A dose of perspective

Just when I'm thinking 'woe is me, what a long winter, I'm so sick of snow' the Hallmark channel plays "Little House on the Prairie" reruns. My favorite show as a child and I read the books about 10 times growing up. If you've never read them, one whole book in the series is dedicated to "The Long Winter." Anyway, the episode playing today was about the blizzard in May with little supplies on hand. "Eat slowly children, make it last." We have it so easy now! And yet I complain when I don't have a car every day to go where I want, when I want regardless of the weather. Roads are plowed within two hours of snowfall, I'm healthy enough to shovel my little driveway and I have a nice toasty house with plenty of food in it. Thank you Laura Ingalls Wilder for helping me gain some perspective and count my blessings!

Two hour delay, what?!

So I guess I've acclimated to the weather. Yesterday was 45 degrees and gorgeous and we were running around without coats on and it felt great! This morning there was wet slushy snow falling, but nothing accumulated on the roads. So I didn't even think about school being delayed (and our cable is not working right so no news to tell us delays). BB came back in from the bus stop and said a lady told him there was a delay and no other kids waiting. I'm so glad our bus stop is right outside our house... Anyway, it looks like the snow has turned to rain so hopefully it melts a bunch of the snow still on the ground! BG is convinced that spring is almost here because of all the geese flying back from the south. She points out every flock flying over and says 'they're coming back because spring is almost here!' I hope she's right...

The Waiting...

is the hardest part. For us at least, the waiting before a deployment or a separation is almost as difficult as the waiting for J to come back. Usually about 6 weeks before he leaves we start our stress reactions (I cling, he withdraws!)to the upcoming separation. It's hard to describe if you haven't been through it, but it's almost like I want this whole period to be over with and the deployment started so it will be over with sooner. Is there any way we can just skip the next few weeks or maybe somebody can give us a tonic to take away the stress and we can just be together without impending doom hanging over our heads... A bit dramatic, I know and it's not that I want him to be gone sooner and I know we need this time together before he leaves, but it's hard to relax with the anticipation of what's coming the next 15 months.

Eggs in the Snow

Well, hunting for Easter Eggs in the snow was a different experience... Poor LB was sick all weekend, but LG, BG, and BB had a great time looking for eggs in the snow on Easter. LG caught right on to what is was all about (the candy filled eggs in her basket earlier helped a lot!) and was eager to put more eggs in her basket. Hopefully we got them all since it snowed again this week and we won't find them until the thaw... We also went to church on post for the first time on Sunday. Small group at the general protestant service, but I liked it and the kids liked the children's church. The only downside is that the Sunday school classes are at the other chapel so we would have to load back up and head over there after our service. I'll probably check out the more contemporary service also before we decide where we want to go on a regular basis. Always one of the more difficult parts of moving for me is finding a church to attend. I think I finally figured out the picture thing so here's a few pics of Easter and the weekend and a few others.

Nature vs Nurture

With LG and LB we've had the opportunity to see how much nature and nurture are coming to play in the development of their personalities. It's so interesting to see how different they are and wonder if it's all because we treat them differently (even when trying not to) or just the very differences they are born with. Both of our girls have shown an interest at an early age in shoes, hats, dresses, babies. Is it because they see mommy with that stuff or just because we do dress them different from the start? We've got the 'boy' stuff available too but they are just not interested. And LB is opposite the other way. The only way he'll pick up a baby doll is if he wants to throw it down! And the contrast in their words. LG says a few more (see previous post), but LB's few words are: ball, throw, here, ma, and da. I really can't buy into the idea that it's all about environment when I see two children (well 4) with much the same treatment act so differently. Even in the womb, I could always tell if it was LB or LG kicking. LB had strong, knock you over kicks, and LG's were little flutters. So have we treated them differently because they were already that way from birth and therefore we acted accordingly? Or is so much already printed into them and their environment either suppresses or emphasized those traits? Either way, I'm enjoying their individualality and the challanges of being fair and not always giving in to the squeaky (screaming) wheel before taking care of the patient sweet girl.

Peaceful Protest

I was trying to vacuum this morning and LG wanted some attention, so she very calmly and quietly laid down in front of the vacuum cleaner and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Well, I had to turn it off then! She is definetely our smiley, happy, long-suffering, Ghandi-girl with a shoe fetish. And is she starting to talk! Favorite words: ooooh, cute, princess, shoe, mama, dad, cat, dog, baby, and a bunch of others we have no idea what they are but they really mean something to her as she babbles all day.

