Mothers of Large Families: Kadi Prescott

The Homemaking Cottage Series Presents:

Mothers of Large Families

Kadi Prescott, Mother of seven



I was born in Southern California, the oldest of three daughters. My mom stayed at home with us and my dad worked. We lived a modest life and were raised in the Christian faith. My parents were married 16 years and then my dad decided to live his truth which is homosexuality. He left when I was 15. I watched my mom have a breakdown, live numb for a few years and then reinvent herself. She inspires me to be strong.

I still live in Southern California with my husband of 11 years and seven kids. I love the media opportunities but do not want to raise my kids in this state. My dream is to move to a more family friendly part of the country.

Her Husband

I knew my husband in high school, but we did not date until after we both graduated. I was home from college for winter break in 1997 when we started dating. We married in early 1998 and had our first baby that December. We had an accellerated beginning and have not slowed down since!

My husband works with his family at their paving company. He has worked for them since he graduated high school. I stay home with the kids and work online.


Why The Decision to Have a Large Family?
Funny story...I did not want kids in high school. My husband is from a family of 15 and he wanted 8 kids. We never really decided to have a large family. My grandfather was one of 23 kids and my mom was one of eight. I guess it was in my genes to be super fertile. Birth control did not work for us. We tried everything besides permanent solutions to space out our kids. Nothing worked, not even an IUD (which is a long and gruesome story: http://www.wombattheinnsane.com/2007/11/the-truth-about-the-iud/) So in nine years, we had seven kids. Sometimes, our plans are not God's plans. I learned this the hard way!



Marlie~ 10 My daughter who I leaned on for help while I was pregnant and trying to survive those hectic 9 years. She is a doll and I treasure her, even when she drives me nuts. She is just like her mother and we can butt heads pretty good at times!

Daniel Jr.~ 9 My challenge. Daniel has ADHD and is unofficially diagnosed bi-polar (there are no set evaluations as of yet for kids with bi-polar symptoms/behaviors.) We have had a long and hard road with him, but he is so loving when it is under control. He holds a special place in my heart. Someday, I'll share the whole story about his troubled life and the near end of it, with you.

Trenton~ 8 Some say that they can see the devil dancing in Trenton's eyes. LOL! He is so stinking handsome, but is always getting into trouble. He is a ladies man and truth be told, I'm pretty sure he will be giving me my first grandchild.

Phillip~ 7 He is the comedian of the family. Phillip has learned that he can get our attention by being a clown. It doesn't always benefit him at school however.

Aiden~ 5.5 The snuggle bug. Loves to watch movies and has a speech impediment which makes him seem younger than her really is.

Ella~ 4 Queen of the world and she knows it.

Reed~ 3 The classic baby. I am very portective of him due to the fact I almost lost him becuase of the IUD.


Some joyful experiences with her large family

We are very into sports. I coach cheer for my girls and my husband coaches football/track/wrestling for the boys. We get a lot of joy from watching our kids learn the art of teamwork, how to have sportsmanship and build self esteem.

We were on Supernanny last year and it really brought us closer as a family. As parents, it taught us how to discipline without anger and it has made a huge difference.


A Funny Story

Funny stuff happens every single day. Seriously. That is the majority of my blog content.

One instance that I will never forget was the day that all of the little ones has the stomach flu. We were trapped in the van, while waiting for Marlie's field trip bus to come back to school. The bus was late. The kids were puking and having diarrhea all over the van. I was gagging and crying while trying to clean it all up. Finally, I just sat the kids over a new duffle bag that my husband had just gotten for Christmas and used it as a port o potty. When my husband saw the bag in the garbage, he asked why I had thrown out his gift and I suggested that he not open it to find out why. ALWAYS carry a port-o-potty in your van for days like those!


Experiences or knowledge has helped her on her journey

I have had to learn patience and selflessness. I was always very vain and selfish as a teenager. God sure knows how to humble us in very profound ways!


Her Mentors/Exemplars

My mother in law. She is the mom of 13 kids and 36 grandkids. Her offspring are truly her joy in life. When she is not having the gradkids over to bake cookies or hang out, she is teaching other kids in religious education. When she is not doing that, she volunteers her time with a local pro-life organization. She lives for children and loves them all.


Her Housekeeping Tips

Only sweat the small stuff (meaning germs) Clutter and cleanliness are two different things. Sanitation = sanity (Only worry about keeping things sanitary. Don't waste your time trying to keep the house looking perfect. Spend that time playing with your kids and making memories.)


Favorite Quote and Scripture Verse

"Be the change you want to see in the world." I try to teach my kids to be proactive. If they complain about something, we shift focus to trying to find a solution to the issue.


Favorite Family Meal 

Shrimp Pasta!

Ingredients:

~1 bag of large frozen cooked shrimp (thawed)
~1 box of any pasta (we like wagon wheels)
~1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (italian style)
~Minced garlic
~2 tbsp olive oil
~Fresh spinach (my kids are weird and like spinach)
~Garlic salt to taste
~Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Thaw shrimp in a bowl of tepid water.
Start cooking pasta.
Sautee chopped spinach leaves in garlic and olive oil just until slightly wilted (in a large skillet.)
Add can of tomatoes and shrimp to the spinach then simmer 5 mins.
Drain pasta and add shrimp mixture to pasta and toss.
Season with garlic salt to taste.
Top with parmesan after serving.
Serve with salad and french bread.
*Serves family with 7 young kids or 2 teenaged boys!


Favorite Family Dessert

Carmel Apple Cups

~1 package philo dough circles
~2 cans of apple pie filling
~Vanilla ice cream
~Carmel ice cream topping sauce

Put philo dough circles into a muffin tin and form cups.
Bake philo dough according to package.
Heat pie filling in microwave for two minutes or until hot.
Pull out baked cups and fill with apple filling.
Cool for 5 mins.
Top with ice cream and carmel sauce.
Serve immediately.


Her Websites

True Femme (www.truefemme.com) is my dream site. It is purposed to help women and girls build self esteem and serve as a place to encourage positive diversity. We are working with E.L.F. cosmetics on this campaign and hope to build a team of women who start projects in their own communities to empower girls/women. We believe that too much of our lives are wasted on pettiness and discrimination. It is time to shift focus to positivity!

Womb At The Innsane is my personal blog. I've had that one since 2004. It is just a place to reflect, be silly, drain my mental toxins etc...