A QUIET HOUSE is such a treat! I didn’t think I was a person who “needed” quiet or enjoyed quiet until having children, and I didn’t notice it as much with just one child. Though I do remember with child #1 and still love how wonderful it feels to simply take a shower and “get away” for a few minutes. Perhaps with child #2 the house is louder and the demands on me as a mom are greater, so as I said in this post, it’s in the times of contrast that we can learn to appreciate what we have: kids awake = loud and kids asleep = quiet.
There are times throughout the day when I feel like I can’t even go to the bathroom undisturbed – especially with my son in an extra clingy phase right now! During these times, I count down the minutes to each of these quiet periods in my day, usually nap time or bed time. It means that I CAN DO WHAT I WANT! Usually my free time is split between consultant work, job hunting, house work, reading, or time online. It is a peaceful oasis to relax and be able to hear the clock tick, hear my fingers tap the keyboard, and reflect on my day a bit, while getting ready to do it all over again tomorrow. SHHHH!!
go mama o. 
My husband comes from a family of eight kids and there is now 30 grandchildren. When we would visit his mom’s house it was a complete zoo. I often asked his mom how she did it. I always loved quiet. She said you just get used to it. Now with 3 kids in the house I have grown used to it and when the house gets quiet I start to feel uneasy!!! I can’t believe I have got to this point!!! LOL!!
Awh, that’s great! My husband comes from a big family too – 7 kids. It is a lot of fun when everyone makes it back for the holidays. I totally agree, I don’t know how my mother-in-law did it, but you do just adjust and make it work. Coming from a family with just one sibling, I am used to more space and quiet. And I do really appreciate and respect what my parents did for us.
Haha, yeah, when it’s too quiet, it usually means trouble when the kiddos are awake!