Do the kids all get on most of the time?
They do bicker, but not most of the time. We've been blessed with pretty good, easy going kids.
Are you close to all your siblings? Do they also have large families?
Yes, very close. They all live nearby except my brother who moved to Scotland with his husband and their daughter. My older sister has three, younger brother has four and he and his wife have just announced they're expecting again and the youngest, third brother has none and youngest, sister, has four.
How do you deal with the clutter of things?
I am always obsessively organising things. We're lucky to have quite a lot of storage which helps to keep clutter levels low.
Are the age gaps big or were there multiples?
I've answered their ages above, the fourth and fifth were twins.
Do all your children like being part of a big family?
They always say that they love it. We've never had any indication that they struggle with having so many siblings.
How do you afford Christmas?
I put money away all year for Christmas, starting in January. We're lucky that we aren't strapped for cash so we definitely manage.
Do your kids do extra curricular activities? If so how do you prioritise who gets their choice and who gets whatever fits in?
Yes. It's a real juggling act, where most of my time goes. With every activity, at least two children do it, which makes it a bit easier.
How long did it generally take you to conceive? Did it take longer, the older you got?
We've been lucky that conceiving has always been pretty easy.
Did you face judgement from your families?
To our faces, no. But I'm sure behind our backs.