Are All These Yours?

This is pictoral proof,

I don't think we look too large, too many, too unrelated.

But I invariably get asked and told on a regular basis, "Are all this kids yours?" or "Wow, I can't believe you have that many kids", or "Big group coming through." Large families here aren't the norm, but it isn't like there are rare either. My favorite is the grocery store one-liner, "What are you buying all this ____________(insert cereal, fruit roll ups, milk etc.) for? Are you having a party?"

Yeah, I am.

It is called motherhood and not everyone is invited and sometimes the party rocks more than at other times, but nonetheless, I decided how many I wanted on my guest list.

It's 5.

I even forewarned my mom when she came to watch the kids for us in April, that if she went anywhere with the kids, including kid friendly places like Chuck-E-Cheese, she would most likely get posed the same question I frequently do, "Are all these kids yours?"

She did.

I have been polite in the past, answering, "Yes, aren't I lucky?" or "Yup, there all mine, I may have my hands full now but my heart is full later."

However, my sassy streak just got a little more bold.

Last week my friend and I planned a day trip to the zoo.

I specifically commented to Randy the night before, that I bet this time, no one would ask me about the kids, because well, there were 2 moms, 7 kids so the odds that they were ALL mine were slim.

I was wrong.

While we were at the reindeer exhibit counting the points on their horns, the 3 ladies behind us must have been counting kids.

"Wow, are all these SEVEN kids yours?"

I looked placidly down at her 2 kids strapped tightly in their stroller, smathered in sun block, while her 2 friends and their singular child likewise pinned tightly to their strollers waiting for my reply to confirm their suspicion,

that perhaps I was an unwed mother,

pregnant at 16 at least to pop this many out,

that I didn't know how babies were made,

or in our ever so ec0-friendly state, that I deliberately was making an irresponsible choice to have so many children making an irreversible carbon footprint on Mother Earth.

"Yes, there are all mine and all from different fathers too."

She stammered, "OOOOh, that's nice."

I thought I would help her pull her foot out of her mouth.

"No, their not all mine, I was just kidding you."

Sigh of relief. "Oh, I didn't think so."

Snapped back with a big smile, "But 5 are, and all from the same dad."

Uneasy, "Oh, wow!"

Makayla smiled at my sassy remark.

I like the shock factor. It went over well. Next time, I think I may add in something about wow, I can't believe you only have 1 or 2 kids, are you selfish? yeah, you probably shouldn't have any more, it looks like 1 is already pretty over-whelming for you?

I'll keep you posted on my goal to make people think twice before knocking my planned choice to have a larger family.

Mother of 2 - Courtnee, Evan, and Jake

Note- She is not selfish or overwhelmed.
"Polly want a cracker?"

"Polly want 5 crackers?"

"Polly do you really want ALL FIVE crackers?"

"Polly are you cracked?"

A perennial favorite - the Merry-Go-Round,

it's true,

it makes one merry

Kenzie-Koo is so merry, so merry her cheeks bunch up in that cute, baby, chubby cheek smile look,

and yes, she wanted to keep going round and round,

after her 6th time around,

we pried her away from the pole horses crying

promising to bring her back soon,

which means nothing to a 1 year old.

Who wouldn't want five if this is what you ended up with?