Not Quite Home Alone

Yesterday was my first day home alone, and when I say home alone, I mean surrounded by my now officially ginormous brood of five with no other legal adult in sight. It went surprisingly well. No major harm or accident befell us and I think I even managed a lipglossed smile at the door when Mark came home, not to mention a load of laundry, some dishes, and a trip to the Pediatrician for our very sick 16-month-old. (Anyone had Cryptosporidium and lived to tell the tale?)

But I'd be misrepresenting facts to say that I did it on my own.

I know we've been through this before, but I never wanted a large family. However, if I were to design the perfect family of seven, I would've designed it exactly like ours turned out: three older girls and two little boys. I really don't think I could do this without my nearly ten-yr-old, and her two younger, but still impressively helpful sisters.

Eleanor, especially, is my third hand, my back-up, saving me again and again. She has risen to this challenge with surprising capability and tremendous love, like she was made to do exactly this. She can handle almost all things baby, do the dishes, and make the most beautiful eggs. I'm thinking of letting her drop out of school so that she can help at home full-time. :)

So, thank heaven for daughters and the unsolicited, yet divinely designed family.