 3rd for a reason. Maps from 2006 plus one wrong turn meant taking 50 minutes to get out of the city. We did get to see some eclectic areas we never had before, but not without a little extra tension and attitude. We were soooo glad to finally make it home, exhausted.

Some family from Dallas also came down for a few days. We love them so much. This was my sister-in-law’s, brother-in-law and his 3 girls. We consider him our brother, and those beautiful girls are my nieces. Jeremy had some personal days saved up so was able to use 3 of them so he could visit too. We got to spend Monday-Wednesday with them, enjoying some swimming, BBQ, an awesome little water park that had a lazy river we all enjoyed for only $3, and a dinner out with 9 babies! Did I snap any photos? Nope. Too busy living in the moment to capture any…which I partially regret, but I did have way more fun than I normally do as merely a spectator. Thankfully, someone else did take a few so we can remember.

We miss the girls so much, already!

Sweet babies!

Bring 9 babies together, ages 1-8, and you've got some beautiful, but crazy loud times.

We hated to see them leave, but hope we can visit them sometime this fall. After feeling completely wiped out, I was going to cancel our Thursday movie date, but the kids look forward to it and I decided to go ahead and just push through. Were supposed to see Megamind but the projector was broken, so saw Rio instead and it was okay.

So, here we are on Friday. My one day to do absolutely nothing, go absolutely no where. Tomorrow is the circus, which is a big deal for the babies, so trying to rest up. We’ll probably also toss some swimming in there somewhere. Oh, and we started school around here last week. We got 3 solid days completed before we had to rearrange our schedule to accommodate changing plans. That’s the beauty of it, though. Being able to adjust our school days to match our lives, not the other way around. Hope your summer is as crazy as ours has been!

I think my favorite rendition might be with the blueberries. Soooo, so, good.

And what’s that little paper the muffins are sitting on? Well, I don’t buy paper plates because they’re too expensive and seem wasteful, but I don’t want to wash a million dishes after every meal. So, I bought these, and I use them for serving the babies things like muffins, cakes, sandwiches, etc. $5 for 1,000 sheets is hard to beat.

Our local baseball team shoots fireworks after every Friday night game. We decided to skip the game, but park near the fireworks. The babies had no idea, as we pulled them from their beds in their pj’s to go. They were ecstatic. It was a pretty decent show, too! Definitely worth the time. We hope to see them a few more times this summer.

These were our favorites. Looked like a million stars.

We set them up with juice boxes and a couple of blankets. Jake was hiding inside the car with Daddy.

We were literally right underneath them. Never been that close before. We could actually see the guy setting them off just in front of us.

We also made a play washing machine, complete with rotating dials. Lasted all of 2 days before the “glass” door got ripped off.

Jake tried to sit inside after he saw Nathan doing it. Nate wanted to stay in there "forever."

We finally visited the new splash park at the Aquarium. We LOVED it, and plan to go often. It’s zero-depth, which means no chance of drowning! There is a chance of getting knocked over by rowdy kids who run little ones over. Thankfully, the ground is squishy.

The first day we tried it, was one that started on a really rough note. I was having one of those mornings when things began to feel very overwhelming. Stress began to choke the breath right out of me, and I felt like the walls were closing in. Thank God, He quickly pulled me from myself, and reminded me about this new park, only 11 minutes away. I had to get out of the house. I quickly told the babies to throw on their swimsuits. “Where are we going,” excited little voices asked. “It’s a surprise,” I answered. I’m falling in love with surprising them. It’s becoming somewhat of an addiction for me, I think.

As soon as we got closer, they knew where we were going. Squeals filled the car, bouncing from window to window. I couldn’t park quick enough. And when they finally saw the park?

I love how they stick together when we go places like this.

This was a huge waterfall that would crash down on people below.

They were just dumped on by a huge waterfall.

Sweet Nate, always messing with his hair. No, I haven't cut it. Gonna let it grow.

Jake, not a huge fan. He has gotten used to it, though. As long as you avoid his face, he has fun. Can you spot all 5 of mine?

Took Hannah a while to finally get in there. Once she did, I couldn't get her out.

Ella snapped this of me and my Jake. Ahh...

She is such an incredible big sister. Better than I EVER was.

After playing for a few hours and eating lunch, we browsed around the dolphin exhibit. I left the camera in the car, ever trying to find the balance between capturing moments and living in them. There’s an underwater viewing area where you can see them gracefully swimming. The room is dim and cold, mostly lit by the sun that permeates the blue pool above. I’ve always loved staring at aquariums full of lively fish, but watching dolphins swim back and forth in front of me? Wow. Beyond calming. I’ll admit, I actually got a little emotional watching such beautiful creatures. It was as if I could literally feel my stress level completely drop.

