August 21, 2025 • 57 mins
The first week of school always brings chaos—but this year came with extra surprises for the Busbys. From a broken-down family van to first-day jitters and walking through anxiety with our kids, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster.
In this episode, Adam and Danielle open up about the messy, real moments of parenting six girls—including how they’re learning to help Riley cope with anxiety, why Blake’s adjustment to high school has been a huge milestone, and how they’re leaning on faith and each other through the overwhelm.
If you’ve ever felt the stress of back-to-school season, you’ll relate to this one. Parenting isn’t perfect, but it’s always worth it. 💛
✨ Special thanks to Cozy Earth for sponsoring this episode! Use code MORETHAN for 40% off your order at CozyEarth.com.
Welcome to "More Than Reality" with Adam and Danielle Busby, the proud parents of 6 beautiful daughters—5 of whom made history as the first set of all-female quintuplets born in the United States. After 10 incredible seasons of our hit TV show OutDaughtered on TLC, we’re taking you behind the scenes of our extraordinary life like never before. Join us as we navigate the joys and challenges of raising a family of 8, share unfiltered stories from our journey, and explore everything from parenting tips to personal growth. It’s life, love, laughter, and a whole lot of chaos—because our reality is so much more than what you’ve seen on screen.Tune in each week for a candid look into our world, where the real adventure begins when the cameras stop rolling.
In this episode, Adam and Danielle open up about the messy, real moments of parenting six girls—including how they’re learning to help Riley cope with anxiety, why Blake’s adjustment to high school has been a huge milestone, and how they’re leaning on faith and each other through the overwhelm.
If you’ve ever felt the stress of back-to-school season, you’ll relate to this one. Parenting isn’t perfect, but it’s always worth it. 💛
✨ Special thanks to Cozy Earth for sponsoring this episode! Use code MORETHAN for 40% off your order at CozyEarth.com.
Welcome to "More Than Reality" with Adam and Danielle Busby, the proud parents of 6 beautiful daughters—5 of whom made history as the first set of all-female quintuplets born in the United States. After 10 incredible seasons of our hit TV show OutDaughtered on TLC, we’re taking you behind the scenes of our extraordinary life like never before. Join us as we navigate the joys and challenges of raising a family of 8, share unfiltered stories from our journey, and explore everything from parenting tips to personal growth. It’s life, love, laughter, and a whole lot of chaos—because our reality is so much more than what you’ve seen on screen.Tune in each week for a candid look into our world, where the real adventure begins when the cameras stop rolling.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, everybody knows the buzz bus. It's one of
a kind. I'm about to burn the thing now. I
remember being like, oh my gosh, this is like what
a Panica's feeling, totally overwhelmed. It's like I just need
somebody told me. And so sometimes it gets to that
and I'm crying because like I know what that feeling
feels like. And you know, it's a blessing that I
(00:21):
felt like I could be that for her, and like, wow,
just felt a good reminder that, like, man, I'm so
thankful that I'm here to be able to hold her.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
This is More Than Reality podcast where we dive into
all things faith, family, and marriage and share that there
is so much more than the reality that you see
on the surface. Welcome to More Than Reality with Adam
and Danielle Busby.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Hello, Hello, what's up guys.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
This is episode forty six of More Than Reality Podcast.
This is Adam and Danielle Busby.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
And we are fresh off a new schedule. Oh yeah,
new life routine of we are back on routine, which
feels so good to me. Yeah, but it's a little
bit hectic, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Bait, it takes. It takes like a week or so
to like kind of level out with the new schedule.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I actually told the girls that today. I was like, like,
it's so hard to get up with. Like I know,
I've been praying for you all to sleep until like
eight nine o'clock. It's funny we finally do.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, it is funny because it's like we get to
ride at the till end of summer and then they
finally start to sleep in.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
How are we ever going to wake up so early?
I'm like, well, you did this last month.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You did this for half the summer, more than half.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, they wake up whenever the sun's up, but then
two weeks before school starts they start sleep until ten.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah. Yeah, you're in for rude awakening. I told him
at breakfast to day. I was like listen. I was like, hey,
we gotta get moving. We got it. We we got
to get to school. And it's first week of school,
so it's extra trafficky, like we gotta we gotta leave early.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Trafficky.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Mm hm that's the word, yeah, is it? Yeah? A
lot of traffic. So I don't know what I was saying. Oh,
and I said, it's gonna take about two weeks for
your bodies to get addressed two weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
That's forever forever, right, No, no, it won't be forever,
but it's a blink in this house, all right.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
So we're gonna take a little break for our sponsor today,
which is Cozy Earth.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Cozy Earth. Okay, so do you have I know I do.
Do you have one spot in your house that you
just it's like your retreat spot, Like you go to
it and you can just sink in and just have
that moment of like quiet. No one touched me, bother
me anything. I mean I would normally say my bathtub,
(03:04):
but since Cozy Earth has come into our life, it
is definitely my bed. First week of school, all started
kids new school this week and it was an overwhelming
sense of emotional day and I was like literally got
home and I plopped on my bed in my cozier sheets.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
With I forgetting how the kids of school? Yeah yeah,
I remember going. I thought you left. And then I
walked into the room and I flipped the light on
and I was like, oh, crap it out.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I was with my like my bubble cuddle blanket. It's
just this organic, hyperallergenic, comfortable, soft, silky, breathable cooling blanket,
and I just had to just be alone, had to
be alone, and I just needed to be in this
solitude and quiet, in the comfort of my like little
(03:55):
comfortable retreat. And so I know that's for me. And
so I think that everybody needs to find a place
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(04:18):
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So get you bubble cuddle blanket, get your Cozier sheets,
and go retreat in your bed.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
There you go, There you have it.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Thank you Cozier Earth for sponsoring this podcast.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
We're stressed out, mom, Yeah all right, thank you Cozy Earth.
And now back to the episode.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Talk about a whirlwind of you know, I think moving
and like experiencing this summer and knowing that new schools
and all all that. It's been like like accepted by
everybody in the house. But then it's like it's here
and it's real, and just I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
I don't know, like I didn't know like what my
emotions were because I'm like back in like that schedule
mode and got to do this, this and this, and
just been really stressed out with all the things prepping
before school and then it's here, and then I was
feeling weird about like dropping them off, but then they
(05:36):
all were fine, and so I was like, oh, I'm fine. Yeah,
and then it was like, okay, now we got to
get Blake and then bring her to high school. And
I was like, do you want me to walk you in?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Like, no, are you taking the van or the car?
You can drop me off if you're taking the car.
If you're dark in the van, I'll drop I'll walk
a block. But we just had an interesting like first
week and first so we've been so you know, everybody
knows the buzz bus. It's one of a kind, and
I'm about to burn the thing down because it I
(06:14):
don't know, like one it's it's a blessing. We have
the family van, and we'll always have the family van
and it carries us off, so we will always have it.
But the last two weeks it's just been going through
one of it's growing pains too, where it's like I
(06:36):
don't want to work, and that is very complicated for
us as a big family because if it really needs
to go to like the shop, it's so complicated to
get like a learner car that fits us in all
the things. So I think last time we ended up
renting a car out or something insurance like paid for us,
like rent a car out while the shop. It was
(06:57):
like in the shop for like a month or two.
But it's it's it's one to give us a little
bit of extra.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
In the past couple of weeks, it's we've had I
think it all centered around the battery, which thank God.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
That battery. We've had two of them replaced. Glad.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
It's just been the battery. But it's it's funny because
it's like this ongoing saga with the battery in the
van because I don't know if it just has to
do with because it's a conversion van, it's got the TVs,
it's got onboard power inverters, so the kids can plug
in all kinds of stuff, and so I don't know
if it just it gets finicky with like the electrical
(07:38):
system or whatever, but or it's getting to be particular
particular batteries that we've been putting in this van. I mean,
it's like a big, heavy duty battery. It's huge because
it's a big van, and we've had to warranty the
battery out I think two to three times.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Three times and have you in the last like six months.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I have, and I purposely bought the top of the
line best battery that they had for the van, thinking okay,
we're not going to have any issues, like bought the whatever,
the platinum whatever, best battery they had.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Wait, this is very much Adam right there what you
just said. I bought the top of the line to
go and show you that sometimes top of the line
isn't the best. Well in this case it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
We'll see with this new battery.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
But so so we are we are we're taking back
to the very first day of school. We are a
first day.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
No, it's like a few days before the first day. Yeah,
but I'm talking about van left to strand it out
in the dark.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, but this was the but we didn't have it.
It's not like we were like.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
The the very first like friends would community event. It
was like this pep rally.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
We went to our first, the first of the ore.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
The first one that our family attended, and it's like
this under the Oaks thing where they had like it
was like a community pep rally that had all the
the local like organizations and stuff. They all had tables
and stuff, so meet everybody and stuff. And so we
ended up, you know, we took all the kids and
let them watch, like the cheerleaders and stuff do their thing.
(09:15):
The band played and all this stuff. But we got
to talking with We met the superintendent for all the
Friends with which was super pleasant guy. Very nice conversation
we had with him, and we ended up talking to
him like late into the event. And so by the
time we were walking out to the van, like pretty
much everybody had left, lights were out, and we're walking
(09:38):
out to the van getting the van doesn't start. You
gotta be kidding me. So we had parked on the
street and van just dead in the water. Nobody here.
A guy like passing down the road. He stopped, pulled
out his jumper cables, jumper cables weren't even working. We
weren't even starting the van. I was like, great, here
(10:00):
we go. Cop pulls up, turns his lights on. He's
been super helpful.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
But we had a little jump box.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, and we had a jump we learned to.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Carry with us the last light couple of months.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah, because you just never know, so we keep it
in the back of the van, so like, and ultimately
we ended up. It was something like I was connecting
the jumper cables where you're supposed to connect to but
it wasn't charging, and it wasn't starting the van, and
so I ended up we shifted the cables around and
put it like directly onto the wires. We've finagled the wire,
(10:34):
the wire and harness tour you could put the cable
right onto the wires and got the van started. And
so we're like, let's get it off the street, get
it into this parking lot, and let's see if it's
going to stay going. So we pulled it off the road,
pulled it into this dark parking lot, and then no,
you're getting some of.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
The funniest details of this. I'm like, you're usually all
in the super descriptive, like, yeah, black to red blah
blah blah. But in the meantime of like, it's like
we got it to the cop was like, okay, we
had our little box. It started it and Adam wanted
to take it off right away, and the cops like, no,
just leave it on there. Let's make sure it goes.
(11:13):
And Adam's like, oh, it should be fun, and he
takes it off in the van. Man dies. So the
cops like, this is why I say leave it on.
It's like, oh, it's just.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
A jump box.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So we do it again. It starts up and we
leave it on for a few minutes. Perfect, great, all right,
we're good, We're good, blah blah blah. And the cops like,
I'm just gonna I'm gonna just hang around make sure
that y'all it stays going or whatever. So I'm like,
all right, kids, get in the car. Get in the car.
