More the merrier for this Moorpark dad

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers HANDS FULL—Robert Sichmeller, center, became an instant dad a decade ago when he adopted Abigail, Veronica and Olivia, three daughters from his wife's previous marriage. With the addition of Nicolette, Thornton, Raelene and Delilah, the local man and his wife, Vanessa, far left, now are raising seven children under the age of 17. "I can't imagine it any other way," Sichmeller said. With the media blitz surrounding "Octomom" Nadya Suleman and the growing popularity of the television series "Jon and Kate Plus 8," large families seem to be the latest Hollywood obsession.

But for one Moorpark dad, the constant hustle and bustle of life with a houseful of kids is an alltoo-unscripted reality.

"I can't imagine it any other way," said Robert Sichmeller, a Moorpark resident and the father of seven—six girls and one boy.

Sichmeller met his bride-to-be, Vanessa, in 1998. Having lost her first husband to cancer, Vanessa was seeking better health coverage for herself and her three daughters, Abigail, Veronica and Olivia. Sichmeller was the agent she found.

"We just started talking, because doing insurance he had to ask personal questions," Vanessa said. "I was very comfortable talking to him and so that interview for insurance became a long conversation."

The budding friendship between the young single man and the mother of three blossomed, and the couple married in 2000.

They have since had four children of their own: Nicolette, 8; Raelene, 5; Thornton 7; and Delilah, 2. The family now includes seven kids ages 2 to 17.

"It's very surreal because it was all just a progression," said Sichmeller, who adopted Abigail, Veronica and Olivia in 2002 to ensure that all the members of his growing family would feel related.

"Since they didn't have a father figure, it was pretty much right from the beginning I took on the role, but I didn't realize it until later," he said.

The three girls said their adopted father is a committed and caring dad.

"Most kids don't get adopted when they're 6. That was really cool; he just stepped in and has done all this stuff for us since then," said Abigail, 17.

"I don't think we thank him enough for the things he does for us," said 15-year-old Veronica.

"Unlike some other parents, he likes to get involved in school things," said Olivia, 11.

Sichmeller, 33, recently became president of the Mesa Verde Middle School Band Boosters and vice president of the Moorpark High School Band and Colorguard Boosters to stay involved with his older daughters' lives.

And his role as a guide for the YMCA Indian Guides and Indian Princesses gives him the opportunity to be actively involved with his younger children.

"The toughest part of being the dad of a big family is managing time away volunteering and working versus time at home," he said. "In a family with seven kids, there's not a lot of one-on-one time, so I show my commitment to them by volunteering."

Vanessa said that despite the size of the family, all the kids know they can turn to Dad in times of need. "He's a great dad because he has a very open and honest line of communication with all the children."

Sichmeller, who now owns his own insurance agency, said he always wanted to have many children, but he and wife don't plan to have more at this time because of the resources required to support an even larger family.

"If I was independently wealthy and a billionaire, we could have had more, but sustaining a family and running a company isn't easy," he said.

Sichmeller estimated that he spends about $15,000 a year on dance lessons for his six older children and the family's food bill is about $300 per week, not including restaurants.

Though the Sichmellers' four youngest kids aren't old enough to understand the sacrifices that parents must make to care for their families, they know one thing for sure— they're loved.

"My dad is special because he makes time to be with me to play games," Nicolette said.

"He's nice to us and he takes care of us," Raelene said.

"He takes us to fun places," Thornton added.

Sichmeller said his family's life is probably more active than those featured on television.

"Unlike them, we don't have any help around the house and our kids are all are of different ages, so they're all involved in different activities at the same time," he said.