Tuesday, June 29, 2010

And then there were six!



Last weekend the amount of children in our house doubled. No, we did not all of a sudden pull a "Brangelina" and procure three adopted children out of thin air. The additions came about because our very good friends asked us to babysit their three boys while they went away.

Why is it that when we babysit other people's children we give them the best of ourselves and when it comes to our own children, they often get the cranky leftovers?

It amazes me how much patience I can have for someone else's children. They can ask endless questions and they are all answered with a smile. They can ask for food ten times a day and I am happy to oblige. They can ask for me to put this together/take this apart/stick this here/help me there and I am happy to do it every time.

It amazes me that I sat down with everyone at lunch when often I am still standing at the bench cleaning, making the next round or doing who knows what while the rest of my family sit down and eat lunch together.

It amazes me that I could play games and read books endlessly when I am quick to get it over with when doing it with my own children.

I will admit that I was nervous about having six kids in the house but the weekend was lovely. I took the time to play with the boys and thus with my kids. I took the time to make special morning and afternoon tea that they all enjoyed. I took the time to sit and chat with them all which was fun.

I also enjoyed watching my wonderful husband give and give and give of himself. He is a fantastic father and was a really super adoptive father to the boys over the weekend. He tirelessly played xbox and board games and took the kids swimming for hours and then spent a couple of hours putting together our massive Thomas train set with five "helpers". He has the patience of a saint!

This would have been a very hard time if the three boys in question weren't such lovely, well brought up boys. Their parents should be very proud of them. Their parenting efforts made having them in our house a joy.

It's an honour to be entrusted with someone else's children. I really hope they went home feeling loved and cared for and a part of our family.

1 comment:

  1. So true, so true. How we have time for other people's children. I'm the same. And I've learnt that I need to be better with my own kids! Glad the weekend went well for you all. The Redman boys certainly are keepers! xx

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