I'm a mom of 3 girls, two teens and one toddler.  I've been wanting to blog about my experience for some time, but it says a lot about my nutso life that I'm finally getting to it now that my youngest is starting kindergarten. So here I am.

Many people are curious why we added a third child so much later--Were we insane?  Did we need some extra cuteness like a Disney sitcom? Were we bored and wanted to shake up the status quo? I'll never tell. It has been a wild ride that none of my (wiser?) friends decided to join me on, but that's ok. Hayley has benefitted by having many extra "sissies" (her word for her sisters and her sisters' friends. It's basically the term for anyone who has come to our house just to adore her, which is everyone. CLEARLY.) My older daughters have benefitted from ...well, nothing really comes to mind except that watching their little sister is a good reminder of how much work kids are. (Hopefully their sister screaming will come to mind when a boy tries any funny business). She's also given them an excuse to keep trick or treating and looking for Easter eggs, so there's a definite trade off.

As for me, there are days my life feels like it's careening off the track and other days where having a little one around is what keeps me sane. The days full of teenage angst, like we've walked into Pretty Little Liars Hell (seriously, does anyone smile on that show??) are offset by just jumping in the waves or hanging upside down with my youngest. It takes so little to make a 4 year old giggle and takes bribery to get a teen to smile, so going back into a toddler's world is sometimes exactly what I need. Then again, having a more grown up conversation that doesn't include "Stop that" or ""Put that down" is sweet relief, too. I can't imagine my life any other way.