It's not for everyone, but it is for me.

Yes, it's true. I hardly leave the house.
We are doing school at home in the morning for the big kids, and the little ones nap in the afternoon. We live far from town.
Most of our friends are either a) busy with school at home during the morning like we are or b) in school, at a real school. We have passed the playgroup stage of life.
As you know, we are also trying to save money and staying home makes that much easier to do.
It has been a slow adjustment over time toward being able to be home as much as we are now, without losing my mind! I still do get stir crazy from time to time, but it takes me much longer than it used to and much, much longer than it probably would for most people.

It's not easy to leave the house with the crew in tow. I have to really want to go somewhere to make it worth the effort. It's far more convenient to keep track of kids, feed them, change diapers, and nurse a nearly one-year old at home than it is in a public place. I used to be all for keeping the kids and myself flexible and getting out, saying "kids don't have to stop you from having a life!"
Slowly, one baby at a time, that has changed and I am glad for it. I have learned to see that I do have a life, and it is no less valuable than anyone else's. A busy calendar doesn't mean Important Person, and one with blank space doesn't mean Unimportant.
My life may seem mundane, and often enough I feel that much of my to-do list is rather monotonous and uninteresting. But, a great deal of it is not.

Baking and cooking with the kids, teaching them to read and do math, incorporating life-skills into our lesson plan, dancing to praise the Lord with them, writing out my thoughts, desires, visions, hopes and goals for the future on this blog, nurturing little souls, asking for their forgiveness frequently and encourging them to ask for one another's, helping them to learn to think of others before themselves and offer service, showing that it's okay to do your own thing, make your own decisions, and choose your own path even if it's unusual or unpopular, to enjoy the approval of others when it's there, but not become dependent upon it.....
Those are all very high on my daily agenda, and I believe that is a good thing. My to-do list makes for a worthwhile life and a day well spent, even if we don't leave the house and even if I connect with friends more often on line than in person : )

I would say this course is certainly not for everyone. Some women have a social need that exceeds my own, for sure. Some would feel trapped and alone, isolated and unable to fulfill their own personal desires. I can understand that completely.
I, myself have grown into it gradually.

As our kids get older, I am sure they will want to become involved in more activities, and our schedule will change accordingly.
For now, I can honestly say, that although sometimes I do need the chance to step away and get a change of scenery,and a moment alone, I could not paint a picture of a life more perfect than this for me at this time.

I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I don't need what's "out there" for now. I've got what I long for most right here.

Don't get me wrong, I do periodically develop a rather nasty, quite serious, case of Vacation Envy mingled with with an ugly dose of self-pity. It is then that I have to remind myself, my time will come, my time will come.

Learning contentment with this stage is a part of how I know I can welcome more children into the fold, and accept the certain level of mobile limitations belonging to a large family.
This is my glorious lot, tailor made for me, and (most of the time) I am thankful that it is exactly what it is.