Happy Easter

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
Have a Happy and Blessed Easter!

My Middle Child

BG is really feeling her lot in life as the 'middle child' lately. She doesn't get as much 'fun' attention as the twins and doesn't get to do as much stuff as BB and he bosses her around. She told me yesterday "I want to be bigger than BB now. When will I be bigger than him?" Sorry, baby girl, he's always going to be your big brother. I asked her if she didn't like having a big brother sometimes and she said 'no, I want to be bigger and BB be younger than me.' I told her she might like having a big brother when she starts riding the school bus in the fall and then she said "I'm going to sit next to BB every day!" aaawwww. I didn't mention that to BB... Sometimes it's hard for us to remember that she was the 'youngest' for 3 1/2 years and in some ways still thinks of herself that way. She does want to be in the middle of everything going on! And loves her baby brother and sister but we still have to watch carefully when she's playing with them just because she is so rough! Which they love most of the time! When we found out we were having boy and girl twins, she was so excited and told me everything she was going to do with the 'girl baby' (poor LB) and as soon as they were born she was on them like flies on honey! Literally climbing on them to give them hugs. She definetely saw them as 'hers.' Now, she says "I want to be a twin with the babies so I don't have to do chores" and "how come the babis don't have to do chores." I reply with "you didn't have to do chores when you were their age." So I get it that she's feeling a bit dissatisfied with her middle position in this family and we're trying to give her some undivided attention with mom and dad. We try to do that on occasion with all of them. They are so different when they don't have to compete for attention! It's been a great reminder for us about their wonderful, different personalities and fills up the 'love tank' for when they are fighting with their brothers and sisters! I'm thinking with BG, we might need those reminders a little more often because she is usually in the 'middle' of the fights!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Attempting to keep my sense of humor, so bear with the bad poetry in limerick form:

There's an Army wife in Fort Drum
who slipped on her rather large bum
for spring she can't wait
she'd rather cut bait
than see one more flake of snow come

There once was a girl from Cali
who got hitched to a guy from Jersey
she popped out some kids
then started taking bids
when the snow and ice made her crazy

The snow so beautiful as it falls
Pristine and white, gently it calls
to the big plow trucks
who turn it to muck
Don't run your car into a dirty snow wall!



Luckily, it's a gorgeous out so we'll all go out to meet Willem from the bus this afternoon and get some fresh air and sunshine! I am so ready for this snow to melt! I don't even care if it's muddy! I want to leave the house without a jacket and hat and gloves! Easter only 6 days away and I'm losing hope that we'll see the ground!Anyway, have a Happy St. Patricks Day. Go Green, eat a salad and recycle something today...

Lessons Learned Lately (L3)

Nothing exciting going on here except some snow melted and there's more on the way... So here's a few things I've learned from my kids lately:

1. Friendship = Forgiveness
Ever notice how kids can forgive each other 5 minutes after they've been fighting? Why do we forget how to do that as adults and worry over the slightest thing a friend may have said or we thought they said or somebody else said they did... In most cases, our friends are nice people (otherwise they wouldn't be our friends right?) and have no intention of hurting us, so forgive the little stuff, quickly, and get back to being chums.

2. A Dance a Day Keeps Depression Away
My kids love to dance and wiggle and jump around. On the days that I actually join in, the day goes much better and you can't help but smile and laugh when everyone is dancing around. Love those endorphins...

3. Prayer keeps the bad dreams away
BB prays every night "Thank You God for mommy and daddy and BG, and LG and LB and all my other family-mates and help keep the bad dreams away" It works!

4. Kids help you keep Habits going
Start a habit with your children and it is very hard to break, both good (see prayers above) and bad (dessert and many others not listing).

5. Watch what I say and do
They're always watching and listening! Like little spies making sure I'm doing the right thing! If I don't want something repeated I better not say it in front of my kids, especially BG!

6. The food on somebody else's plate is always better
Doesn't matter if you have the same stuff on your plate, if mommy and daddy share theirs it tastes better. LB is especially good at sharing food with everyone both giving and taking...