And Adam's like, thank thanks, whatever's still outside and Blake
hops them. She's like, mom, turned the air on. I
(11:46):
go to turn the air on.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Great, why did you turn the air on? Oh?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Man? I was like dang it.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Because it was like it was like eight forty and
the auto park store closed at nine, and so I knew, like,
we need to get there quick so I can buy
whatever I need to buy to like fix this.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And so so we jumped it again, got it started,
and then pulled it off the side of the road.
He's holding the jump box and I pulled in to
like the parking lot area, and I've just parked the
car and it's still running. I didn't touch the air,
I didn't touch anything. And Adam's talking to the cop
and the van dies again. It's just sitting there on
(12:32):
and it dies. And at that time before I had
already texted a group of like of our friends with
friends and I was like, oh my gosh, we need
some help or stranded. Can someone come pick us up?
Probably need to vehoicles since there's a bunch of us.
So in the meantime when I said that, two friends
were like, okay, yes, we're on our way. Their husbands
were on their way. Well, then we got the band
(12:54):
started and all loved it to the side of the
road and I was like, oh no, we got started,
no problem, thanks anyway, we got it. Then it died again,
and I'm like, oh my gosh, I will not be
asking these people again, like get in your car. Leave,
get in your car. Like I was like, I'm not
doing it. So then I called Coraley and I was like, okay,
(13:15):
we need help now, like now you're gonna come. We
need your help. We're gonna come get us because now
it's died, it's started, it's died, it started. People are
gonna pick us up. We told him not to. They're
gonna come. We told him not too. So kid, I'm
just gonna call one person come come get us. And
so yeah, it was funny because he thinks Corley's coming
to pick us up and I'm waiting for him to
(13:36):
just before I called her, I'm waiting for him to
come jump the car again. And he's just hanging out
back there talking to the cop and I'm like, Adam,
it's dead. It died again. Come jump it again. He's like,
the jump horse is dead. I'm like, oh my gosh.
He's like, are they or Coley, I'm coming to get us.
I'm like no, because it started. He's like, well, call
(13:58):
him again, call him. So it was it was interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
So finally, so they brought two cars, one for Danielle
just to take the kids home. And she's just left
the car with her, and then me and Ben went
straight to the auto part store to beat there before
they closed, and so I just I literally bought everything
to fix this battery, and I mean even tools, because
(14:23):
I didn't have tools with me, so I buy everything.
Ben's brother meets us there. Coraley was with us whenever
we got to this and some of the kids, so
she she left to bring the kids home and Ben's car,
and then we rode back to the van with all
the stuff, all the supplies.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Three men in a truck.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Me, Ben, and Jay and then the brother.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Did you get a flashlight?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
No, I didn't buy a flash light. We just have iPhones.
And so we get all the way back to the van.
I pull the I pulled the bolt off the van,
and it was just funny because like the wireon harness
slides into this boot, and whenever I pulled the boots
off the battery, I could just like fold it over,
like that's not right. And immediately I was like, oh, crap,
(15:08):
all these wires are like broken or something in here.
What's going on? So I pulled the boot all the
way off and the wires were intact, and so I
just took the wires and I just touched it straight
to the battery and then Jay was able to start
it up. I was like, that's weird. And so come
to find out, last four months ago, whenever we warranted
(15:31):
this battery out, the guy that changed it at the
autoparts store, he slid the wire and harness into the
boot and instead of overlapping the washers, he just butted
them together. And so the wiring the washer that was
attached to the boot was just connected and the other
main wiring harness was just kind of touching it.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Try you women listening out here, we have no idea
what he's talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And then that's why over the last couple weeks, every
now and then the van just randomly wouldn't start because
if it got kind of wiggled loose or whatever, it
wasn't touching all the way, it just wouldn't start. And
so it was just baffling.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
So we got that fixed. That was on like Saturday.
Saturday started fine. First day of school's Tuesday started fine.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Going to school. We get the kids dropped off to
their new elementary school and.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We were walking them in, so we parked and you
actually made a comment, I just leave the van on yeah,
you're like, oh, and because like Blake was not done
getting ready, so she the goal was she was going
to ride with us, so we would just go straight
to drop her off afterwards because I'm like, it's first
day of School's going to be traffic.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
And this was like the first day driven Evan since
I fixed it, So I was like, I wonder if
I should just leave it.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
On it on Sunday at the tennis stuff. Yeah, it
was working fine Tuesday. I mean it's Sunday, Monday. Monday
is when I went to Target and I'm like, I
was my last stop all those schools supplies. I was
missing one little headphone and I was like last thing
pulled in and I'm like, stupid me and won't start,
(17:04):
and I'm by myself with like three kids and it's hot,
and so here I am. I'm like I'm gonna do this.
I'm like, all right, Adam black on black right home.
And so I thankfully it started, because it took like
three times, but it finally started. Got home and the
next morning it's school morning. We get to it started,
(17:25):
get to school and walk the girls the classroom. No
big deal. I didn't know how I felt because I
was like anticipating a little bit more anxiousness and tears.
And I think because a lot of people were like
in fifth grade, they kind of were already all sitting
down and everybody else it's like it's own, like kind
(17:45):
of a little winged and pod. And so there was
a lot of other kids like still getting to their
classrooms and stuff, but fifth grade was kind of already settled,
and they felt kind of like, oh no, we're late,
which we weren't really late, but anyways, get them dropped off.
I'm like, Okay, this is good. Now we got to
hurry up and get back. Traffic's horrible. Gotta get Blake,
got to get her to school. It's gonna be horrible
(18:08):
traffic getting her to school. Get to the van dead
dead will not will not start it all. And now
it's doing this clicking or doing something. I'm like, oh
my gosh, like Blake's gonna lose it. She's not with
us here.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
We are our very first like first day this new school.
Vans parked out on the road at the street and
the busbies van's dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
How embarrassing is that? And then it was funny, It's
like I saw the busbee van parked out in front
of the school, like yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So luckily, luckily, there was one of the girls that
comes over our house every single day. Her parents were
leaving at the same time, and they tried to jump
at once. It wasn't jumping, and so I was like, look,
just Daniel was like, can you just bring us home?
I gotta get Blake to school, and so they just
gave us a ride back to our house.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
That's when I popped in my bed because I'm like
and then I hurry up, and I got in the house.
I was like, Blake, let's go, got in the car,
brought her to school, which took like forty five minutes,
got back, and I'm like, oh my gosh, Like I
am so overwhelmed right now with these things called emotions
and thought Like usually I don't experience those because I
(19:20):
never allow myself to like have enough time to like
think and process because I'm always busy. But I don't know.
I just like got home and I was like, I
don't know. I don't know if I want to cry,
if I'm excited. There's so much to do, Like they're
in school the daytime, there's so many things that still
need to get them back to stuff in this house.
(19:42):
But I was like, i's gotta go to Costco, like
just all these things thinking, and I was like, I
have to just have like a moment. I need a
moment of just like nobody talked to me.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
So I grabbed all my tools, jumped in my truck
because just strand it out on the side of the road.
So I drove my truck all the way back over
to the van, and what was the weirdest thing, Like
I grabbed the jump box like we tried to do earlier,
put it on their van started huh, it's so stupid.
(20:18):
And so then I'm like, okay, So I just turned
my flashers on on my truck, locked my truck, and
then I drove the van straight to the auto part store.
Had them tested the battery. They're like, the battery's bad.
It's effective. Like okay, well that's at least a good sign.
I mean, the battery's under warranty. And so they're like,
we can give you a full refund for the battery.
(20:39):
And I'm like, well, do you have another battery? And
then they're like, well, that battery that you have, I can't.
I can't give you the same one because they discontinued it.
I was like yeah, because it's so horrible. And I
was like, do you have anything that's better or more
powerful or whatever. And so they had this other battery
that's it was like one hundred dollars more. I'm like, well,
I'll just pay the difference, bought this new battery.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
And top of the line battery. Oh it was, Oh
dang it.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
It's like the batteries that they use and like the
people that have like, is it like an RV bat?
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Really?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
No people that And I used to have one whenever,
back whenever I had that show car. But it's like
these high power batteries optimum battery or whatever that they
use in like sound systems and stuff, and and so
I'm like and there He's like it's better for like
cars that have like a bunch of accessories and stuff
like our van does. So I was like, okay, great,
(21:32):
I'll buy that one. And so I went ahead and
changed this one and got it.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Got it.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Change vans started right up, no issue, Okay, drove the
van home, dropped it off, had a neighbor drive me
back to my truck. Got my truck drove it home,
so I think the van's square. Plus we have a
three year warranty on this new battery. I am glad
it's still just this van and batteries out of I
(22:00):
don't know what to deal. Is it just eats them.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
I just was scared. I'm like, dude, I mean, is
it like you know, like I know what I'm talking about,
the alternator, the starter, the things that I hear people say.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Well, I was starting to worry about that way.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It's just been the battery.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
So last time we changed the battery, I was like,
can you just test the alternator? And they're like, our
alternator is great, it's working fine. So I'm like, okay, well,
I guess it's just the battery.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah. And anyways, if anyone's listening to this and it's
like wants to somewhat sponsor us with a new Busby van,
we will upgrade two point zero Buzzby Van two point
oh so we don't have to get stranded on the side.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I don't know if I'm going to ever buy another
conversion van.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, I don't know either, but I think eventually, I
always think, like you know, in a couple of years,
like everybody will be driving, like, will we keep that van? Then?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, right, because we'll keep it for grand cakes, either
a regular van or just get like an SUV that's
got three like three like a bitch. She in the middle.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Will we keep that van for like grandkids and stuff?
I feel like we should.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I told Daniel, I'm gonna drive it to the Wills Falls.
But it's been all my last nerve lately.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
And so it's we call it our it keeps us
humble van, even from the the trim. Yeah, put the
trim back on the van. I need I needed, and
it's so impassing the pieces. I have the pieces for
the fiberglass pieces to put it. But we had a
we had a babysitter this day with the kids over
(23:32):
a weekend and she had to bring the kids to school.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
She ran into Monday morning, and I mean that van.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
You have to make you love rocks like that.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
She made you know in that van, it's like such
a big van, you have to make wide turns. Well
she didn't do that. It's not used to driving it clearly,
and she hit like this side swipe this big boulder
and it took off that piece of corner in our
neighborhood and both trim pieces just like flew off of
it at the bottom.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
But we have the trim and it's been years since
that happens.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I ordered the trim pieces and it's just kind of
a pain because they're not painted, and so they're not painted.
They're gray.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Oh I thought they were white.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
They're gray. And that's why I haven't because I'm like,
I'm gonna have to bring us to a body shop.
It's going to sit there for two three weeks, and
so I just haven't done it. So okay, I may
just bring it to a body shop and say, hey,
can you just paint these and then whenever they're ready,
just say if we're going to just bolt them on,
even though it's probably not going to match perfectly, but whatever,
you know what, it's better than just having missing panels.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
M hm, that is true. Maybe we should just paint
all the panels like pink. Now. However, talking about vans,
I am obsessed with that new Volkswagen idy Buzz. It's
called the Buzz Van idy Buzz.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, it's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
It is so cute.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I'd probably I'd probably trade my truck in.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
No, you wouldn't. I can't see you driving that. I
just think it's so cute.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
It fits all my camera stuff pretty good.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
As Adam Buzbee Media van. Yeah, what color would you get?
