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This post was written by my talented oldest daughter, Hailey. I’m thrilled to share her post with you, and I look forward to more of her writings!

IMG_1022Hi, my name is Hailey, I’m ten years old, and I’m the oldest of Five Kids.

Most of the time, when we go to a store, people think this is pretty crazy because they always ask my mom, “Are they ALL yours?!” Of course, she says, “Yes, they are all mine.”

And then she laughs. 🙂

Sometimes it drives me crazy because sometimes when we are out, like we just were at Culver’s, people are constantly coming up and asking that same question, one right after the other.

It’s like it never ends!

Some other things that drive me crazy about being the oldest of Five Kids, is that all my siblings are always calling my name.

It’s a constant stream of, “Hailey! Hailey! Hailey!”

Plus, my homework is always harder than everyone else’s, and I never get to go first on games because the directions “always” say that the youngest goes first. Except for Clue, where Miss Scarlet goes first. And I will always be Miss Scarlet! Another thing, I don’t like about being the oldest of a large family is that I have to share a room with “toddlers!” Okay, my sisters aren’t really toddlers, but you get the idea!IMG_1019

Now that I’ve told you things I don’t like about being the oldest, I’ll tell you some things I DO like about being the oldest (there’s a lot more of these!).

Being the oldest means you get to stay up later (which means I get to watch tv and snuggle with my daddy), and it means I get to have more responsibility (like being the supervisor of my younger siblings when it’s chore time, and some other boring things like, taking out the trash, folding laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, and unloading the dishwasher).

But who likes to do that?

I really like pretending that I have my own reality cooking show because my mom lets me do what I want in the kitchen (sometimes she even joins my show!). My favorite things to make are dark chocolate chips cookies, breakfast muffins, or anything having to do with “Dessert!”

Another benefit to being the oldest is that I’m old enough to use my time wisely without being told what to do next. I use my freedom and space to watch my favorite tv shows, read my favorite books, and dream about what it will be like to be a mom someday. I admit that being in charge is pretty great too; I might like to be a little bossy sometimes, but just a bit!

Living in a big family can seem overwhelming sometimes (because it does get crazy loud on occasion).

Like when everyone is hungry, tired, and waiting for dinner!IMG_1023

But, it’s a lot of fun too. Some of my favorite things to do with my family are play board games like Monopoly, Clue, and Beat The Parents. Because there are so many kids, we have a lot of fun playing relay races or bike races, or playing Mom & Kid in a grown up world. We always have enough people to play soccer or volleyball and Hide and Seek, which is little Josiah’s favorite game. It’s always good family time!

Family dinners are pretty much always hilarious for one reason or another. Like the time my dad and brother challenged each other to drink soy sauce, or the time when my dad started a food fight, or when my youngest brother decides to practice burping at the table.

IMG_1024In a big family, there is a lot of laundry, a lot of chores, a lot of noise, and a lot of messes that I didn’t make, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because at the end of the day,
we are all together and I think that’s what is most important.