You Should Read this Book if you Have Multipes, or Multiple Little Ones.

This morning around 9am we received a package from Amazon containing the book Loving the Little Years, Motherhood in the Trenches.

By 4pm I was d.o.n.e. It was that fantastic. Also it was a short, the author does have 5 kids under 5 after all! Including one set of twins.

In a nutshell, it is a candid book full of honest and often funny examples about the challenges of raising multiple little ones at the same time, and she gives great, practical teaching tools for little

ones and ways for Momma to cope with the intensity of it all.

I love this book because it constantly reminds you that your children are your priority (after your husband), not your house, not your perfectly clean floor. Not that I don't care about those things, but when I have swept for the 5th time, and mopped for the 2nd time that day, and the floor gets messy again, I need someone to tell me it's ok, just play with your kids for a minute :) Basically exactly what I need to hear at this stage of my life.

I love this book because it orients you towards seeing raising kids as a spiritual calling, that we are sacrificing our time, our bodies and our restful nights (especially at the beginning!) to bring up these little people. There is no higher calling than laying down one's life for another.

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Here are a few of my favorite quotes (I admit I read this book with a highlighter in my hand):

"The state of your heart is the state of your home. You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender."

"We tell our girls that their feelings are like horses[...] But they are the riders [...] The goal is not to cripple the horse, but equip the rider."

(This quote is great for those that have strong willed kids.)

"...lying down and whimpering about the tasks does not get them done. It makes them harder, slower, and more difficult in every way."

(Yep, gotta admit that has been me)

"Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your

quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream that a friend of theirs allegedly had. Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get doen. They are the only part of your work that really matters."

(This one made me cry. I'm a softy)

"Our essential self is not back in the intro, waiting to be rediscovered. Who you are is where you are."

"Imagine yourself as one of your children. Try to really examine what life for them is like"

"You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you."

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The book really inspired and encouraged me. I recommend it to all moms of one or more little ones!

My 3 boys ;) :

We are at 35 days of 100 + degree temps, so my (little) boys can often be found wearing just their diapers :)