The orange one?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I've never seen one in person, but I watched I
actually got whenever whenever there's anything new or like, like
I've researched it like on YouTube and like see like
reviews and stuff. And there was one I've never seen
it at a dealership, but there was a guy that
reviewed one. There was like gray and red and it
(25:38):
looked really cool. It was like it was like a
metallic silver like gun metal color, and then that and
then the accent colors where it would normally be blue
or green or orange or whatever was red and it
actually looked really cool.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
But total hot dad car.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Yeah, slamming, put big wheels on it.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
That's hilarious. Anyway, get me.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
An optimum battery put in it and put some sound system,
some glow sticks.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, I'm not glow sticks. What's it called? Like the lights?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Neons?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
And puka shells like yeah, be like old times.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
First day of school is like the first week of school.
It's like everyone is pretty much like above all, I've
been very very proud of how they've kind of like
responded and addressed, especially Blake, with like going into the
high school and you.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Know, new high school, new friends, that's just scary.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
It's scary overall, even whenever you do know friends in there.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
But yeah, Blake's been the one that we've been most
concerned about. It's just because it's she's going into high school.
It's her first year of high school, and we're moving
to a new town. So it's just like, you know,
she's got to meet new friends and all this guy
kind of stuff. But a big boost was two weeks
before school started, she had a tennis camp which was
all the freshmen girls and boys did this tennis camp.
(27:11):
And then the next week was tryouts and she made
the team. And that was like a huge confidence boost
for her knowing that like she's coming into this new school,
she's already on the tennis team. She's already made friends
within the tennis team, but also made some friends through
other friends that we've had.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Yeah, who's like, oh my god, let's connect her with
Session Search. They have a freshman or, which that's been
really the community here, it's really great.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
With the community here, unreal, just like super welcoming, bringing
you know, their kids coming and introducing themselves, like inviting
Blake to Bible studies. Yeah, we've had We've had a
friend which her daughter is like an upperclassman and has
she's come and picked Blake up and they've gone and
(27:57):
done stuff, and she brought other friends Roland and kind
of done matchmaker with her friends and stuff with Blake
and like friend matchmaker, like she's like, oh, I have
a friend that's going to be a freshman too, blah
blah blah, and she's like, you know, they all kind
of linked up. And so it's been super cool. And
then Blake's been i mean really great about just like
(28:19):
putting herself out there and just like just super timid
and not wanting to do it. Like she's like okay
and she would just go h.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
It's really she's really really pushed herself to be uncomfortable. Yeah,
and I think because she's finding that there are a
lot of other girls that are a little bit more
like minded like her, and that's made her just kind
of be able to connect a little bit. And so
(28:50):
she's met a lot of people and now she's just
trying to figure out like who are like who's going
to be like my crew, you know. But it's been
it's been really good to see her like kind of
like walk through that season. Uh. I know, she's was
really worried about it, and she's telling her like, when
we do hard things, it helps us grow and you know,
(29:11):
learn perseverance and stuff. And so she's really been like
pushing through all that, which has been beautiful to watch.
But on the other hand, it's kind of like, you know,
the Quints, I've worried about them adjusting and starting a
new school, but not as much as it has been
on the thoughts for Blake, because the Quints are together,
(29:34):
they have each other there.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, I haven't really been that concerned about the Quints
because they always have each other.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
What but we do know always like the first day Jitters.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
But with high multiples, like we're allowed to kind of
dictate what it's multiples in general, what girls go into
a class with each other, how we pair them up
and all that kind of stuff, So like we know
going into it, they're always going to have a sister
in their class or two. And so I haven't I
haven't been that concerned with them because you know, they
(30:05):
always have kind of a security blanket because they have
their sister and.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
This is really like the last year that they can
have that too.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, and so it helps a ton because even if
they do feel a little left out or with John,
they always have their sister by other side. And you know,
that's what I've always preached to them, like you guys
are a little wolf pack, and you take care of
your sister. You defend your sister, you know. And I've
(30:32):
always told them, like, you know, going through and being
in groups of friends and stuff like that, Like if
I ever find out that you are complicit with, you know,
another group of friends making fun of your sisters or
bullying your sisters and stuff in front of you, and
you did not do anything about it, that is how
you get in the most trouble in this house. Like
(30:55):
you always come to your sister's defense, and you never
like stay silent whenever if somebody you know, either picks
on or bullies or anything of your sisters, Like don't
ever let me find out that you were complicit in that,
or that you've kind of stood on the sidelines with that.
You always come to your sister to the fence and
(31:17):
so I haven't been that concerned with them because I
know they always have each other. And so that's why,
like most of my focus and attention it's just been
like on Blake and like how she's gonna do, how
she's going to adjust and and she's yeah, just completely
exceeded expectations.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
But this week has been hard, very hard, because you
know we've talked about in the past, and you've also
seen it like on out daughter two, like our seasons
of like Parker when she was a lot younger, like
so like had anxiety and like walking through that and
how we helped her. Well, we always we've never really
(31:59):
had experience any of that with any of the other kids,
but we do know Parker still has like you know
when it's a big change, like first day of school,
like there's a little bit uncertainty like what's to come.
So a lot of prepping and like reminding and saying
like but you're gonna be with this sister, and this
is what this is gonna be. Like we went towards
the school and classroom, meet the teacher, like all those things,
(32:23):
and we know she still has those experiences of like
a little bit of anxiousness and whatnot. But she's been
very well learning how to like cope and manage it
even as like a ten year old. But on the
other hand, we have Riley who is very like strong headed,
(32:44):
everything's like black or white, full of.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Like well, Riley, her biggest thing is she doesn't like change.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
She doesn't like but she doesn't like change. So she's
very much knows what she wants. She's going to do
that and she already has thought of all the other things.
That is why this is what her decision was. And
when it comes to this, even at the school that
she was at for four or five years, like even
at that first day of school, it's a new surrounding.
It's in something new, you know. Even like moving to
(33:14):
this house, it was it was a there was some
anxiety with her there, like some some tears and like
but what what room am I going to be in?
What bed am I gonna you're gonna have?
Speaker 2 (33:24):
You know?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
So she needs to have everything figured out.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
She has to have it figured out, which is also
teaching her that sometimes we can't figure everything out and
we can't control that. And so that's I think this
week it's been like the hardest for her to really
start understanding that I have some physical anxiety, like my
(33:48):
stomach hurts. My stomach hurts, but I don't really know
what's wrong. Yeah, and I don't know how to explain it.
And so it's been like today, she like she stayed
home to day because I'm like, you know, we were
up all night, all night, lots of tears, lots of tears,
(34:09):
lots of comforting, lots of praying, lots of questions, lots
of talking, hold in hands, like and she's never been
a kid that's ever been like lay with me or whatever.
But I could just tell, like she was so uncomfortable,
which then therefore made me as mom being like, man,
I can't fix I can't fix.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
This, you know.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And so then I'm emotional and I'm like, don't like
me and emotional, but like it's hard to like have
these feelings of like you can't fix that, but you
try so hard, and it's something that they have to
learn to navigate and walk through. And I think that's
the hardest part of parenting. And though we walked through
(34:50):
like anxiety and stuff with Parker, this is very this
one is very different. It's a different a different level
of like how and she's older and she understands that. Parker,
like going through like the season of like first day
at school and stuff has been like, man, my stomach hurts, Mom,
it all feel good, and I'm like I was like, okay, well,
(35:10):
these are like we know when our stomach hurts like this,
we just get really nervous and like so we breathe.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, we want to. We try everything that we
can to equip them and stuff like that, and you
realize you can't do it for them. All we can
do is equip them the best that we can, to
prepare them the best that we can to tackle a situation.
And there's only so much you can do as a parent.
(35:37):
And you can encourage, you can pray with them, you
can do all these things, but you can't do it
for them. And she has to put herself out there
and she's got to do it for herself, and she's
got to figure it out. And you know, that's just
the hardest thing. And you know, knowing just her Riley's and.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Her her mindset is just very different than our other children,
and so it's just it's a lot harder to walk
of this like situation or struggle with her because she
wants that quick fix, you know. And so she's also, yeah,
(36:20):
doesn't like the way it makes her feel, and she
is not understanding why she feels that way, why it's
hurting her stomach, you know. And so it's just it's
because you can ask Riley any question and she's going
to be blunt out raw and give you an answer.
What makes you happy, what makes you sad? Why does
(36:40):
that bother you? She'll tell you. She literally will, she
will literally communicate that with you. Now through this, it's
been a little bit hard for her to say. She'll
just say, and this is what makes me like a
little bit like like sad about it, because she'll say, like,
I don't know, why does your stomach hurt? I don't
know where does it hurt? I don't know. Let show me.
(37:01):
And so then you have to really just kind of
break down, like you know, you've been You've already gone
to school, you've already experienced it, You've been in there
with your sisters, and you know, walking through like you
had a good day, like you did it, and you
and encouraging your like you know, and telling her like
you or you are strong and like you're never alone
(37:22):
God's always with you, and you know, then telling her
like if you your sisters, it was like you were
in an extra special situation because no matter what, if
you're scared, if you if if you feel lonely, like
you go get Parker and you go get Olivia. If
it's recess, what more likely they're together anyway, but like
(37:43):
it's okay. Like so trying to kind of like build
a little bit stronger relationships with feelings with our children
is kind of like a phase that I think we're
stepping into of like how do you connect a layer?
Of course, I always want them to talk to me,
but like I can't always be with them, and in
(38:03):
this season of like y'all are together at school, how
do we let them rely in a sense? I want
them to know that like they go to the Lord
and God can bring you comfort and strength. And I
tell really, so I was like, I have these feelings
too at times, and I just have to pray about
it and sometimes I feel better instantly, and sometimes it
(38:24):
takes a little bit of time and that's okay, you know,
And so you know, I don't know the perfect answer
to like share with y'all. I'm just telling y'all, Like
this is what I'm like working through and like doing
at a time, and I've seen some change and I've
seen some growth through it. But also to say that,
(38:45):
like sometimes they just need a break, like they're overwhelmed.
It's a lot, And I mean, look at me, Like
I had to come home and like have a time
out too, because I was overwhelmed after all the new
emotions and changes and blah blah blah blah. It's a lot.
They have been through a lot this summer, and so
we're okay. We're okay with as parents like that, like
(39:06):
it's okay to take a break. And so, you know,
I had to tell her. She's like, why do I
have to go to school? And I was like, well,
you're ten, so I.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Don't learn everything on YouTube, so you know maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
What I was like, and I was like, well, Riley,
you know this was Riley, this was this morning too.
