I took the kids out today. We went to JoAnn's to get some stuff for "projects."
As we were waiting at a stop light I noticed a large, 16-passenger van next to us. Do you know I've gotten to the point where every time I see a big van I look to see if there are lots of kids in it. Everywhere I go my mind is attuned to how many kids the people around me have with them. I invariably have the biggest family. Three kids is the most I've seen so far.
I'm starting to get "The Look."
Older people generally smile and think they are all so cute, but younger people don't seem to have the patience.
The lady in the 16-passenger van went into JoAnn's, too. I didn't see her go in but I knew exactly who she was. She was at the cutting counter and she had one son with her, but she looked over at me and the girls and shook her son on the shoulder and said, "Look at the baby, doesn't she look cozy. Isn't she cute!" I was carrying Lily in the Baby Bjorn. I wonder how many kids she has. She had to be the lady in the huge van, because in my experience, only people who have lots of kids themselves and love babies A LOT make such a fuss over the fourth baby. By now, everyone else is saying, "Are they all yours," or "Wow, you must be busy." When it was just Ella everyone would stop and ooh and aah over how cute she was, but now everyone overlooks how gosh-darn cute Lily is and ogles my "large" family. I ONLY HAVE FOUR KIDS FOR PETE'S SAKE. That's half as large as it's likely to get over the next 10-12 years.
I think I'm addicted to blog-land because there is where I find my encouragement. Maybe if I didn't realize that there were other people out there that believe what Del and I believe about children, then I would be more content. But, I know they're out there...they're just not here. And not blogging.
I've met one family with 7 kids here and she was pregnant at the time. The mother must be very wary of people because even though I had three kids at the time and was about 6-8 weeks pregnant with Lily, she was very stand-offish to me. Anyway, I stopped attending that homeschool support group so I don't know what happened to them.
I think it's funny that the one place Del and I can move within his job is to San Antonio because I've seen the most large families from that area of the states. We'll likely fit right in, and we can come visit your super-sized family (ha ha ha) any time we want. That probably won't happen for a while though.
I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post but...there you go. I'm starting to get "The Look."
4 comments:
The funny thing is that even when I am just out with my two - and I don't look pregnant yet - I already get comments like, "Wow! You sure have your hands full!" I think because the boys look much closer in age than they are, people think they are only a year apart. But I'm only out with 2 and I get comments. Just wait until I am hugely pregnant...I'll get lots of comments then.
Just ignore the looks. Your family is precious and you know that each child is a blessing even if others haven't figured that out yet!
That's so sad. People do seem to be shocked, shocked I tell you, that they are so close in age. But, two years average inbetween is good, I think.
I think Aaron is the spitting image of Jerry. Have I told you that?
I do too! I am amazed at how much he looks like Jerry. I am always flabbergasted when people tell me he looks like me. He is his father, through and through. I wish you could have seen him the moment he was born. There were even some audible shock sounds from some of the nurses because he looked JUST like Jerry. One nurse said, "Well, we know it wasn't the milkman!"
ROTFL. That's hilarious!
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