We decided to stay for their show. We made our way back to the surface to find our seats. There are certain factors, when combined at just the right moment, that create a sort of peaceful euphoria for me. Sitting there, view of the ocean beside us, sun reflecting off the blue pool, the cool breeze, my 5 babies sitting together, laughing and loving? More tears of gratitude. The Lord saw fit to bless me with a perfect, perfect moment. I didn’t realize how badly I even needed one. So wonderful. Thankful.

We've also hit the library. I'm so glad my babies love books as much as I do.

And for the first time, my little ones got to experience miniature golf. We discovered two things. 1. They LOVE it. 2. This will need to go on our fall/winter fun list, not the summer list. Even going at 6 in the evening, it was brutally hot. I mean, HOT.

See how flushed they are? Poor babies. And Hannah, my mermaid, will always find water.

Winding up...

About to make impact...

Oh, so close.

Can you tell what just happened here?

While Daddy was consoling Hannah, Ella was consoling Noah. He'd just been benched for one entire hole and was in tears over it. Ella felt so bad for him, more so than for Hannah who had just been smacked. And little Nate just sat there, stunned.

Momma, can you please take a picture of me and my club and pink ball?

Can you tell they're hot and exhausted. These "smiles" were followed by hardcore meltdowns an hour later. I couldn't blame them. It was a long, but beautiful day.

Last, but not least, we’ve been playing in a little pool when we can. The babies are enthralled with even the smallest amount of splashable water. I placed Jake in a little flexible plastic tub I have for toys. It was the perfect size for him.

Jake is now a fan of water, as long as it's not being poured directly over his head.

"Spaa, spaa," he'd repeat after me when I told him to splash. So sweet.

I end this long photo post with what else, but an adorable baby butt. Hope you’re enjoying your summer!

I hung a tarp to block some of the sun. Worked really well!

We made homemade playdoh using this recipe:

Ingredients
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup of salt
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla (if you want it to smell pretty)
food coloring

I tinted the dough to make 8, beautiful colors.

I realized that each baby really needed their own ball of each color, since some like to mix it and some like to keep each color separate. I forgot to wear gloves when dying the dough. But once incorporated, it didn't stain. And yes, even Jake got a tiny ball of each color.

Ella's hamburger.

Hannah, always wanting to be like her big sister, also made a hamburger.

Noah had to show his sisters the "way a man makes a burger."

Nate is my mixer. All 8 colors blended into this muted shade, which he then used to make this, his "scewee max." Yes, it was very scary, indeed.

I’m always amazed how long my babies can sculpt and create. They played with that dough for over 2 hours before I had to pull them away from it!

Unrelated to fun, two days ago, when I was certain all of them were sound asleep as I finished some tasks, Nathan decided to sneak into my room, find a pair of scissors, and cut his own bangs. He didn’t have his first hair cut until he was almost 2 years old. I loved the way his soft curls bounced as he played. However, the longer it grew, the more questions I got about when I was going to “give that boy a haircut.” I caved, and we cut it. But I always missed his curls. So, after seeing a friend of mine let her baby’s hair grow out, I decided we’d do the same. It was finally past that awkward phase and starting to curl up at the ends. Now, this.

What do I do with this? I don't want to cut it all off and start again??

What’s the beautiful thing about not having a yard completely covered in grass?

After jumping through the sprinkler and being clean, the runoff caused this.

Yes, they were throwing mud at one another, but it was really in a sweet and loving way.

We had a wide range of mud, from watery to thick. Made for a good war.

They still couldn't believe I was telling them to actually jump in the puddles.

I really should have jumped right in there with them. Next time, for sure.

They were completely covered.

Come on, what's not to love about 2 sisters holding muddy hands?

Hannah was really hesitant to get so muddy, but after seeing the older two laughing so hard, she finally joined in and loved it!

Noah is a fighter. Well, a play fighter. He often loves to pose in his warrior stance. He made no exception when using mud as his ammo.

Bath time lasted a little longer than normal, after all of this. I love that she'll be 9 soon, and has no problem enjoying stuff like this with her younger siblings. It was a great day.

My babies may not realize it, but I know they love the beach for a lot of the same reasons that I do. At this age, they’re more enamored with jumping through the waves, splashing in the surf and building sand castles. But I sense a peace that envelops them when we’re there. Their normal fighting and bickering is almost non-existent, their smiles and giggles are in endless supply. It’s an enchanting place for them, too.

We were blessed to spend some of Memorial Day weekend there. It was our kickoff to Summer and hopefully the first of many glorious trips this season.