I was like, well, Riley, I was like, listen, you
have to go to school because there's actually laws in
place where you have to be educated. And she's like,
huh so if I miss school because I have a fever,
(39:42):
do you get in trouble. Yeah. I'm like okay, really,
you know, it made me laugh. But she's incredibly smart
and incredibly brave and like a doer and everything. But
it's so it's hard to see some type of like
some an attack like her, you know, and you know
(40:03):
it's not like the normal her. So this kind of
is like, now that I'm talking about it out loud,
it's almost reminding me of things God's put in the
pathway of like homeschool and like talking about middle school
and homeschooling them and like all these different emotions and
hormones and stuff that they experience. And so I'm just thinking,
(40:25):
holy moly, is this is this going to be leading
me into that? And you know, this is just one
new with one kid, and we got five more, you know,
four more if you are going to eventually have some
level of a different change, you know. And then when
they say, like my stomach hurt, my stomach hurts, always
think Autam. Every time the girls say my stomach hurt,
(40:49):
he like he freaks out because he's like, oh my god,
they just star period. I'm like, you know, so it's
like go talk to your mama, to you, So I
have to I have to always make sure like let's
pinpoint where your stomach is hurting, you know. But so
(41:12):
it's this is this is just all good, it's all fun.
But I do I guess I would just say, like
I'm very thankful right now that not all five of
them are experiencing this, because I would be a major rollercoaster. Like,
(41:33):
I mean, it takes me back to like the beginning
days of like I can't hold all of you at
one time, you know, and last night and whatever it
was like I can be there and hold Riley, like
I can be there with her. Uh and yeah, it's hard.
Those are those those are those mom moments that like
get me because I'm like, oh, I'm not enough, you know, but.
Speaker 4 (41:54):
That's a lie.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
So yeah, anyways, I'm stop talking because I'm an emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
This is your struggle.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
We're not talking about me anyway.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
So yeah, we don't, I mean, we don't really have
the definitive answer.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Yeah, and we've used all the tools, we've worked.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
Through but and you know, this is something fairly new
and so you know, we're working through it. We're working
with her and as we as we learn, as we grow,
as you know, we figure things out. You know, I'm
sure we'll give updates and share, you know, our insight
and what worked.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
And usually and usually when we've seen Riley experience like
the struggle and that big change and the unknown of
that big change, it's like literally literally it's like a
one day thing. She's over. It's like, oh no, there's nothing.
I overcame it. I'm good. But this one's different. And
I know that, you know, constant conversation. Constant, not mean
(43:01):
like it's the only topics of conversation you have, Like
still make sure that you're engaging with normal see around
and like Okay, what's for dinner, Hey, let's go ride bikes,
like any of the normal things, but have those mindful
conversations in intimate times together of like you know, let's
(43:21):
go check them mail or and like just do that
with her or you know, I don't know, I like,
just don't let your day go to bed knowing that
you didn't try whatever you could to help her or him,
you know. And so I think that's what you know.
As a mom, we feel those things and saying like,
(43:43):
but if she's not better, I didn't do enough, And
that's not true. It's not true. It's just our kids
are growing older, and they're having to learn how to
deal with different thoughts and emotions and things that they feel.
And there are things that we cannot do for them
literally anymore, that they have to adapt to and it
might take time. And so you know, in this situation,
(44:07):
like Riley can be very verbal and she knows how
to articulate like things, and so having conversations with her
has been a little bit easier in a sense, but
there still is a lot of I don't know like
in her and to her she's thinking why does that
bother me? You know, So just making sure to encourage
(44:32):
her and to remind her who's who she is and
who she is and that like you're never alone, like
and I, and then I have to tell her stories
to tell her that she's not alone in this like
I have. I have days like this, and you know what,
I feel the same way. And I said, you know,
I can cry about this and and our feeling and
(44:52):
you have to. You have to what's the word I'm
looking for? You have to let them know that their
feelings and emotions are okay. I was never told that
and I'm still suffering with that. So I feel like
i'm very you know, We're not like helicopter parents by
(45:15):
any means, and we're not like babyfied anything. But when
it comes to learning how to process an emotion and
a feeling, I feel like I try my best to
help them expose and walk through that because it's hard.
It's hard your whole life, your whole life, you know,
(45:38):
So applying and giving them tools and a lot of
those tools that I would tell you that I use
that we've learned in the past, just with Parker, even
when she was a baby toddler was breathing, so slowing
down breathing, thinking of things outside of their own thoughts,
and because something that they might say is like I
(45:59):
can't stop thinking about school. I can't stop thinking about
what tomorrow is going to be. I can't stop thinking
about who's going to play with me. I can't stop
thinking about what's for lunch. When they start overthinking all
those things, you take a step down and you say, Okay,
let's work on breathing. Let's count our breathing to just
kind of slow their process down. And then you kind
of like hit your five, your five senses, and so
(46:23):
you start with five and you say, like, let's name
five things that you can eat. What is something you
can taste? Let's name five fruits, and so you name
five fruits. Let's name four things that we can that
smell good. What are four smells? And so you start
working through that to just kind of slowly distract their
mind from, you know, their heart rate and that feeling,
(46:48):
so just to kind of calm them. And then, honestly,
I think they're all different in what really helps. Riley
was Honestly, she's not like a cuddly person. She just
really wanted to just feel cuddled. And I remember that
when I was walking through like a panic attack anxiety
for the person I'm like, I really just felt like, man,
I think I need somebody to hold me. And even
(47:09):
though that feels really weird to say, I remember being like,
oh my gosh, this is like what a panic attack,
feeling totally overwhelmed. Was like I just need somebody to
hold me. And so sometimes it gets to that and
I'm crying because like I know what that feeling feels like,
and you know, it's a blessing that I felt like
I could be that for her, and like wow, I
(47:32):
just felt a good reminder that, like, man.
Speaker 4 (47:35):
I'm so thankful that I'm here to be able to
hold her, and then it brings me all back, you know,
all those feelings go back to like I'm sitting here
just like laying with her, holding her ben just like thinking.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
About all the days in an aque that I didn't
get to hold her. God of remiss, Hello, emotions and hormos.
So it just was it was good for my soul
to just be still with my busy body a little child,
you know. So anyways, it they really just bring up
(48:08):
a lot of beauty through some of the struggles, and
I believe that, and I believe that beauty comes from pain.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
No matter who it's for and what we go through.
Like it's kind of your muting on the other side.
So yeah, I'm really gonna stop talking now because now
I have a cray baby face. It'll pass, It'll pass,
and we were we will get stronger, we will grow
and we will learn to use our tools and it
just might take a little bit different time. Everybody's different,
(48:39):
and we got six little difference.
Speaker 3 (48:43):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Anyway, that went on having cray fast. It's been a
couple it's been a couple of episodes since y'all seen
me cry. A couple I think so last episode you
were fired up about the Hazel stuff, so we didn't
crown that. Nope, we've kind of wanted to fight anyways.
(49:06):
Well else you got anything for a first day of
school weeks, first week of school, first days.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
Of school, I don't think so. I mean I think that,
I mean for the most part, I mean, other than
just this new change with Riley, I mean, I think
the other girls have handled everything very well. But I
mean there's always things that pop up as parents that
(49:33):
you know, just get you off guard and you know,
make you want to slow down. And yeah, you know,
this is like one of those things that but yeah,
it's just the you know, it makes things hard because
the business of the house and there are five other
kids and that you got to tend to. But you
whenever you have won the struggling, you know, sometimes they
(49:56):
just need it more.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
And yeah, and and what's what's so beautiful and revealing
to me through this is just thinking of what we
have transitioned through these last couple of months, and like,
you know, God telling me like you need you, need you,
I need you more present now than ever with the girls,
(50:19):
and I'm like, man, we are I feel like we're
very present parents, and we've always had a heart to
be present with our children and not understanding like what
does he mean when he says I need you to
be more present, and like I get it, Like I'm
starting to really get it, Like the girls are getting older,
and it's like a different level of need from a mom,
(50:41):
I think. And so it's a lot for me, and
it's a lot to like adjust to and like try to.
Speaker 6 (50:47):
Learn myself because I didn't grow up with like that
mom that was you know, there to do anything that
I just said to help you through any struggle or
ask questions or talk to you or whatever. And so
it's very like healing for me, I guess, to be
able to do this with my own children, but also
(51:10):
you know, having to learn to like really lean on
like okay, God, I don't know what to do right now,
like please help me, and just being able to really
say those things out loud to you, but also to
be in that moment with my child and be like,
you know, we just need to pray about this right now,
because like I really don't know how to help you anymore,
(51:31):
like I've tried. Let's just pray about this, and you know,
even if they don't understand, you know, the deptness of prayer,
it's good for them to hear it. It's so good
for them to hear it and.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
Just to normalize, you know, for your kids of you know,
whatever they're struggling with or whatever fears that they have,
they can lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Yeah,
and to have confidence in that, know that he's near
to the broken hearted. He's going to fight your battles,
He's going to go before you. And to have confidence
(52:06):
and faith in that and to go to that and
to just model that for your kids, you know, that's
what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Yeah. I think one of the best things you can
do for your kids is to have conversations with them. Yeah,
you know, the hard conversations, that easy conversations, the funny ones,
the sad ones, the emotions you want you don't the
ones they don't want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
You never want your kids to feel like they can't
come to you with anything, or to be scared that
how you're going to react to how they feel or
something that they've gone through or something that's happened to them.
You never want your kids to feel like they can't
come to you with anything. And you know that just
(52:56):
comes from repetitions of just being open and honest and
letting them and reassuring them that they can come to
you for anything. And I think I've seen that that
gives them, That gives them confidence, that gives them peace,
that gives them security, and.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Just reminding them that like you're safe, Like you're safe, and.
Speaker 3 (53:20):
It's okay to have feelings. It's okay to not be okay.
And you know, coming to a mom or a dad
with you know, a fear or anxiety or a feeling,
I mean, that's it's normal, you know.
Speaker 1 (53:36):
And no, it's not normal. It's not normal to go
I would say it's not normal for kids to go
to a parent.
Speaker 3 (53:43):
It should be normal, but it's But that's what I'm saying,
like to reassure them that this should be normal for
you to be able to come to me whenever you're
feeling this way, and to know that we're gonna we're
going to be by your side, and we're gonna support you,
and we're going to love you, and we're going to
encourage you, and we're going to help give you the
(54:05):
tools and we're going to sit there and pray with
you and we're going to do all these things. But
don't feel like you can never come to me for
something like this.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So I just think having conversations and every
family is different, and you know, our dynamic is very
different than a lot of people is given we have
six kids and stuff. But you have to make I mean,
it's hard to fit everything in the day schedule and
there's never enough time, right, but you have to really
(54:35):
really put down what's on your plate to be present
in that moment of whatever that need is. And that
is the role of what we should be doing as
parents is saying my kids in need, I need to
help them, especially if they're coming to you, you know.
(54:57):
So I I think that we have a lot of
life lessons that we will continue to be able to
walk through, cry through, struggle through. But I do know
that I'm not the only one and we're not the
only one walking through something like this. I actually had
(55:19):
to call a friend this morning and just say, man,
I remember you used to talk about walking through anxiety
with you know, your child, and like what did you do?
