Three

When some think of the number three, they think of the number before four or after two, the Holy Trinity, a triangle, a snowman (I just made that up).... I want to share with you what I have learned about the number three in the last 4+ years.

First, it is an odd number. Two is a pair and two is balanced. Two hands, two eyes, two parents in a marriage. Then comes three, it is unbalanced...to say the least. It requires a mini-van and a bigger home. It becomes a struggle for two parents to make 3 events during a single time period. Driving in a small car filled to capacity is never a comfortable thing. Now I am sure that some families thrive on their large numbers in a small living space, but as you may recall, even the Duggars upgraded to a larger home. 19 kids!

Three means that there may be times when you can't remember the names of your own children. Some parents may forget with two, but when there are three involved, you also suffer from dizziness while trying to recall the name of the child that you are going to yell for because he left the fridge open and the Top Ramen boiling on the stove, unwatched.

Three means pure chaos when going to the store for a roasted chicken and a can of corn because the migraine that left you laying in a fetal position until 30 minutes to the arrival of your husband from work wasn't going to cook dinner for you. They all want to "drive" the cart and "help". Those self-scan registers are actually not time saving when you bring three kids either. Add a minute for each item because they are all fighting to scan the next item.(Mental note: buy 3 items or don't use the self-serve)

Three means LOUD. Sure, they're wrestling and having a good laugh on the floor of the doctor's office, but in five minutes, someone will be wailing and complaining that "so-and-so broke his arm". Even the boys' hand-held games become loud when a coveted game is not shared. There are very few of those in our house because, in our home, the games must have an "E" rating (and we all know that those are the games in the $15 bin.....'cuz nobody wants them).

Three can be a beautiful number too. Three very different personalities with three very different love languages. I am a better mother because I am skilled and have many more experiences to draw wisdom from. My stress level is down and I don't really care if they haven't bathed or changed their clothes (I've got way more important things to worry about now, like who is blocking me on their FB account). I am more appreciative of the moments that I have with each boy individually. Three means that there will almost always be someone around to keep you company...or to annoy you. Someone's gonna always make you laugh and someone's always going to make you cry.

A family of four was great, but is was so balanced. I believe that with our family of 5 we strive for balance and we appreciate our time together more. We make a greater effort to be supportive of one another. Money, time, food, privacy, a hand to hold....we have learned to not take these things for granted.

Three ginormous hearts that are filled with love for the people that brought them into this world. That is what makes three so perfect.