THREE- a lot or a little?

THREE-a lot or a little?

I haven’t posted for a while, and I missed posting the wonderful thoughts composed in my head about Kaylee’s graduation (Although I still intend to post her graduation speech, which I recorded, IF I can figure out how to save it in a format that my computer and this blog will recognize and play), Kent’s birthday, Father’s Day, and Analise’s 20^th birthday.  (Oh well, there will be other Father’s Days and birthdays, and although Kaylee will not graduate again, IF I can get her speech posted, that will have to “count” as a graduation post.)  But as my mother says, “Sometimes you are too busy LIVING the events to WRITE about them.” 

Anyway…back to the subject at hand…. THREE a lot or a little? We just dropped Kaylee off at BYU, and we are down to THREE kids living at home.  Our home seems empty.  Not a single kid living in the basement.  The basement bedrooms are all neatly in order and the beds are made -(Something that was a rarity-in fact, not sure it ever happened simultaneously-when kids were living in the bedrooms.)  I remember my mom telling me that when she only had two kids left at home, she found herself lamenting to another mother that it hardly seemed worth making dinner, only to realize that this other mother only had two children total.  So then I started thinking about when I only had  THREE children.  It seemed like a lot then.  THREE children and the oldest was 3.  THREE carseats across the backseat of our Honda Accord was a lot.  THREE kids in the tub was a lot.  THREE kids crawling into bed with me was a lot.  THREE kids who all wanted to sit on my lap during story time was a lot.  THREE kids to bathe, dress, feed, read to, play with, and love was a lot.  I even remember lying on the couch, pregnant with number four and having a melt-down thinking, “What am I doing?  I don’t know how to be a mom.  I should still be having my mom take care of me.”  THREE was a lot.  So why does THREE seem like so few now?  When is THREE a lot and when is THREE just a few?  THREE kids ages 3 and under home all-day, every day, 24/7  is a lot.  THREE big kids that are gone to camps, practices, work, or friends’ houses all day in the summer is a few.  THREE hours trying to keep small children quiet in church is a lot.  THREE hours of sleep due to a cranky baby or a teen-aged midnight movie-goer is a few.  THREE days of being stuck in a house with sick kids is a lot.  THREE days of a vacation is a few.  The THREE hours between after-nap-time and daddy-comes-home time is a lot.  THREE hours of  reading a good book (like I EVER have time to do this-ha-but I can fantasize) is a few.  THREE minutes of waiting for the results of a home-pregnancy test is a lot.  THREE minutes between contractions is a few.  THREE young, eager, yet semi-incapable, dinner-making and/or chore-doing helpers is a lot.  THREE more mature, capable (but sadly no longer as eager) dinner-making and/or chore- doing helpers is a few.  (We’ve only been a 3-kid family for three days and we are already finding this out.) THREE kids in a 5-passenger Honda Accord is a lot.  THREE kids in a 9-passenger Suburban is a few.  THREE dates in 3-days is a lot.  (Way to go Kaylee-hope you are studying some.)  THREE dates in 3-months is a few.  (No comment on how I know this.)  THREE days of “eating healthy” is a lot.  THREE Hershey’s chocolate kisses is a few.  THREE minutes of trying to ignore an annoying, attention-seeking child is a lot.  THREE minutes of a meaningful conversation (often with the same child-different day) is a few.  THREE dollars given to a child to spend at Wallys (note: one dollar is my limit-but the kids have a cool, generous father and grandparents) is a lot.  THREE dollars to spend at Costco or Wal-mart (Is it even humanly possible to spend only three dollars at either store?!) is a few.  THREE miles run alone in the heat of the day is a lot.  THREE miles walked (or jogged) at a leisurely pace in the cool morning hours with a good friend for company is a few.  THREE minutes going through junk mail is a lot.  THREE minutes composing a blog post is a few- and those three minutes are long gone.  What is your definition(s) of  THREE-a lot or a few? 

Kaylee- new room in the dorms at BYU-child number THREE to leave the nest.