7. The simplest games are the best
Hide and seek, tag, peek-a-boo, and pretending to be animals still entertain longer that any game.

8. Gates only work if you use them.
I finally got a couple of doorway gates to keep the twins out of the kitchen. They work wonderfully and I love being able to make dinner without them underfoot. However, they only work when you put them up!

9. Don't leave blueberries on the counter within reach of little hands.
When you forget about the gates, babies have free access to the kitchen and will grab whatever is on the edge of the counter. Today it was blueberries. The big container from Sam's Club. BG came and got me and said 'the babies are squishing blueberries with their feet!' So much for blueberry pancakes in the morning...

10. (If you're squeamish don't read this one) (If you're looking for reasons to not have any more kids, read it) Keep pants on the toddlers when they start discovering poop.
I didn't put LB's pants back on after changing his diaper because it was close to bath time. Needless to say he has learned to get his diaper off and left us a dark brown surprise in the living room. Not to be outdone by her little brother, the next day LG decided to put her hands down her diaper and pull out the contents and smear it all over her tummy. yuck. Hoping they start using the toilet sooner rather than later...

Time

Since I've had children (which coincided with leaving the Army), I seem to have a problem with Time. Not so much that there's not enough of it, but keeping track of it and judging how much time has passed during any given activity. Anyway, there are certain situations worse than others: Target is a big time vacuum, I've no ability whatsoever to judge how long I've been in there except by how much money is spent, shopping mall and other large retail establishments another big one, bookstores, reading a book or magazine, talking on the phone, chatting with friends, holding a baby, getting shoes and coats on, the ages of my children. How can BB possibly be almost seven years old when he was just born last year? At least that's what it feels like. And the clocks moving forward on Sunday just added to my un-timeliness. What brought this reflection on? My poor, hardworking husband standing in the cold waiting 25 minutes past the time I was supposed to pick him up. I needed the car this afternoon so he came home from his training exercise (long hours, little sleep) for lunch and I brought him back to work. Then ran my errands and came back to pick BB up from the neighbor's and I planned on being out of the house for dinner and the bookstore and then kids in car to fall asleep on the way back. I didn't want them going to bed and then have to put them in the car at 9:00 to get J. Anyway, we ate dinner in the food court, bathroom break, went to the pet store, bathroom break, then the bookstore, where we only looked in the children's section. So I go to pay for our selections and notice the other stores have their gates down! I ask the cashier what time it was (my cell was buried under the stroller and coats) and he said "5 after 9!" Shock! Dismay! Hurry! Car is parked at the other end of the deserted mall, so I told BB and BG they could run in the mall this one time as long as they didn't get too far ahead... Load up, drive back to post without stopping to get J any dinner, as planned, and find him cold, hungry and angry in the parking lot. I thought of many plausible excuses, but decided I wouldn't start lying to him after 13+ years of marriage. Lost track of Time, Honey, very sorry. Perhaps I should get past my Being on Time For Everything Rebellion and start wearing a watch again. It stopped shortly after I got out of the Army and I never really put one on again... Anyway, husband forgives me, penance is making cookies for his troops so I better get going...

'Girled' cheese and tomato soup

I made us grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch yesterday. As we were eating BG asked 'Why do they call it girled cheese?' Made me giggle... Anyway, it's a favorite lunch for LG and LB. I didn't give them soup at first, but when they saw mine they both 'asked' for some. LG drank hers from her little cup and LB, who imitates everything, started dipping his sandwich in his soup. I'm so thankful that they're easy to feed! BG a different story... Lately she's decided she doesn't like so many things she used to eat regularly. It's a challenge getting her to eat regular meals and last night I finally gave in and gave her a piece of bread and butter before bed. She didn't eat much of her dinner and said her stomach was growling...

Books

I've never really been big into history beyond the basic high school/college requirements (my husband is the history 'buff') and a good historical romance. Lately though, I've read a couple of books that have inspired me to look a few things up... I read "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamont a while ago and then had to look up the reference in my Bible (Genesis 34). It's the story of Jacob's daughter Dinah told from her perspective. Very interesting and kind of brought alive the history of the time and what women were going through and how they lived. Another book I've had for a few years and finally decided to read since it's now a movie is "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory. OK this is why I don't read as often as I like; I'm a little OC about reading and once I start it's hard for me to stop! I started it at 8pm when the kids got in bed (big mistake) and didn't put it down until I finished it at 4am. A little groggy that day but the story was great and then I had to look up all the historical figures in it. I'll let you know how the movie is when I get to it! The other books are actually a series by Jack Whyte (the first was The Skystone) about Camulod and Arthur and Merlin and a very rich historical perspective on the whole period in Britain after Rome left. So, I guess for me the history is much more interesting when it's wrapped in fiction first! If you've read any good books with a historical perspective, let me know...