Like how do how do how do you how? This
is what I've done and they're like, you're doing all
that you can do, like they have. They will have
to learn this and it takes time, and you know,
(55:42):
you just continue to pray. You pray with them and
help them with these coping mechanisms and how to learn
how their reaction is and what makes them feel this
way and why and blah blah blah. So it's okay
to seek advice as a parent for how to pair
(56:02):
it in certain things because you don't have it figured out.
I'm telling you you never will. We try our best
and we're gonna fail at times. But God is a
God full of grace, and so we need to give
ourselves grace. And you know it's the most rewarding and beautiful,
(56:27):
beautifulest if you ever receive. And you know, as hard
as the days are going to be like, being a
mom is hands down like the biggest blessing that I
could ever receive. You know, so very very thankful. But
I need Jesus every day.
Speaker 3 (56:45):
We all do.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
All right, all right, I'm tired of crying. I'm done.
I'm done. Let's wrap this up.
Speaker 3 (56:55):
Well, thank you guys for sitting and with us on
another episode of More Than We Out your podcast. Hope
you enjoyed and we'll see you in the next one.
Bye guys, all right, we love you. M.
You know, everybody knows the buzz bus. It's one of
a kind. I'm about to burn the thing now. I
remember being like, oh my gosh, this is like what
a Panica's feeling, totally overwhelmed. It's like I just need
somebody told me. And so sometimes it gets to that
and I'm crying because like I know what that feeling
feels like. And you know, it's a blessing that I
(00:21):
felt like I could be that for her, and like, wow,
just felt a good reminder that, like, man, I'm so
thankful that I'm here to be able to hold her.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
This is More Than Reality podcast where we dive into
all things faith, family, and marriage and share that there
is so much more than the reality that you see
on the surface. Welcome to More Than Reality with Adam
and Danielle Busby.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Hello, Hello, what's up guys.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
This is episode forty six of More Than Reality Podcast.
This is Adam and Danielle Busby.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
And we are fresh off a new schedule. Oh yeah,
new life routine of we are back on routine, which
feels so good to me. Yeah, but it's a little
bit hectic, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Bait, it takes. It takes like a week or so
to like kind of level out with the new schedule.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I actually told the girls that today. I was like, like,
it's so hard to get up with. Like I know,
I've been praying for you all to sleep until like
eight nine o'clock. It's funny we finally do.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, it is funny because it's like we get to
ride at the till end of summer and then they
finally start to sleep in.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
How are we ever going to wake up so early?
I'm like, well, you did this last month.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You did this for half the summer, more than half.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Of your life.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, they wake up whenever the sun's up, but then
two weeks before school starts they start sleep until ten.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah. Yeah, you're in for rude awakening. I told him
at breakfast to day. I was like listen. I was like, hey,
we gotta get moving. We got it. We we got
to get to school. And it's first week of school,
so it's extra trafficky, like we gotta we gotta leave early.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Trafficky.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Mm hm that's the word, yeah, is it? Yeah? A
lot of traffic. So I don't know what I was saying. Oh,
and I said, it's gonna take about two weeks for
your bodies to get addressed two weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
That's forever forever, right, No, no, it won't be forever,
but it's a blink in this house, all right.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
So we're gonna take a little break for our sponsor today,
which is Cozy Earth.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
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Do you have one spot in your house that you
just it's like your retreat spot, Like you go to
it and you can just sink in and just have
that moment of like quiet. No one touched me, bother
me anything. I mean I would normally say my bathtub,
(03:04):
but since Cozy Earth has come into our life, it
is definitely my bed. First week of school, all started
kids new school this week and it was an overwhelming
sense of emotional day and I was like literally got
home and I plopped on my bed in my cozier sheets.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
With I forgetting how the kids of school? Yeah yeah,
I remember going. I thought you left. And then I
walked into the room and I flipped the light on
and I was like, oh, crap it out.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I was with my like my bubble cuddle blanket. It's
just this organic, hyperallergenic, comfortable, soft, silky, breathable cooling blanket,
and I just had to just be alone, had to
be alone, and I just needed to be in this
solitude and quiet, in the comfort of my like little
(03:55):
comfortable retreat. And so I know that's for me. And
so I think that everybody needs to find a place
to call their retreat. And why not make it your bed?
Why not make it Cozy Earth sheets, Cozy Earth blankets,
Cozy Earth, Pj's loungewear, they got it all. And I'm
telling you it's worth it. It's worth the investment that
(04:18):
you put into these products because they're unlike anything else
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get forty percent off if you go to cozyearth dot com.
So get you bubble cuddle blanket, get your Cozier sheets,
and go retreat in your bed.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
There you go, There you have it.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Thank you Cozier Earth for sponsoring this podcast.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
We're stressed out, mom, Yeah all right, thank you Cozy Earth.
And now back to the episode.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Talk about a whirlwind of you know, I think moving
and like experiencing this summer and knowing that new schools
and all all that. It's been like like accepted by
everybody in the house. But then it's like it's here
and it's real, and just I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
I don't know, like I didn't know like what my
emotions were because I'm like back in like that schedule
mode and got to do this, this and this, and
just been really stressed out with all the things prepping
before school and then it's here, and then I was
feeling weird about like dropping them off, but then they
(05:36):
all were fine, and so I was like, oh, I'm fine. Yeah,
and then it was like, okay, now we got to
get Blake and then bring her to high school. And
I was like, do you want me to walk you in?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Like, no, are you taking the van or the car?
You can drop me off if you're taking the car.
If you're dark in the van, I'll drop I'll walk
a block. But we just had an interesting like first
week and first so we've been so you know, everybody
knows the buzz bus. It's one of a kind, and
I'm about to burn the thing down because it I
(06:14):
don't know, like one it's it's a blessing. We have
the family van, and we'll always have the family van
and it carries us off, so we will always have it.
But the last two weeks it's just been going through
one of it's growing pains too, where it's like I
(06:36):
don't want to work, and that is very complicated for
us as a big family because if it really needs
to go to like the shop, it's so complicated to
get like a learner car that fits us in all
the things. So I think last time we ended up
renting a car out or something insurance like paid for us,
like rent a car out while the shop. It was
(06:57):
like in the shop for like a month or two.
But it's it's it's one to give us a little
bit of extra.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
In the past couple of weeks, it's we've had I
think it all centered around the battery, which thank God.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
That battery. We've had two of them replaced. Glad.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
It's just been the battery. But it's it's funny because
it's like this ongoing saga with the battery in the
van because I don't know if it just has to
do with because it's a conversion van, it's got the TVs,
it's got onboard power inverters, so the kids can plug
in all kinds of stuff, and so I don't know
if it just it gets finicky with like the electrical
(07:38):
system or whatever, but or it's getting to be particular
particular batteries that we've been putting in this van. I mean,
it's like a big, heavy duty battery. It's huge because
it's a big van, and we've had to warranty the
battery out I think two to three times.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Three times and have you in the last like six months.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I have, and I purposely bought the top of the
line best battery that they had for the van, thinking okay,
we're not going to have any issues, like bought the whatever,
the platinum whatever, best battery they had.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Wait, this is very much Adam right there what you
just said. I bought the top of the line to
go and show you that sometimes top of the line
isn't the best. Well in this case it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
We'll see with this new battery.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
But so so we are we are we're taking back
to the very first day of school. We are a
first day.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
No, it's like a few days before the first day. Yeah,
but I'm talking about van left to strand it out
in the dark.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, but this was the but we didn't have it.
It's not like we were like.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
The the very first like friends would community event. It
was like this pep rally.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
We went to our first, the first of the ore.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
The first one that our family attended, and it's like
this under the Oaks thing where they had like it
was like a community pep rally that had all the
the local like organizations and stuff. They all had tables
and stuff, so meet everybody and stuff. And so we
ended up, you know, we took all the kids and
let them watch, like the cheerleaders and stuff do their thing.
(09:15):
The band played and all this stuff. But we got
to talking with We met the superintendent for all the
Friends with which was super pleasant guy. Very nice conversation
we had with him, and we ended up talking to
him like late into the event. And so by the
time we were walking out to the van, like pretty
much everybody had left, lights were out, and we're walking
(09:38):
out to the van getting the van doesn't start. You
gotta be kidding me. So we had parked on the
street and van just dead in the water. Nobody here.
A guy like passing down the road. He stopped, pulled
out his jumper cables, jumper cables weren't even working. We
weren't even starting the van. I was like, great, here
(10:00):
we go. Cop pulls up, turns his lights on. He's
been super helpful.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
But we had a little jump box.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Yeah, and we had a jump we learned to.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Carry with us the last light couple of months.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah, because you just never know, so we keep it
in the back of the van, so like, and ultimately
we ended up. It was something like I was connecting
the jumper cables where you're supposed to connect to but
it wasn't charging, and it wasn't starting the van, and
so I ended up we shifted the cables around and
put it like directly onto the wires. We've finagled the wire,
(10:34):
the wire and harness tour you could put the cable
right onto the wires and got the van started. And
so we're like, let's get it off the street, get
it into this parking lot, and let's see if it's
going to stay going. So we pulled it off the road,
pulled it into this dark parking lot, and then no,
you're getting some of.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
The funniest details of this. I'm like, you're usually all
in the super descriptive, like, yeah, black to red blah
blah blah. But in the meantime of like, it's like
we got it to the cop was like, okay, we
had our little box. It started it and Adam wanted
to take it off right away, and the cops like, no,
just leave it on there. Let's make sure it goes.
(11:13):
And Adam's like, oh, it should be fun, and he
takes it off in the van. Man dies. So the
cops like, this is why I say leave it on.
It's like, oh, it's just.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
A jump box.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So we do it again. It starts up and we
leave it on for a few minutes. Perfect, great, all right,
we're good, We're good, blah blah blah. And the cops like,
I'm just gonna I'm gonna just hang around make sure
that y'all it stays going or whatever. So I'm like,
all right, kids, get in the car. Get in the car.
And Adam's like, thank thanks, whatever's still outside and Blake
hops them. She's like, mom, turned the air on. I
(11:46):
go to turn the air on.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Great, why did you turn the air on? Oh?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Man? I was like dang it.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Because it was like it was like eight forty and
the auto park store closed at nine, and so I knew, like,
we need to get there quick so I can buy
whatever I need to buy to like fix this.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And so so we jumped it again, got it started,
and then pulled it off the side of the road.
He's holding the jump box and I pulled in to
like the parking lot area, and I've just parked the
car and it's still running. I didn't touch the air,
I didn't touch anything. And Adam's talking to the cop
and the van dies again. It's just sitting there on
(12:32):
and it dies. And at that time before I had
already texted a group of like of our friends with
friends and I was like, oh my gosh, we need
some help or stranded. Can someone come pick us up?
Probably need to vehoicles since there's a bunch of us.
