Getting a grip: on having four kids

Last month Stuart traveled to Miami for four days. In the week leading up to his departure, I was kind of freaking out. How would I handle FOUR kids all by myself? Would I be able to get enough sleep with a newborn? Could I get up in time to get all the kids in the car and Alana to school by 7:50? I was worried!

So of course, as I often do when I'm worried, I took my worries to Facebook. I'm not sure if I was looking for sympathy, encouragement, or someone to rescue me, but I got what I was looking for. In a round about way.

A few days after I posted my lament about being alone for 4 days with the kids, I noticed that my uncle had written something like "get a grip!" I was mortified! Why would someone write that? How could anyone who hadn't had 4 kids in 6 years and had to parent them solo be so callous? I was upset. I removed my status update and called my sister to complain.

The thing is, that although I still think you shouldn't tell someone to "get a grip" when they are sincerely worried about something, it actually turned out to be just what I needed. I needed to get a grip. I needed to own my life and love it. I chose to have 4 kids so quickly. I chose to be a mother. Heavenly Father entrusted these kids to me. I can TOTALLY do this!

Now when it's 4 pm and everyone's freaking out, I am much more calm. I simply tell myself to get a grip and focus on my kids. In the middle of the night when I'm being woken up by multiple children, I tell myself "you got this!" and suddenly it's not so difficult.

So although having 4 kids is not the easiest thing in the world, I am choosing to enjoy it! I've got this. Most of the time.