Is it spring yet?

I think the winter is starting to get to some of us... BG has been asking me almost every day, "how many more days until spring, mommy?" I wish I knew, 'cause I'm definetely ready for it too! We went to pick J up from the airport in Syracuse (about 70 miles south) yesterday afternoon. We left a bit early to avoid most of the weather up here and it was freezing rain as we left around 1:00. Headed to BabiesRus and got a new duo-glider stroller (yay! love it!) and then went to the mall to hang out & eat dinner until J's flight arrival at 6:00. Well, after 3 delays in WADC he finally arrived at 9:00. We ended up finding a hotel down there since the weather and roads were so nasty. Came home to a snow drift where our driveway used to be and had to shovel that before parking and unloading the van. The Carousel Center is nice and all, but I don't understand why there are so few places around here with inside play areas for children... Very few McDonalds even have a Playplace it seems and the malls we've been to don't have a play areas either. I would think there would be more places to take small children to play when you have six months of winter to deal with! J's idea is that everything is older here (apparantly even the people) and hasn't quite caught up with the rest of the country yet on the play area trend... I know there's an indoor playground somewhere on post, but with limited hours. Maybe we'll check it out this week and find another outlet for these kids of mine besides seeing what kind of trouble they can find in our house.

good busy, dizzy day

Reflecting on today, I realize why I'm ready for bed at 8:00! I know I feel better when I get a workout in, but today really reinforced that feeling of increased energy. After my 2 cups of coffee and cereal this morning and relaxing for a bit, I actually got on the new elliptical trainer for a while (a record twice in one week!)as the babies and BG played. Then because I was already sweaty I decided to go shovel the walk and driveway after feeding everyone lunch and putting babies down for their nap. Wintery mix is no fun to shovel with layers of snow and ice and slush so that took about an hour. Then back inside to clean up, get everyone ready to go to hourly care and out the door. Dropped kids off and did a couple of errands and then back to get BB off the bus which I was late for! Darling neighbor got him off the bus and fed him a snack. Then we went to the pharmacy and the commissary and 4 minutes late picking up the rest of the crew from hourly care which won't happen again at $15 extra for all three of them! Then back home and neighbor took BB and BG to the pool with them and the babies 'helped' me put groceries away (mostly by sitting at the open bag and eating grapes before I could get to them) then I fed, bathed and put them in bed and picked up the explosion in the living room before the others got home... Fed BB and BG and sent them to bed, then sat down to check email, call J and eyes are drooping as I finish this... I think I'll skip the workout tomorrow... Who knows? I might be on time for something and my dishes might get done. I don't want to be raising expectations too high...

What a morning!

Whew! I made it to naptime! So, I tried J's technique of shutting the office door for some peace and quiet while I did some paperwork/computer stuff/phone calls, etc... Not really a good idea when there's not a mother out there to supervise. It was quiet... too quiet... So when I opened the door, LB had two paintbrushes in his hands and green paint all over him, (did I say they could paint, I don't remember!), there was a bottle of water spilled on the table with open paint (I've been meaning to paint the table!), and he had also emptied all the canned goods out of the pantry including one jar of spaghetti sauce broken on the floor! How can one little boy wreak such havoc in such a small amount of time? And where were the other three you ask (oh, yeah, it's a snow day)? Apparantly watching him make a mess while building a fort out of couch cushions and papers in the living room... Most of the mess cleaned up, babies down for a nap, I will be soon and the 'big' kids are going to be in their rooms cleaning the rest of the afternoon...

