Since Joey was born, I have a lot of people that ask me what it is like being a mom of 5.  I can actually sum my mom of 5 life up in one word….EXHAUSTING.

Yes, I love each of my beautiful children with all my heart and soul, but I would be lying if I told you they don’t drive me nuts from time to time.

We finally have a family picture where everyone is looking at the camera, no one is crying or throwing a fit.

I am lucky though, having 2 teenagers in the mix is a great help and both of them are great in doing their part around the house and they help with the 3 little ones as needed.

Of all the things we do the one that is the most exhausting is leaving the house with all of them.  Shoot, it’s exhausting just leaving with the 3 little ones.

There is a lot that goes into heading out of the house with a toddler, a preschooler and school-aged kid.  I have to pack a diaper bag and make sure there is stuff for everyone including diapers, wipes, extra clothes, sippy cups, snacks, and a few things to keep them entertained depending on where we are going.

If we are going somewhere like the mall, we need something to keep toddler safe yet independent like the stroller and sometimes a baby harnesses reins for Joey since he likes his freedom and isn’t afraid of anything.

If we will be eating while out of the house I have to remember to pack bibs, crayons and other little oddities to keep them all happy.

Planning family activies can be difficult as well. First I have to find things that will interest all of the kids and of course, then I have to find budget friendly activities so we don’t go broke.

Since I work from home, I also need to make sure I have my phone with me at all times along with a charger because it never fails that a last minute deadline comes up or an email needs an immediate response.  I also like to have it along to snap pictures of the kids throughout the day.

Home life with all 5 kids is just as exhausting. It never fails that someone is crying, tired, hungry, or a diaper needs to be changed. At meal time, there is always at least one kid who is either not hungry, not a fan of what we are having or refuses to eat.

Even though having 5 kids is exhausting, you can bet I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  I don’t get a lot of me time and I put myself on the back burner most of the time but  I love everything about this life, exhausted or not and I still manage to get a few hours of peace and quiet every night after they are fast asleep!