So in the meantime when I said that, two friends
were like, okay, yes, we're on our way. Their husbands
were on their way. Well, then we got the band
(12:54):
started and all loved it to the side of the
road and I was like, oh no, we got started,
no problem, thanks anyway, we got it. Then it died again,
and I'm like, oh my gosh, I will not be
asking these people again, like get in your car. Leave,
get in your car. Like I was like, I'm not
doing it. So then I called Coraley and I was like, okay,
(13:15):
we need help now, like now you're gonna come. We
need your help. We're gonna come get us because now
it's died, it's started, it's died, it started. People are
gonna pick us up. We told him not to. They're
gonna come. We told him not too. So kid, I'm
just gonna call one person come come get us. And
so yeah, it was funny because he thinks Corley's coming
to pick us up and I'm waiting for him to
(13:36):
just before I called her, I'm waiting for him to
come jump the car again. And he's just hanging out
back there talking to the cop and I'm like, Adam,
it's dead. It died again. Come jump it again. He's like,
the jump horse is dead. I'm like, oh my gosh.
He's like, are they or Coley, I'm coming to get us.
I'm like no, because it started. He's like, well, call
(13:58):
him again, call him. So it was it was interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
So finally, so they brought two cars, one for Danielle
just to take the kids home. And she's just left
the car with her, and then me and Ben went
straight to the auto part store to beat there before
they closed, and so I just I literally bought everything
to fix this battery, and I mean even tools, because
(14:23):
I didn't have tools with me, so I buy everything.
Ben's brother meets us there. Coraley was with us whenever
we got to this and some of the kids, so
she she left to bring the kids home and Ben's car,
and then we rode back to the van with all
the stuff, all the supplies.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Three men in a truck.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Me, Ben, and Jay and then the brother.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Did you get a flashlight?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
No, I didn't buy a flash light. We just have iPhones.
And so we get all the way back to the van.
I pull the I pulled the bolt off the van,
and it was just funny because like the wireon harness
slides into this boot, and whenever I pulled the boots
off the battery, I could just like fold it over,
like that's not right. And immediately I was like, oh, crap,
(15:08):
all these wires are like broken or something in here.
What's going on? So I pulled the boot all the
way off and the wires were intact, and so I
just took the wires and I just touched it straight
to the battery and then Jay was able to start
it up. I was like, that's weird. And so come
to find out, last four months ago, whenever we warranted
(15:31):
this battery out, the guy that changed it at the
autoparts store, he slid the wire and harness into the
boot and instead of overlapping the washers, he just butted
them together. And so the wiring the washer that was
attached to the boot was just connected and the other
main wiring harness was just kind of touching it.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Try you women listening out here, we have no idea
what he's talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And then that's why over the last couple weeks, every
now and then the van just randomly wouldn't start because
if it got kind of wiggled loose or whatever, it
wasn't touching all the way, it just wouldn't start. And
so it was just baffling.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
So we got that fixed. That was on like Saturday.
Saturday started fine. First day of school's Tuesday started fine.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Going to school. We get the kids dropped off to
their new elementary school and.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We were walking them in, so we parked and you
actually made a comment, I just leave the van on yeah,
you're like, oh, and because like Blake was not done
getting ready, so she the goal was she was going
to ride with us, so we would just go straight
to drop her off afterwards because I'm like, it's first
day of School's going to be traffic.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
And this was like the first day driven Evan since
I fixed it, So I was like, I wonder if
I should just leave it.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
On it on Sunday at the tennis stuff. Yeah, it
was working fine Tuesday. I mean it's Sunday, Monday. Monday
is when I went to Target and I'm like, I
was my last stop all those schools supplies. I was
missing one little headphone and I was like last thing
pulled in and I'm like, stupid me and won't start,
(17:04):
and I'm by myself with like three kids and it's hot,
and so here I am. I'm like I'm gonna do this.
I'm like, all right, Adam black on black right home.
And so I thankfully it started, because it took like
three times, but it finally started. Got home and the
next morning it's school morning. We get to it started,
(17:25):
get to school and walk the girls the classroom. No
big deal. I didn't know how I felt because I
was like anticipating a little bit more anxiousness and tears.
And I think because a lot of people were like
in fifth grade, they kind of were already all sitting
down and everybody else it's like it's own, like kind
(17:45):
of a little winged and pod. And so there was
a lot of other kids like still getting to their
classrooms and stuff, but fifth grade was kind of already settled,
and they felt kind of like, oh no, we're late,
which we weren't really late, but anyways, get them dropped off.
I'm like, Okay, this is good. Now we got to
hurry up and get back. Traffic's horrible. Gotta get Blake,
got to get her to school. It's gonna be horrible
(18:08):
traffic getting her to school. Get to the van dead
dead will not will not start it all. And now
it's doing this clicking or doing something. I'm like, oh
my gosh, like Blake's gonna lose it. She's not with
us here.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
We are our very first like first day this new school.
Vans parked out on the road at the street and
the busbies van's dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
How embarrassing is that? And then it was funny, It's
like I saw the busbee van parked out in front
of the school, like yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So luckily, luckily, there was one of the girls that
comes over our house every single day. Her parents were
leaving at the same time, and they tried to jump
at once. It wasn't jumping, and so I was like, look,
just Daniel was like, can you just bring us home?
I gotta get Blake to school, and so they just
gave us a ride back to our house.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
That's when I popped in my bed because I'm like
and then I hurry up, and I got in the house.
I was like, Blake, let's go, got in the car,
brought her to school, which took like forty five minutes,
got back, and I'm like, oh my gosh, Like I
am so overwhelmed right now with these things called emotions
and thought Like usually I don't experience those because I
(19:20):
never allow myself to like have enough time to like
think and process because I'm always busy. But I don't know.
I just like got home and I was like, I
don't know. I don't know if I want to cry,
if I'm excited. There's so much to do, Like they're
in school the daytime, there's so many things that still
need to get them back to stuff in this house.
(19:42):
But I was like, i's gotta go to Costco, like
just all these things thinking, and I was like, I
have to just have like a moment. I need a
moment of just like nobody talked to me.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
So I grabbed all my tools, jumped in my truck
because just strand it out on the side of the road.
So I drove my truck all the way back over
to the van, and what was the weirdest thing, Like
I grabbed the jump box like we tried to do earlier,
put it on their van started huh, it's so stupid.
(20:18):
And so then I'm like, okay, So I just turned
my flashers on on my truck, locked my truck, and
then I drove the van straight to the auto part store.
Had them tested the battery. They're like, the battery's bad.
It's effective. Like okay, well that's at least a good sign.
I mean, the battery's under warranty. And so they're like,
we can give you a full refund for the battery.
(20:39):
And I'm like, well, do you have another battery? And
then they're like, well, that battery that you have, I can't.
I can't give you the same one because they discontinued it.
I was like yeah, because it's so horrible. And I
was like, do you have anything that's better or more
powerful or whatever. And so they had this other battery
that's it was like one hundred dollars more. I'm like, well,
I'll just pay the difference, bought this new battery.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
And top of the line battery. Oh it was, Oh
dang it.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
It's like the batteries that they use and like the
people that have like, is it like an RV bat?
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Really?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
No people that And I used to have one whenever,
back whenever I had that show car. But it's like
these high power batteries optimum battery or whatever that they
use in like sound systems and stuff, and and so
I'm like and there He's like it's better for like
cars that have like a bunch of accessories and stuff
like our van does. So I was like, okay, great,
(21:32):
I'll buy that one. And so I went ahead and
changed this one and got it.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Got it.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Change vans started right up, no issue, Okay, drove the
van home, dropped it off, had a neighbor drive me
back to my truck. Got my truck drove it home,
so I think the van's square. Plus we have a
three year warranty on this new battery. I am glad
it's still just this van and batteries out of I
(22:00):
don't know what to deal. Is it just eats them.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
I just was scared. I'm like, dude, I mean, is
it like you know, like I know what I'm talking about,
the alternator, the starter, the things that I hear people say.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Well, I was starting to worry about that way.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It's just been the battery.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
So last time we changed the battery, I was like,
can you just test the alternator? And they're like, our
alternator is great, it's working fine. So I'm like, okay, well,
I guess it's just the battery.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah. And anyways, if anyone's listening to this and it's
like wants to somewhat sponsor us with a new Busby van,
we will upgrade two point zero Buzzby Van two point
oh so we don't have to get stranded on the side.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I don't know if I'm going to ever buy another
conversion van.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, I don't know either, but I think eventually, I
always think, like you know, in a couple of years,
like everybody will be driving, like, will we keep that van? Then?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, right, because we'll keep it for grand cakes, either
a regular van or just get like an SUV that's
got three like three like a bitch. She in the middle.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Will we keep that van for like grandkids and stuff?
I feel like we should.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I told Daniel, I'm gonna drive it to the Wills Falls.
But it's been all my last nerve lately.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
And so it's we call it our it keeps us
humble van, even from the the trim. Yeah, put the
trim back on the van. I need I needed, and
it's so impassing the pieces. I have the pieces for
the fiberglass pieces to put it. But we had a
we had a babysitter this day with the kids over
(23:32):
a weekend and she had to bring the kids to school.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
She ran into Monday morning, and I mean that van.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
You have to make you love rocks like that.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
She made you know in that van, it's like such
a big van, you have to make wide turns. Well
she didn't do that. It's not used to driving it clearly,
and she hit like this side swipe this big boulder
and it took off that piece of corner in our
neighborhood and both trim pieces just like flew off of
it at the bottom.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
But we have the trim and it's been years since
that happens.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I ordered the trim pieces and it's just kind of
a pain because they're not painted, and so they're not painted.
They're gray.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Oh I thought they were white.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
They're gray. And that's why I haven't because I'm like,
I'm gonna have to bring us to a body shop.
It's going to sit there for two three weeks, and
so I just haven't done it. So okay, I may
just bring it to a body shop and say, hey,
can you just paint these and then whenever they're ready,
just say if we're going to just bolt them on,
even though it's probably not going to match perfectly, but whatever,
you know what, it's better than just having missing panels.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
M hm, that is true. Maybe we should just paint
all the panels like pink. Now. However, talking about vans,
I am obsessed with that new Volkswagen idy Buzz. It's
called the Buzz Van idy Buzz.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, it's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
It is so cute.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I'd probably I'd probably trade my truck in.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
No, you wouldn't. I can't see you driving that. I
just think it's so cute.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
It fits all my camera stuff pretty good.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
As Adam Buzbee Media van. Yeah, what color would you get?
The orange one?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I've never seen one in person, but I watched I
actually got whenever whenever there's anything new or like, like
I've researched it like on YouTube and like see like
reviews and stuff. And there was one I've never seen
it at a dealership, but there was a guy that
reviewed one. There was like gray and red and it
(25:38):
looked really cool. It was like it was like a
metallic silver like gun metal color, and then that and
then the accent colors where it would normally be blue
or green or orange or whatever was red and it
actually looked really cool.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
But total hot dad car.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Yeah, slamming, put big wheels on it.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
That's hilarious. Anyway, get me.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
An optimum battery put in it and put some sound system,
some glow sticks.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, I'm not glow sticks. What's it called? Like the lights?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Neons?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
And puka shells like yeah, be like old times.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
First day of school is like the first week of school.
