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Today I wanted to take a more lighthearted approach to the blog...although please remember the Gleason family as well as the Shackle family. Prayers are much needed for these very hurting families. We tend to think of people in the immediate after a tragedy, but both families have a long road ahead. You don't have to know them....a card means so much.
Anyway, like I said, I thought it would be nice to take a more lighthearted approach this week, so I thought I would answer some of the more commonly asked questions about how to manage the logistics of running such a large household....
How much laundry do you do/how does it all get done?
We are blessed to have an extra capacity front loading washer and dryer. It runs early in the morning until very late at night. (today I started laundry at 2:45 AM) Typically I do nine loads a day, which would equate to about 14.5 typical loads. I do not typically put away the children's' laundry. Nor do I fold it. I have shelves above the washer and dryer, each child has a laundry basket with their name on it on the shelves, as clothing comes out of the dryer, it goes directly into each child's basket, they are responsible for emptying it. I DO wish I had implemented this with child #2 as it REALLY simplifies laundry. I do have a separate basket for the rare item in need of ironing. (although to be frank, the ironing rarely gets done) With the store opening soon, thus less time for laundry, I am considering a second washer and dryer to push laundry through faster.
How do you cook for such a large family? We buy almost everything in bulk, flour, sugar, baking soda, etc. We stock up on foods on sale each week, my motto is "never pay retail!". Almost all foods are made from scratch due to expense and nutrition, but you can find us on a busy night eating take out pizza. I also buy pans and baking sheets at the restaurant supply store (the only place I can get big enough pans, and the prices are GREAT! I also bought a kitchen-aid mixer that was actually manufactured for a small restaurant. It gets used almost daily, sometimes several times a day....this is probably the wisest purchase I have made for the kitchen.
How do you clean for such a large family? Well, if you have been to my house lately, you know that I don't...just kidding. Right now the house is so full of equipment and merchandise for the new store....it's hard to move around.
I used to have a housekeeper that took care of bathrooms and floors 3x per week. That is no longer a luxury I have. I do my best like everyone else to keep my head above water. My kids have the same struggles as yours at cleaning up their possessions, just a bigger problem with 10 children.....I DO find children to be very motivated if they are told a meal will be served when all of their toys and personal items are removed from the main floor of the house. You would be AMAZED at how quickly they can work then!
What do you drive? I am sure most of you have seen the green shuttle bus around town. Yes, that's me, and no, I don't drive it to be stylish, but have been very surprised at how cool the local school age children and teenagers think it is, LOL! It seats 15 people, and allows my 6 foot tall teenagers the space they need. It also allows us to carry home enough groceries or pack for a weekend out of town (something not possible with a 15 passenger van) When we first got the bus, I chronically had people asking me things like "where is this bus headed" or "what company do you drive for, I would like to arrange a ride to school for my children" When we lived in the metro, I actually had people try to get on the bus at stoplights. We have had fun joking about getting a toll box for the front of the bus, and making some extra cash while running errands :0)
How many bedrooms do you have? We actually have 8, which I am sure makes my home sound like a sprawling mansion. Not so, many of you know where I live (the bus gives me away) it is a modest turn of the century home built by a well to do large family at the time. While it is large to a family with two children, it can still feel crowded on any given day.
I think that covers the majority of commonly asked questions (well, at least the questions that are in good taste) I also get lots of questions about adoption, and may post those in a future blog entry. Feel free to comment with any questions you have about adoption and/or large families as well as anything YOU would find interesting as a blog entry. Believe it or not, all of this feels very typical to me!
Blessings! -DeAnna
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