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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A Gaggle of Children

You know how, when a little kid is so tired and they don't know what to do with themselves, they'll start wandering in circles to stay awake?

Sometimes they want a blanket, then a cup of milk, then a story, then a snack... circles and circles and circles.

That was totally me this entire past weekend. It was rainy and icky and the weather just couldn't figure out what it wanted to do, which leaves me fighting exhaustion and not being able to decide what to do either. So on Sunday I gave up completely, laid on the couch, turned on the tv and got sucked into a pop culture phenomenon that had alluded me up to this point.

I spent an entire day watching back-to-back episodes of Jon and Kate plus 8. I had NO IDEA what I'd been missing.

My friend Meg had just been telling me that her daughter Taylor loves the show and can tell all the little sextuplets apart, so I paused on the station just to see what all the hoopla was about. And apparently I wasn't the only one wandering in circles not knowing what to do... Jon and Kate had eight kids doing that non-stop! As was Jon, Kate's husband... that woman has definite ideas of how life should go, and running in circles seemed to be Jon's best past time.

They are crazy, organized and yet in total disarray, seem to really love each other and yet drive each other nuts all at the same time. In other words, it's the only reality show I've ever watched where I think I'm actually watching reality. And now I think I'm hooked.

And I suddenly feel the need to say thank you to my mother for raising six kids ages eight and under, and congratulate her for having made it through. Because she dealt with this on a daily basis:


And there are days I can barely keep this under control:

IMG_0706
Seriously.

42 comments:

  1. I relate to what you say! I don't have kids, and have never seen Jon and Kate, as I can only afford the cheapest cable, but working with kids every day makes me aware of the energy that must be required.

    I have a cat that doesn't let himself or me sleep through the night! And I can lock him out of my room (not so easily done with children) :)

    I seriously salute parents everywhere (and I hug my cat extra hard)!

    Recent blog post: What Shows Through?

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  2. Those have got to be the most innocent eyes I have seen next two my two pups....seriously. He makes my heart smile everytime I look at his photos.

    Recent blog post: Quilt Festival: Flower Basket Button Quilt

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  3. again - i love riley!! you just may make me a "dog person" yet.

    my daughter is hooked on that show as well. it is just about the only tv she watches (shes' 13). didn't realize that your mom had raised 6 under 8. that is an amazing feat!

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  4. I love Jon & Kate Plus 8! I've watched it since it first aired. But I honestly don't know how to do it either. I have one 3 year old who takes up all my time, and its hard enough for me to be organized with just him. I can't imagine having 8 kids all close to the same age!

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  5. Indeed, 6 under the age of 8, oh my! That was pretty much Kate's response when asked what she thought of "Octomom!" Kate's expression on her face just said everything, and then she composed herself and smiled while saying, "she's going to need some help!"

    Hope the weather is breaking out of the wet pattern and you are settled a bit more. Give a hug to that precious Riley pup for me!

    Recent blog post: Prayers for Stellan.

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  6. Kate and Emma LOVE Jon and Kate Plus 8. They could watch that show all day. They too both can tell all of the kids apart. I don't mind watching it but Matt can't stand it. I don't think he likes Kate too much which is humorous b/c some of the stuff she does I can totally see myself doing. FYI - it's on TLC every morning from 9-10 and again from 4-5 in the afternoon. They also frequently have marathons on in the evenings; Wednesdays in particular!

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  7. It IS a great show. Here I thought you were going to say you watched some trashy VH1 show though....those are hilarious to watch and make me feel more sane.
    By the way, you must be doing a darn good job with your baby (puppy), because he is as white as snow. My kids certainly never look so clean! :)

    Recent blog post: Here they are!

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  8. Robin~All Things Heart and HomeApril 21, 2009 at 10:25 AM

    Can I join you in Kudos to your mom...I'm giving her a standin Ovation...and she did a great job too! Just look at you Sweetie~
    I had 4 under 4 1/2!!!!! I can tell ya you loose a little of your mind with each one. This has left me in a constant state of scatter-brain... :-E

    Recent blog post: Graduation Banner Tutorial!

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  9. I love the word "gaggle". Gaggle Gaggle Gaggle.

    Recent blog post: Holocaust Remembrance Day

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  10. I became hooked on the show a few months ago.

    Recent blog post: Chicken Wonton Soup - Tuesdays at the Table

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  11. Oh Goodness...I love Jon and Kate...plus their 8....
    They are truly remarkable, and a wonderful example of life, family, and chaos....
    Glad you found them...watch out..you will get hooked!
    Have a most wonderful day!

    Recent blog post: The Simple Woman's Daybook - April 20, 2009

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  12. That is one adorable dog ... he melts a person's heart!

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  13. As long as the kids, not matter how many, are raised in am atmosphere of love, as your family was, all the other craziness will take care of itself.



    Recent blog post: Earth Day, April 22, 2009

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  14. I love Jon and Kate + 8! I don't know how they do it, but better them than me!

    Have a great week.

    Recent blog post: 100% Cottage Chic

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  15. Riley would be so made if I locked him out of my room... he's quite vocal when he's out of reach of me!