Invisible Moms

I'm exhausted and couldn't think of anything original to write today and can't remember anything about today except want, want, want, and need, need, need... But this wonderful thing was in my inbox and almost made me cry at how true it is sometimes:

The INVISIBLE MOMS

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the
lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk
into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you
see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see
if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the
floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The
invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:
Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open
this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even
a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'
I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the
Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around
5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the
hands that once held books and the eyes that studied
history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -
but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter,
never to be seen again. She's going, she's going,
she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner,
celebrating the return of a friend from England.
Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.
I was sitting there, looking around at the others all
put together so well. It was hard not to compare and
feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find
that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a
hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell
peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic,
when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book
on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her
inscription: 'To Carol , with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the
book. And I would discover what would become for me,
four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern
my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals
- we have no record of their names. These builders
gave their whole lives for a work they would never see
finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no
credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw
everything. A legendary story in the book told of a
rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was
being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird
on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that
bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No
one will ever see it.' And the workman replied,
'Because God sees.'
;
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall
into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering
to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices
you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn
on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to
notice and smile over. You are building a great
cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will
become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It
is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,
stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I
see myself as a great builder. As one of the people
who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will
never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to
say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our
lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my
daughter to tell the friend she's bringing home from
college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand
bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the
linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a
shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her to
want to come home. And then, if there is anything
more to say to her friend, to add, 'You're gonna love
it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We
cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day,
it is very possible that the world will marvel, not
only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible
women.

Beautiful Day!

We finally had a gorgeous day today! Almost 60 degrees and sunny and breezy. Most of the snow in the back yard is melted but still plenty in front. A nice little break before the winter storms hit again tomorrow night! Anyway, we all played outside this afternoon and I finally saw how many kids live on our end of the street (seems like about 20!). LG and LB rode their little 3 wheel scooter 'bikes' and LB kept heading for the puddles. BG got knocked over by a bigger kid and has a nice lump on the back of her head and mud all over her back (she decided to stay in after that) and BB wanted to go back out after dinner! I got so excited about being outside that I started looking at swing sets online... This having two toddlers going seperate directions down the street is no joke! I need them confined to a much smaller area!

Missing J

One week without J and I'm really feeling it... I know I sometimes feel my darling husband doesn't do as much as he should or could with the kids and house stuff, but it only takes a week of him being gone to realize all the little things he does. Like:
When LB wakes up at 4:30 to 5:00 every morning, J's usually already up and gets him a banana and drink and keeps him happy until he goes to PT and I get my butt out of bed. (I really miss that extra hour or so of sleep!)
He starts a movie in his office and keeps the babies happy while I'm trying to make dinner.
He holds a baby and sometimes helps put pajamas on after a bath (otherwise we have a naked, loaded baby running around while I get the other one out of the tub!)
I get to talk to an adult at least twice a day for however short that may be!
I don't have to pay him to watch the kids while I go to Bunco or a movie.
He helps get dinner on the table and clears after.
He gets BB and BG to do their chores much more effectively than I do, which saves me a lot of time and headache.
He keeps everyone occupied while I take a nap on the weekends.

I know the list goes on and some of these don't sound that big, but after this week I am much more appreciative of the little things. I think I've been in bed by 8:30 almost every night! And I'm so going to start napping every day again! So, can you tell I'm not really looking forward to a year+ of him being gone... Besides the just plain missing him, he manages to make himself indispensible when he's here. I know we'll adjust and get through things the best we can, but our best is always better when our family is together. Sometimes I feel like each deployment is somewhat like childbirth in that I forget very quickly how painful or difficult it was as soon as J gets back and we're together again; then as the time gets closer to him leaving again some of that pain and fear starts to come back. Thinking about it now, this will be the first time he'll be gone that I'm not pregnant! No wonder I associate the two!

Large Family FAQs and Comebacks

After our discussions on big families, Angie sent me this list of FAQs and comebacks. Read, enjoy, laugh if you have some time...

Large Families FAQ with Come Backs.

1) You have your hands full!
Yes, happily so!
Yes, and my heart too.
Don't say anything, just look puzzled at your hands. (This does obviously
not work if you are carrying a baby :-)
Yes, but I would rather have my hands full than empty!