Beautiful Ella. She enjoys the sand more than water. She loves to design & create.

My Noah. He's still got his adorably silly side. I hope he never loses it.

He looks so grown up and handsome, here. I can catch a glimpse of him as a rugged 18 year old, ready to take on the world. We were just discussing him finding his bride. How my heart will break when my boys get a new, number 1 woman in their lives. Treasuring every second I get to be her.

Hannah is my mermaid. She'd stay in the water all day if I never called her to land.

It was really difficult to get Nate to stop for a pic. He never wants to pause long enough! That's watermelon juice dripping down his chin.

Jake still isn't a huge fan of the sand, but he LOVED chomping on watermelon while in the shade.

More yummy watermelon-juice chin. I love the sand in his lashes.

This is how my baby gives kisses, now. Full pucker and all. Still often wet and messy, but they're the absolute BEST on earth.

See that smile? It's really hard to get that from her anywhere else. This is her place.

They loved sitting backwards to the waves, anticipating when they'd crash. They were always surprised, and it was hilarious for them.

Sweet, sweaty, sandy curls. Doesn't get any better than that.

I saw this post about making a Summer Fun Chart to list all the activities you’d like to participate in as a family over the next few months. I loved that idea. We’ll be starting our new school year in the beginning of June, but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the summer. I used the list from that site to jump-start our own list, adding and removing what fit for us. We came up with 50 things to do, plus left 4 blank lines for any additional activities we participate in. I didn’t want to pay to get a large poster printed, so I just typed our list and then printed it on 4 sheets of paper that I taped together to make a 17 x 22 page. We made a frame out of some old Amazon boxes that we glued and then painted, and our masterpiece now graces our living room. As we complete an activity, we’ll place a sticker next to that item on our list. I’m hoping to snap pics of everything and maybe compile some sort of photo journal that the babies can flip through while they reminisce about the summer of ’11.

This is actually a project I see us doing for each and every season of the year, not just the summer. Will we get to do everything on the list? Maybe. Some of the things on it we actually do on a weekly basis as it is. But even if we aren’t able to do it all, I already promised myself I won’t feel like I’m a failure and allow unnecessary guilt to settle in. I’ll do the best I can for my babies, and pray that the Lord will bless my efforts and supply countless, beautiful, fun-filled memories for them.

Here’s our list if you want some ideas to start your own:

swim at nana’s
backyard campout
family movie night (this is one we usually do every Saturday night w/the babies anyways, but I figured it would help them to see the accumulation of stickers for times when they start complaining that we “never watch anything!”)
go to the library
go to the movies (Cinemark Theater brings back 10 kid movies during the summer for $1, or only $0.50 if you buy a pass in advance. Last year we loved seeing some of our favorites we missed the first time they were in the theaters.)
backyard swim party
run through sprinklers
take a nature walk
see a parade
watch fireworks
water balloon fun
family picnic
go miniature golfing
eat snow cones
make ice cream
go on a road trip
night stargazing
family game night (another one we do weekly. We either play a board game, or this is when we break out the Wii. I had the pleasure of dancing to “There’s a Party in my Tummy” from Yo Gabba Gabba, last week. Highest score, right here.)
make homemade playdoh
build a sand castle
pizza party
make root beer floats
play at the beach
go to a festival
jump in a bouncy
go bowling
make smore’s
go to a pool
go “losting” (a term my sweet friend coined that I love…the term & my friend.)
go to sprinkler park
visit aquarium
go to the art museum
visit san antonio kiddie park (so excited to take the babies here. This is a place I remember enjoying when I was a kid, and I know they’ll love it as much as I did.)
go to the zoo
watch a meteor shower
go camping
go to the circus
visit downtown water fountain
see an outdoor concert
see an indoor concert
watch an outdoor movie
catch fireflies
go fishing
play in the mud (I plan to participate in this one, not just watch, after seeing an episode of Peppa Pig in which the entire family happily played in mud. Yes, they’re pigs, as my husband pointed out to me, but I still loved the idea and can’t wait.)
dance in a rain shower
complete a reading program (Barnes & Noble, Half Price Books, and our library all have summer reading programs w/cool gifts for completion. The kids usually get their free circus tickets through the library program.)
go to craft time @ library (our local library has weekly arts & crafts time throughout the entire summer and it’s free!)
make & fly kites
go to a baseball game
explore our city as tourists (you know, pretend we’ve never been here and visit what we think first-timers usually visit.)

The babies love walking in and seeing that list, anticipating our fun-filled summer.

Those big circles were supposed to be bubbles, but the paint didn't want to cooperate.