It's like everyone is pretty much like above all, I've
been very very proud of how they've kind of like
responded and addressed, especially Blake, with like going into the
high school and you.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Know, new high school, new friends, that's just scary.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
It's scary overall, even whenever you do know friends in there.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
But yeah, Blake's been the one that we've been most
concerned about. It's just because it's she's going into high school.
It's her first year of high school, and we're moving
to a new town. So it's just like, you know,
she's got to meet new friends and all this guy
kind of stuff. But a big boost was two weeks
before school started, she had a tennis camp which was
all the freshmen girls and boys did this tennis camp.
(27:11):
And then the next week was tryouts and she made
the team. And that was like a huge confidence boost
for her knowing that like she's coming into this new school,
she's already on the tennis team. She's already made friends
within the tennis team, but also made some friends through
other friends that we've had.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Yeah, who's like, oh my god, let's connect her with
Session Search. They have a freshman or, which that's been
really the community here, it's really great.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
With the community here, unreal, just like super welcoming, bringing
you know, their kids coming and introducing themselves, like inviting
Blake to Bible studies. Yeah, we've had We've had a
friend which her daughter is like an upperclassman and has
she's come and picked Blake up and they've gone and
(27:57):
done stuff, and she brought other friends Roland and kind
of done matchmaker with her friends and stuff with Blake
and like friend matchmaker, like she's like, oh, I have
a friend that's going to be a freshman too, blah
blah blah, and she's like, you know, they all kind
of linked up. And so it's been super cool. And
then Blake's been i mean really great about just like
(28:19):
putting herself out there and just like just super timid
and not wanting to do it. Like she's like okay
and she would just go h.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
It's really she's really really pushed herself to be uncomfortable. Yeah,
and I think because she's finding that there are a
lot of other girls that are a little bit more
like minded like her, and that's made her just kind
of be able to connect a little bit. And so
(28:50):
she's met a lot of people and now she's just
trying to figure out like who are like who's going
to be like my crew, you know. But it's been
it's been really good to see her like kind of
like walk through that season. Uh. I know, she's was
really worried about it, and she's telling her like, when
we do hard things, it helps us grow and you know,
(29:11):
learn perseverance and stuff. And so she's really been like
pushing through all that, which has been beautiful to watch.
But on the other hand, it's kind of like, you know,
the Quints, I've worried about them adjusting and starting a
new school, but not as much as it has been
on the thoughts for Blake, because the Quints are together,
(29:34):
they have each other there.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, I haven't really been that concerned about the Quints
because they always have each other.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
What but we do know always like the first day Jitters.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
But with high multiples, like we're allowed to kind of
dictate what it's multiples in general, what girls go into
a class with each other, how we pair them up
and all that kind of stuff, So like we know
going into it, they're always going to have a sister
in their class or two. And so I haven't I
haven't been that concerned with them because you know, they
(30:05):
always have kind of a security blanket because they have
their sister and.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
This is really like the last year that they can
have that too.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, and so it helps a ton because even if
they do feel a little left out or with John,
they always have their sister by other side. And you know,
that's what I've always preached to them, like you guys
are a little wolf pack, and you take care of
your sister. You defend your sister, you know. And I've
(30:32):
always told them, like, you know, going through and being
in groups of friends and stuff like that, Like if
I ever find out that you are complicit with, you know,
another group of friends making fun of your sisters or
bullying your sisters and stuff in front of you, and
you did not do anything about it, that is how
you get in the most trouble in this house. Like
(30:55):
you always come to your sister's defense, and you never
like stay silent whenever if somebody you know, either picks
on or bullies or anything of your sisters, Like don't
ever let me find out that you were complicit in that,
or that you've kind of stood on the sidelines with that.
You always come to your sister to the fence and
(31:17):
so I haven't been that concerned with them because I
know they always have each other. And so that's why,
like most of my focus and attention it's just been
like on Blake and like how she's gonna do, how
she's going to adjust and and she's yeah, just completely
exceeded expectations.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
But this week has been hard, very hard, because you
know we've talked about in the past, and you've also
seen it like on out daughter two, like our seasons
of like Parker when she was a lot younger, like
so like had anxiety and like walking through that and
how we helped her. Well, we always we've never really
(31:59):
had experience any of that with any of the other kids,
but we do know Parker still has like you know
when it's a big change, like first day of school,
like there's a little bit uncertainty like what's to come.
So a lot of prepping and like reminding and saying
like but you're gonna be with this sister, and this
is what this is gonna be. Like we went towards
the school and classroom, meet the teacher, like all those things,
(32:23):
and we know she still has those experiences of like
a little bit of anxiousness and whatnot. But she's been
very well learning how to like cope and manage it
even as like a ten year old. But on the
other hand, we have Riley who is very like strong headed,
(32:44):
everything's like black or white, full of.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Like well, Riley, her biggest thing is she doesn't like change.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
She doesn't like but she doesn't like change. So she's
very much knows what she wants. She's going to do
that and she already has thought of all the other things.
That is why this is what her decision was. And
when it comes to this, even at the school that
she was at for four or five years, like even
at that first day of school, it's a new surrounding.
It's in something new, you know. Even like moving to
(33:14):
this house, it was it was a there was some
anxiety with her there, like some some tears and like
but what what room am I going to be in?
What bed am I gonna you're gonna have?
Speaker 2 (33:24):
You know?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
So she needs to have everything figured out.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
She has to have it figured out, which is also
teaching her that sometimes we can't figure everything out and
we can't control that. And so that's I think this
week it's been like the hardest for her to really
start understanding that I have some physical anxiety, like my
(33:48):
stomach hurts. My stomach hurts, but I don't really know
what's wrong. Yeah, and I don't know how to explain it.
And so it's been like today, she like she stayed
home to day because I'm like, you know, we were
up all night, all night, lots of tears, lots of tears,
(34:09):
lots of comforting, lots of praying, lots of questions, lots
of talking, hold in hands, like and she's never been
a kid that's ever been like lay with me or whatever.
But I could just tell, like she was so uncomfortable,
which then therefore made me as mom being like, man,
I can't fix I can't fix.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
This, you know.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And so then I'm emotional and I'm like, don't like
me and emotional, but like it's hard to like have
these feelings of like you can't fix that, but you
try so hard, and it's something that they have to
learn to navigate and walk through. And I think that's
the hardest part of parenting. And though we walked through
(34:50):
like anxiety and stuff with Parker, this is very this
one is very different. It's a different a different level
of like how and she's older and she understands that. Parker,
like going through like the season of like first day
at school and stuff has been like, man, my stomach hurts, Mom,
it all feel good, and I'm like I was like, okay, well,
(35:10):
these are like we know when our stomach hurts like this,
we just get really nervous and like so we breathe.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, we want to. We try everything that we
can to equip them and stuff like that, and you
realize you can't do it for them. All we can
do is equip them the best that we can, to
prepare them the best that we can to tackle a situation.
And there's only so much you can do as a parent.
(35:37):
And you can encourage, you can pray with them, you
can do all these things, but you can't do it
for them. And she has to put herself out there
and she's got to do it for herself, and she's
got to figure it out. And you know, that's just
the hardest thing. And you know, knowing just her Riley's and.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Her her mindset is just very different than our other children,
and so it's just it's a lot harder to walk
of this like situation or struggle with her because she
wants that quick fix, you know. And so she's also, yeah,
(36:20):
doesn't like the way it makes her feel, and she
is not understanding why she feels that way, why it's
hurting her stomach, you know. And so it's just it's
because you can ask Riley any question and she's going
to be blunt out raw and give you an answer.
What makes you happy, what makes you sad? Why does
(36:40):
that bother you? She'll tell you. She literally will, she
will literally communicate that with you. Now through this, it's
been a little bit hard for her to say. She'll
just say, and this is what makes me like a
little bit like like sad about it, because she'll say, like,
I don't know, why does your stomach hurt? I don't
know where does it hurt? I don't know. Let show me.
(37:01):
And so then you have to really just kind of
break down, like you know, you've been You've already gone
to school, you've already experienced it, You've been in there
with your sisters, and you know, walking through like you
had a good day, like you did it, and you
and encouraging your like you know, and telling her like
you or you are strong and like you're never alone
(37:22):
God's always with you, and you know, then telling her
like if you your sisters, it was like you were
in an extra special situation because no matter what, if
you're scared, if you if if you feel lonely, like
you go get Parker and you go get Olivia. If
it's recess, what more likely they're together anyway, but like
(37:43):
it's okay. Like so trying to kind of like build
a little bit stronger relationships with feelings with our children
is kind of like a phase that I think we're
stepping into of like how do you connect a layer?
Of course, I always want them to talk to me,
but like I can't always be with them, and in
(38:03):
this season of like y'all are together at school, how
do we let them rely in a sense? I want
them to know that like they go to the Lord
and God can bring you comfort and strength. And I
tell really, so I was like, I have these feelings
too at times, and I just have to pray about
it and sometimes I feel better instantly, and sometimes it
(38:24):
takes a little bit of time and that's okay, you know,
And so you know, I don't know the perfect answer
to like share with y'all. I'm just telling y'all, Like
this is what I'm like working through and like doing
at a time, and I've seen some change and I've
seen some growth through it. But also to say that,
(38:45):
like sometimes they just need a break, like they're overwhelmed.
It's a lot, And I mean, look at me, Like
I had to come home and like have a time
out too, because I was overwhelmed after all the new
emotions and changes and blah blah blah blah. It's a lot.
They have been through a lot this summer, and so
we're okay. We're okay with as parents like that, like
(39:06):
it's okay to take a break. And so, you know,
I had to tell her. She's like, why do I
have to go to school? And I was like, well,
you're ten, so I.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Don't learn everything on YouTube, so you know maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
What I was like, and I was like, well, Riley,
you know this was Riley, this was this morning too.
I was like, well, Riley, I was like, listen, you
have to go to school because there's actually laws in
place where you have to be educated. And she's like,
huh so if I miss school because I have a fever,
(39:42):
do you get in trouble. Yeah. I'm like okay, really,
you know, it made me laugh. But she's incredibly smart
and incredibly brave and like a doer and everything. But
it's so it's hard to see some type of like
some an attack like her, you know, and you know
(40:03):
it's not like the normal her. So this kind of
is like, now that I'm talking about it out loud,
it's almost reminding me of things God's put in the
pathway of like homeschool and like talking about middle school
and homeschooling them and like all these different emotions and
hormones and stuff that they experience. And so I'm just thinking,
(40:25):
holy moly, is this is this going to be leading
me into that? And you know, this is just one
new with one kid, and we got five more, you know,
four more if you are going to eventually have some
level of a different change, you know. And then when
they say, like my stomach hurt, my stomach hurts, always
think Autam. Every time the girls say my stomach hurt,
(40:49):
he like he freaks out because he's like, oh my god,
they just star period. I'm like, you know, so it's
like go talk to your mama, to you, So I
have to I have to always make sure like let's
pinpoint where your stomach is hurting, you know. But so
(41:12):
it's this is this is just all good, it's all fun.