2) Are they all yours?
No, I just went to Rent-a-Brat.
No, this is not all of them, my oldest is at home with the triplets. HEHE!
No, actually two are the mailman's and I am not sure whose is that one.....
No, I picked up a couple extra in the produce aisle.
Gee, I never heard that question before!
Of course they're all mine. Do you think I take five (or fill in your
number) kids shopping for fun?
No..........I have two more at home! (When it fits)
Yes, and they're such good kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (the kids love that one!)
Of course they are..wait..who is that one? Hes not ours.....oh,yeah, 5 , I
forgot I had him.
I don't know. How many do you count?
Yes. But if you have any you don't want, I'll gladly take them, too .
No. I've been an avid collector for years and just picked these up in the
food court!
Yes, at least that's what I tell my husband.
Yes, we just enjoy sex soooooo much!
Why do you want to know?
Well, not today.
We are trying to get into the Guiness Book of World Records of (add whatever
here) most kids, largest family living in one house, etc.
Yes, I always want just one more.
Check back in nine months and you'll see for yourself.


3) Don't you know what causes that?
No, please tell me!
Of course, don't you?
Yes, we do know what causes that and we like it very much, thank you.
Oh yes, we finally figured it out and we now keep the tooth brushes in
seperate glasses!
Oh yes, I now wash my husband's underwear seperately.
Oh yes, having a great sex life!
Water or sex but I don't want to give up either.
Smile brightly and say with enthusiasm "Yes and we like it!"
You bet I do......love, love, love ( & sex, sex, sex.....hehehe.......)
Yes,and as you only have two kids obviously you dont do it much.
Yes, and it is something I am very good at...
Of course, and the Lord has greatly blessed us!
A strong husband/wife relationship, big hearts, and the Lord's blessing.

4) Are you going to get fixed?
Nope, I am not broken!
Why do you want to know?
Huh, we thought everything was working fine for us!?!
We didn't know anything was broken.
Don't you only fix things that aren't working properly?
Well as you can see be the size of OUR family everything is in working
order. :)(You have to say this last one with the kinda "I'm not to bright so
your question seems kinda foolish don't you think?" attitude.

5) I can't believe how you do it, I cannot even handle my two!
Yes, if I had kids like you, I wouldn't have any more either!
Yes, you don't strike me as the type who could handle more kids than that.
I do it like most people, in bed and after the kids are sleeping.
I put knobs on the kids. Makes them easier to handle.
Everyone has 24 hours in a day, it is just how you use it...nt
With lots of patience, patience, patience
go and look at them while they're sleeping.
Oh, I just do it. Wake up in the morning, do what you have to do all day, go
to bed when it's done.
Pick your battles carefully. It helps to have selective sight and hearing!
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Oh, straight jackets and handcuffs!

6) Are you planning to have any more?
I've been wondering about this and maybe you can explain it to me: I always
thought you had to plan NOT to have more.
Before we were married we planned on having 2, but I didn't know that my
husband couldn't count!
We didn't plan the first five, I don't think we'll plan the next five,
either.

7) I hope you aren't planning to have anymore?!?
You mean, I just figured out what I'm really, really good at, and you're
telling me to stop doing it?
Talk to God about it... it's up to Him.
Well, we do have room in our Suburban for 1 more. LOL!!!!!
OK, I won't plan my next one. I do like surprises!
Yup we are going to keep going till we get an ugly one.

8) Haven't you heard of birth control?
Yes, and I thank God it doesn't always work!
Yes, I've heard of it, I hope you are using it!
(for dad) Yes, but I just can't find a condom that will fit me!
Yes, that's great stuff for people with ugly kids!
Yes, it's for people who don't want children.

9) Don't you have a television?
Yes, but we only get X-rated channels
Yes! Did you know there are 28 porn channels in this area?
No, we have much better things to do at night!
Yes 4 of them. Why?

10) How can you afford having so many?
Lifestyles are expensive not kids.
We're not on welfare, in huge amounts of debt, and no, my husband is not a doctor or lawyer. We just budget well.
I figure you spend what you make, you may as well spend it on more.
I'm still not sure how we do it...but it works!


11) I am glad it is you and not me!
Yes, me too!
My kids are glad it's me and not you too!
Oh me too! I love being a mother! and smile real BIG!

12) Do you get any time for yourselves?
Obviously we get a little time to ourselves, or we wouldn't have five kids.

13) Did you give birth to all of them?
Yes, I gave birth to them all. Do you really believe the stork dropped them
off?

14) When people just keep staring at your family....
Yes, they all are mine!
No, we don't try to overpopulate the earth, just to outnumber the idiots!