On a side note, my babies have become avid climbers, even Nathan. Still scares me a little bit, but I have to let them do it. The more they climb, the better they become. Noah goes the highest.

I’ve read countless articles, scoured the web for tips, suggestions, solutions. Nothing. I found plenty of ideas, but nothing that would fit our particular family. Then I talked to a friend who casually mentioned what a friend of hers was doing with her 9 children. She had one central kids closet. Only she put things in and took things out. It got me thinking, and after some trial and error I stumbled upon a system that has worked for the last 3 weeks its been implemented. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it and am so thankful. Maybe some of it can work for you?

With the young ages of my babies, our main issue was containing all of the clothes. They would be folded, crammed into a drawer, then all clothes would get dumped from the drawer when a certain item was desired. Some clothes would get shoved back into the drawer, most would end up staying on the floor. Someone would want to change 5 times that day, dirty clothes ended up mixing with clean, all ages/genders jumbled together in multiple piles all over the house. It was a nightmare.

Here’s what I did:

1. I washed everything since I didn’t know what was really clean or dirty.

2. After all was clean, I threw a huge blanket onto the floor and had the babies separate all the clothes into piles for each person.

3. We went through each pile and removed anything too small (donated it,) too stained/destroyed (trashed it,) or too hot for the current season (boxed it.)

4. I took a detailed inventory of every single wearable item that each person still had.

5. After looking at my inventory, I made another list of items I believed each child still needed but was lacking. Now, each family needs to decide how many outfits each person needs to function properly. I was tired of having “play” clothes and “go into public” clothes. I realized that if I took care of their clothes properly (treating stains as soon as possible, etc.) that our family could use one set of clothes for both play and public. This works for us. I felt that each child needed no more than 5-7 full outfits, 3 sets of pajamas, 5 pairs of undies, and 5 pairs of socks. “Fancy” clothes, like dresses for the girls and pants for the boys are extra.

6. I bought what I needed, washed it, and then we folded everything. Dress clothes were hung up.

7. I got rid of the dressers (my kids rooms are too tiny for them anyways,) and created one central kids closet. I had a standard tall bookcase that I assembled into the closet. I adjusted the shelves so that I had 5 and they were evenly spaced apart, one for each child. I started with oldest on the bottom to youngest at the top. I purchased 5 narrow, fabric bins (dollar store) that would be used for undies, socks and swimwear. The rest of the clothes were folded and placed on each persons shelf in order of pajamas, tops then bottoms. At first, I was the only one going in there to retrieve their one outfit for the day (no unnecessary changes anymore), or their pajamas at night-time. But over the past few weeks they’ve learned the system and can retrieve their own items properly.

8. I got rid of our huge hampers and purchased smaller laundry baskets. I placed one in the girls room and one in the boys. They know to place their dirty clothes in the basket. The wonderful thing about a smaller basket, is that even when I combine the boys and girls clothes into one after a couple of days, that one basket is only one load of laundry! The old hamper we used was huge so the minimum load number was 3-4. That was enough to overwhelm me to the point that I couldn’t even get started somedays. But one load?? Come on! And a side perk? Because the basket is so light and little, I was able to show Ella how to carry it to the machine, load it, pour in the detergent, hit the right buttons and do it herself. Trained her on the dryer yesterday, so she is the official washer/dryer/folder of all kids clothes, and she’s super excited about it! Ahhhh.

Not only have all their clothes stayed fresh, folded and organized, but finding a specific item is now a breeze since everything is stacked and easily viewable. The drawers only allowed them to see what was on the very top, which of course was never what they wanted. We’re also not hunting through multiple baskets/piles to find something. All clean clothes are on their shelves. What did I do with their now empty closets? I’ll post about that later on, but it includes toy storage and Ella’s new, private “office.”

These are my top 2 shelves. The boys got blue baskets, girls got pink. Each shelf is about 14" tall, plenty of room left for more clothes if needed. And yes, someone scribbled with crayon underneath that top shelf.

I also forgot how unbelievably therapeutic it is for me to hang laundry on a clothesline. There’s something magically whimsical about it all. The early morning rays gracing my skin with her warm glow, the cool breeze blowing through my hair as I slowly smooth the fabric over the line. You just can’t rush it, you’re forced to slow down. I could’ve stayed out there all morning, it was that wonderful.

It was a beautiful, peaceful morning for hanging laundry outside.

Now that the clothes monster has been tamed, I’m 99% complete fine tuning my system for toys/books/art/homeschool materials. Immensely thankful to the Lord for giving me some fresh ideas and much-needed energy to get some vital things done around here. Sanity is so close, I can taste it!