But I do I guess I would just say, like
I'm very thankful right now that not all five of
them are experiencing this, because I would be a major rollercoaster. Like,
(41:33):
I mean, it takes me back to like the beginning
days of like I can't hold all of you at
one time, you know, and last night and whatever it
was like I can be there and hold Riley, like
I can be there with her. Uh and yeah, it's hard.
Those are those those are those mom moments that like
get me because I'm like, oh, I'm not enough, you know, but.
Speaker 4 (41:54):
That's a lie.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
So yeah, anyways, I'm stop talking because I'm an emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
This is your struggle.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
We're not talking about me anyway.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
So yeah, we don't, I mean, we don't really have
the definitive answer.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Yeah, and we've used all the tools, we've worked.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
Through but and you know, this is something fairly new
and so you know, we're working through it. We're working
with her and as we as we learn, as we grow,
as you know, we figure things out. You know, I'm
sure we'll give updates and share, you know, our insight
and what worked.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
And usually and usually when we've seen Riley experience like
the struggle and that big change and the unknown of
that big change, it's like literally literally it's like a
one day thing. She's over. It's like, oh no, there's nothing.
I overcame it. I'm good. But this one's different. And
I know that, you know, constant conversation. Constant, not mean
(43:01):
like it's the only topics of conversation you have, Like
still make sure that you're engaging with normal see around
and like Okay, what's for dinner, Hey, let's go ride bikes,
like any of the normal things, but have those mindful
conversations in intimate times together of like you know, let's
(43:21):
go check them mail or and like just do that
with her or you know, I don't know, I like,
just don't let your day go to bed knowing that
you didn't try whatever you could to help her or him,
you know. And so I think that's what you know.
As a mom, we feel those things and saying like,
(43:43):
but if she's not better, I didn't do enough, And
that's not true. It's not true. It's just our kids
are growing older, and they're having to learn how to
deal with different thoughts and emotions and things that they feel.
And there are things that we cannot do for them
literally anymore, that they have to adapt to and it
might take time. And so you know, in this situation,
(44:07):
like Riley can be very verbal and she knows how
to articulate like things, and so having conversations with her
has been a little bit easier in a sense, but
there still is a lot of I don't know like
in her and to her she's thinking why does that
bother me? You know, So just making sure to encourage
(44:32):
her and to remind her who's who she is and
who she is and that like you're never alone, like
and I, and then I have to tell her stories
to tell her that she's not alone in this like
I have. I have days like this, and you know what,
I feel the same way. And I said, you know,
I can cry about this and and our feeling and
(44:52):
you have to. You have to what's the word I'm
looking for? You have to let them know that their
feelings and emotions are okay. I was never told that
and I'm still suffering with that. So I feel like
i'm very you know, We're not like helicopter parents by
(45:15):
any means, and we're not like babyfied anything. But when
it comes to learning how to process an emotion and
a feeling, I feel like I try my best to
help them expose and walk through that because it's hard.
It's hard your whole life, your whole life, you know,
(45:38):
So applying and giving them tools and a lot of
those tools that I would tell you that I use
that we've learned in the past, just with Parker, even
when she was a baby toddler was breathing, so slowing
down breathing, thinking of things outside of their own thoughts,
and because something that they might say is like I
(45:59):
can't stop thinking about school. I can't stop thinking about
what tomorrow is going to be. I can't stop thinking
about who's going to play with me. I can't stop
thinking about what's for lunch. When they start overthinking all
those things, you take a step down and you say, Okay,
let's work on breathing. Let's count our breathing to just
kind of slow their process down. And then you kind
of like hit your five, your five senses, and so
(46:23):
you start with five and you say, like, let's name
five things that you can eat. What is something you
can taste? Let's name five fruits, and so you name
five fruits. Let's name four things that we can that
smell good. What are four smells? And so you start
working through that to just kind of slowly distract their
mind from, you know, their heart rate and that feeling,
(46:48):
so just to kind of calm them. And then, honestly,
I think they're all different in what really helps. Riley
was Honestly, she's not like a cuddly person. She just
really wanted to just feel cuddled. And I remember that
when I was walking through like a panic attack anxiety
for the person I'm like, I really just felt like, man,
I think I need somebody to hold me. And even
(47:09):
though that feels really weird to say, I remember being like,
oh my gosh, this is like what a panic attack,
feeling totally overwhelmed. Was like I just need somebody to
hold me. And so sometimes it gets to that and
I'm crying because like I know what that feeling feels like,
and you know, it's a blessing that I felt like
I could be that for her, and like wow, I
(47:32):
just felt a good reminder that, like, man.
Speaker 4 (47:35):
I'm so thankful that I'm here to be able to
hold her, and then it brings me all back, you know,
all those feelings go back to like I'm sitting here
just like laying with her, holding her ben just like thinking.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
About all the days in an aque that I didn't
get to hold her. God of remiss, Hello, emotions and hormos.
So it just was it was good for my soul
to just be still with my busy body a little child,
you know. So anyways, it they really just bring up
(48:08):
a lot of beauty through some of the struggles, and
I believe that, and I believe that beauty comes from pain.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
No matter who it's for and what we go through.
Like it's kind of your muting on the other side.
So yeah, I'm really gonna stop talking now because now
I have a cray baby face. It'll pass, It'll pass,
and we were we will get stronger, we will grow
and we will learn to use our tools and it
just might take a little bit different time. Everybody's different,
(48:39):
and we got six little difference.
Speaker 3 (48:43):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Anyway, that went on having cray fast. It's been a
couple it's been a couple of episodes since y'all seen
me cry. A couple I think so last episode you
were fired up about the Hazel stuff, so we didn't
crown that. Nope, we've kind of wanted to fight anyways.
(49:06):
Well else you got anything for a first day of
school weeks, first week of school, first days.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
Of school, I don't think so. I mean I think that,
I mean for the most part, I mean, other than
just this new change with Riley, I mean, I think
the other girls have handled everything very well. But I
mean there's always things that pop up as parents that
(49:33):
you know, just get you off guard and you know,
make you want to slow down. And yeah, you know,
this is like one of those things that but yeah,
it's just the you know, it makes things hard because
the business of the house and there are five other
kids and that you got to tend to. But you
whenever you have won the struggling, you know, sometimes they
(49:56):
just need it more.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
And yeah, and and what's what's so beautiful and revealing
to me through this is just thinking of what we
have transitioned through these last couple of months, and like,
you know, God telling me like you need you, need you,
I need you more present now than ever with the girls,
(50:19):
and I'm like, man, we are I feel like we're
very present parents, and we've always had a heart to
be present with our children and not understanding like what
does he mean when he says I need you to
be more present, and like I get it, Like I'm
starting to really get it, Like the girls are getting older,
and it's like a different level of need from a mom,
(50:41):
I think. And so it's a lot for me, and
it's a lot to like adjust to and like try to.
Speaker 6 (50:47):
Learn myself because I didn't grow up with like that
mom that was you know, there to do anything that
I just said to help you through any struggle or
ask questions or talk to you or whatever. And so
it's very like healing for me, I guess, to be
able to do this with my own children, but also
(51:10):
you know, having to learn to like really lean on
like okay, God, I don't know what to do right now,
like please help me, and just being able to really
say those things out loud to you, but also to
be in that moment with my child and be like,
you know, we just need to pray about this right now,
because like I really don't know how to help you anymore,
(51:31):
like I've tried. Let's just pray about this, and you know,
even if they don't understand, you know, the deptness of prayer,
it's good for them to hear it. It's so good
for them to hear it and.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
Just to normalize, you know, for your kids of you know,
whatever they're struggling with or whatever fears that they have,
they can lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Yeah,
and to have confidence in that, know that he's near
to the broken hearted. He's going to fight your battles,
He's going to go before you. And to have confidence
(52:06):
and faith in that and to go to that and
to just model that for your kids, you know, that's
what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Yeah. I think one of the best things you can
do for your kids is to have conversations with them. Yeah,
you know, the hard conversations, that easy conversations, the funny ones,
the sad ones, the emotions you want you don't the
ones they don't want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
You never want your kids to feel like they can't
come to you with anything, or to be scared that
how you're going to react to how they feel or
something that they've gone through or something that's happened to them.
You never want your kids to feel like they can't
come to you with anything. And you know that just
(52:56):
comes from repetitions of just being open and honest and
letting them and reassuring them that they can come to
you for anything. And I think I've seen that that
gives them, That gives them confidence, that gives them peace,
that gives them security, and.
Speaker 1 (53:15):
Just reminding them that like you're safe, Like you're safe, and.
Speaker 3 (53:20):
It's okay to have feelings. It's okay to not be okay.
And you know, coming to a mom or a dad
with you know, a fear or anxiety or a feeling,
I mean, that's it's normal, you know.
Speaker 1 (53:36):
And no, it's not normal. It's not normal to go
I would say it's not normal for kids to go
to a parent.
Speaker 3 (53:43):
It should be normal, but it's But that's what I'm saying,
like to reassure them that this should be normal for
you to be able to come to me whenever you're
feeling this way, and to know that we're gonna we're
going to be by your side, and we're gonna support you,
and we're going to love you, and we're going to
encourage you, and we're going to help give you the
(54:05):
tools and we're going to sit there and pray with
you and we're going to do all these things. But
don't feel like you can never come to me for
something like this.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So I just think having conversations and every
family is different, and you know, our dynamic is very
different than a lot of people is given we have
six kids and stuff. But you have to make I mean,
it's hard to fit everything in the day schedule and
there's never enough time, right, but you have to really
(54:35):
really put down what's on your plate to be present
in that moment of whatever that need is. And that
is the role of what we should be doing as
parents is saying my kids in need, I need to
help them, especially if they're coming to you, you know.
(54:57):
So I I think that we have a lot of
life lessons that we will continue to be able to
walk through, cry through, struggle through. But I do know
that I'm not the only one and we're not the
only one walking through something like this. I actually had
(55:19):
to call a friend this morning and just say, man,
I remember you used to talk about walking through anxiety
with you know, your child, and like what did you do?
Like how do how do how do you how? This
is what I've done and they're like, you're doing all
that you can do, like they have. They will have
to learn this and it takes time, and you know,
(55:42):
you just continue to pray. You pray with them and
help them with these coping mechanisms and how to learn
how their reaction is and what makes them feel this
way and why and blah blah blah. So it's okay
to seek advice as a parent for how to pair
(56:02):
it in certain things because you don't have it figured out.
I'm telling you you never will. We try our best
and we're gonna fail at times. But God is a
God full of grace, and so we need to give
ourselves grace. And you know it's the most rewarding and beautiful,
(56:27):
beautifulest if you ever receive. And you know, as hard
as the days are going to be like, being a
mom is hands down like the biggest blessing that I
could ever receive. You know, so very very thankful. But
I need Jesus every day.
Speaker 3 (56:45):
We all do.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
All right, all right, I'm tired of crying. I'm done.
I'm done. Let's wrap this up.
Speaker 3 (56:55):
Well, thank you guys for sitting and with us on
another episode of More Than We Out your podcast. Hope
you enjoyed and we'll see you in the next one.
Bye guys, all right, we love you. M.
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