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  16. Which is exactly why he gets away with murder. :) He's too cute for his own good! :-D

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  17. oh, you're a dog person; you're just fighting it! =-X

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  18. I know, I sometimes think Kate is so mean, but with all those kids I don't think I'd be too peppy either :)

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  19. I saw that on Oprah when she was interviewed... I thought she was kind about it, really.

    And yep, mom somehow kept us all wrangled :)

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  20. Ha! I LOVE that you know what times they're on :) Maybe little Jack will get in on the action soon, too? How are you doing? Adjusting to life as the mom of 3? :-D

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  21. It's easy to keep him clean... since I can't go outside, he never goes outside either!

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  22. Aww, you're so nice to think I turned out well... just wait til you meet me in person :) j/k! I'll let my mom know you think she's cool 8-)

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  23. Seriously... that's exactly what I was doing when I posted the title. Just a fun word :)

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  24. It's addicting, isn't it?!?

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  25. I think it's so cool to see how the kids even parent each other a little bit... it's amazing how that happens in big families.

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  26. Well, he's certainly melted mine a few times. :) Thanks!

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  27. I have never seen this show, however I did just finish her book. Actually, before I even knew who they were (a few months ago) a girl at work came in to tell me that she watches this show and the mom and I are EXACTLY alike. ugh. After reading the book, and hearing from others, I hope I am not totally like that. I'll have to watch one day and see for myself.

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  28. Sometimes all the craziness makes for the best stories, too ;)

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  29. "better them than me." ~My sentiments exactly!!!

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  30. ! She's pretty intense... maybe they think you LOOK alike :) Actually, her good points is that she's super organized and really wants the best for her kids... it's jut the obsessive part that gets the better of her!

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  31. You are so flippin cute, Sara. May I come to Iowa and watch a J&K+8 marathon with you sometime?

    My friend Angela really loves this show, but like you recently, I haven't seen it yet. I'm sure it's lovely, though I think watching that many kids at once might just give me the birth control to change my mind about kids once and for all!! :-D

    Recent blog post: Worst. Tournament. Ever.

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  32. Riley is SUCH a cutie! What kind of dog is he?
    I find myself doing that "wandering" thing quite a bit - I'm sure my future clients are very lucky :)

    Recent blog post: L is for Llama Face!

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  33. you can come watch a marathon anytime :) it's my best activity!

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  34. Riley is a Maltese... and ornery and sweet little maltese :)

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  35. Awesome! I'm also happy to marathon LOST, The Office, Grey's, The Mole, or,
    well, pretty much anything, really.

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  36. If you're down with watching all 5 seasons of Alias, I'll let you move in.


    :-D

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  37. Oh. My. Gosh. Not only will I watch them with you, I'll bring them to you.
    Have all of them on DVD. No joke.

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  38. ditto. admittedly, some of them are copied illegally, but I have them. sydney bristow just makes me happy.

    do you watch Brothers & Sisters? because it took me forever not to see Uncle Saul as Evil Sloane.

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  39. Sydney Bristow, oh how I miss you. I don't watch Brothers & Sisters, but I
    do watch Eli Stone, and I still say "It's Jack!" every time I see the guy
    who played Jack Bristow. And then there's the Heroes guy who was Weiss, who
    was also the pilot on LOST.
    Man, I watch too much TV.

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  40. I thought the same thing about each of those characters on each of those
    shows! Watching Spy Daddy sing on Eli Stone was just too good!!! I was so
    bummed that Eli Stone was cancelled... I loved that show. I think we both
    may have the same tv addiction...

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  41. Hi Frankl,
    Jack has been a great baby so far. He is so cute and cuddly and content most of the time. The girls just love him. Kate is very good at holding him and feeding him. She's even tried burping him (with help) a couple of times. Emma is also good at holding him and she always wants to make sure he's OK. Jack mostly sleeps a lot and eats right now. He's a good eater and he's done pretty well at nights so far. We're very blessed by him.
    As for me, I've had some issues with my health since he's been born but I'm finally feeling better this week and I'm on the mend. Have you been on Facebook lately? I did several updates there when I wasn't feeling well. You can check that out if you have time. Basically, I developed really high blood pressure once we were home, my feet were hugely swollen and from bloodwork we found out that my kidneys weren't functioning normally. We weren't sure if it was all due to some sort of postpartum hypertension or if my lupus was acting up. I had more tests done and found out that the lupus was OK so the best we can determine is that I had postpartum pre-eclampsia. Very strange. I was on bedrest for a few days right after getting home from the hospital and then was told to rest as much as possible after I was done with bedrest. It was really hard and frustrating for me to be on the couch when I had 3 kids to take care of. Luckily, my mom was here and she and Matt took care of everything that I couldn't. I am feeling much better now. My kidneys seem to be back to normal and my blood pressure is back to normal and my feet are no longer swollen. I'm even healing well from the c-section. I can finally drive again and do more of my normal daily activities. We're very thankful for all of that. If we hadn't already decided, I'd be wondering about having more kids. I don't think I would want to face these complications or different complications with another pregnancy. I had a tubal done during my c-section and now we're extra glad that I did.
    Emma wants to go outside now so I better go. Talk to you later!
    Amy

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  42. i enjoy that show, too, although i've never gotten a chance to see more than a handful of episodes.

    i'd still love to have an alias marathon with you someday.

    Recent blog post: i’ll never be good enough

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