Having a large family can be lonely sometimes...

We went to the park the other day. Myself, and my six children. They range in age from almost 2 to almost 15.

We had heard this park was cool from a group of ladies that I knit with, so I was game to try a new place.

So when we got there, and realized there was a splash park next to the playground, my kids were instantly bummed. We didn't know there was water, we weren't dressed for it, and their friends were already splashing. My oldest two were bored, and the youngest I knew would just get soaked, and I had other errands to run, so I didn't want to deal with her wetness the whole time. So we left. I was bummed, too, I really wanted to have some adult time with some friends so I could just relax and chat.

Instead, we stopped at QT and got our $.69 Freezonies, then went to the "fish" park (there's a bridge shaped like a fish). There were other people there, but it wasn't the same. By then, it was hot, my hands were too sweaty to knit, and the kids were having fun, but it was sandy, and a litte wet. So, still messy, but now it was wet sand, not just wet clothes.

I like to be able to take my kids to do fun things, like the zoo, the park, the children's museum. But it's so hard to find a place they can all have fun doing the same thing that doesn't involve a lot of whining, or snacks, or money. We can go to free movies, or the library, but we don't always agree on the movie, and at the library, it's not my favorite thing to try and keep the littles in the storybook section while the olders look at the young adult section. Not to mention the fact that I have twice as many children as many of my friends, and none of my friends have both teens and toddlers. So I can't even say "Hey, let's all get together and do ....." because we don't even all fit into the same vehicle. Then, I spend so much time dealing with the kids that I can't usually hold a coherent conversation.

I think that's why I like my online friends. I can "talk" to them when I have the time, and during odd bits of the day, like when the kids are eating, or napping, or playing outside. It's a comfort to have them to turn to about things I don't necessarily want my IRL (in real life) friends to know or see about me. Thank you, SG, for that.