you can click on the link and read this from my friend's site if you'd rather, but for ease of use i'm pasting the entire post here.
Large Families in General
Life changed quickly for us. It's been fun - and it has its funny moments too.
It now takes us 2-3 shopping carts for our Walmart trip. This is groceries + other supplies - but still, we always feel bad for the poor checker. And I've learned that people feel led to comment on large families just because we're ... um ... large!
Case in point - my last walmart trip. Hubby Chris wasn't there, but I had all 7 boys. Four of them went to the toy section (and were well behaved. they wanted to spend their allowance :))
Mikey, Nathan & Adam helped me shop. We filled three carts (yeah, i know - but I had a LIST!)
We finished shopping, located the other boys, approved their toys, and let them go through a nearby checkout so that they could check out first. (Trust me, it takes a LONG time to check out now.) So - I had three carts of supplies, packed to the gills, and only a 2 year old, a four year old, and a 13 year old with me. The checker looked at me, raised his eyebrows, and began checking us out.
One by one the other boys finished checking out and came to ask me if they could go out to the van. By the second or third boy, the checker raised his eyebrows again, and asked me exactly how many children I had. I smiled and told him we had seven, all boys. He asked how that happened. I told him we were very blessed.
He looked at me (raising his eyebrows even higher if possible) and asked what the age range was. So I told him we had a 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13 & 14 year old. He looked at me again and told me I didn't look old enough to have a fourteen year old. I just smiled and told him I'm older than I look. So he proceeded to ask my age. Usually I just tell nosy people that I'm old enough to have a fourteen year old, and leave it at that - but I wanted to see if his eyebrows could actually fall off his face, so I told him that I'm 28. LOL. I could see him do the math right then and there.
So he paused for a moment, and then asked if I was married. I smiled. Mikey rolled his eyes and told him that Dad was at home working. He asked if all the kids had the same Dad! (the nerve!) I smiled and told him yes, they did. (Totally not a lie, either! They all have the same bio dad, and the same adoptive dad!!). Mikey just grinned at him and kept loading groceries onto the counter.
He then asked if we had to pick names that were similar so that we didn't forget them. Oh my goodness! You've got to be kidding. So I smiled and told him that they all came with names. And I could remember them. (Remember, I'm smiling and being polite the ENTIRE time. He's starting to think that I got pregnant at 13, had my first kiddo at 14, etc.)
Raising his eyebrows disapprovingly, he asked if I was popping out another one any time soon. I had to laugh; I told him we'd see what God did. His eyebrows almost DID pop off his face. Then he asked Mikey if he wanted another sibling, or if he hoped we were done. Mikey smiled and said he wasn't sure, but it'd probably be nice to have another.
We got ready to leave. He stood there in shock as we pushed the carts out .... and as soon as we got out the door Mikey and I doubled over in laughter. Sometimes you've just got to laugh. And - hallelujah - it now takes a heck of a lot to make me blush.
Life changed quickly for us. It's been fun - and it has its funny moments too.
It now takes us 2-3 shopping carts for our Walmart trip. This is groceries + other supplies - but still, we always feel bad for the poor checker. And I've learned that people feel led to comment on large families just because we're ... um ... large!
Case in point - my last walmart trip. Hubby Chris wasn't there, but I had all 7 boys. Four of them went to the toy section (and were well behaved. they wanted to spend their allowance :))
Mikey, Nathan & Adam helped me shop. We filled three carts (yeah, i know - but I had a LIST!)
We finished shopping, located the other boys, approved their toys, and let them go through a nearby checkout so that they could check out first. (Trust me, it takes a LONG time to check out now.) So - I had three carts of supplies, packed to the gills, and only a 2 year old, a four year old, and a 13 year old with me. The checker looked at me, raised his eyebrows, and began checking us out.
One by one the other boys finished checking out and came to ask me if they could go out to the van. By the second or third boy, the checker raised his eyebrows again, and asked me exactly how many children I had. I smiled and told him we had seven, all boys. He asked how that happened. I told him we were very blessed.
He looked at me (raising his eyebrows even higher if possible) and asked what the age range was. So I told him we had a 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13 & 14 year old. He looked at me again and told me I didn't look old enough to have a fourteen year old. I just smiled and told him I'm older than I look. So he proceeded to ask my age. Usually I just tell nosy people that I'm old enough to have a fourteen year old, and leave it at that - but I wanted to see if his eyebrows could actually fall off his face, so I told him that I'm 28. LOL. I could see him do the math right then and there.
So he paused for a moment, and then asked if I was married. I smiled. Mikey rolled his eyes and told him that Dad was at home working. He asked if all the kids had the same Dad! (the nerve!) I smiled and told him yes, they did. (Totally not a lie, either! They all have the same bio dad, and the same adoptive dad!!). Mikey just grinned at him and kept loading groceries onto the counter.
He then asked if we had to pick names that were similar so that we didn't forget them. Oh my goodness! You've got to be kidding. So I smiled and told him that they all came with names. And I could remember them. (Remember, I'm smiling and being polite the ENTIRE time. He's starting to think that I got pregnant at 13, had my first kiddo at 14, etc.)
Raising his eyebrows disapprovingly, he asked if I was popping out another one any time soon. I had to laugh; I told him we'd see what God did. His eyebrows almost DID pop off his face. Then he asked Mikey if he wanted another sibling, or if he hoped we were done. Mikey smiled and said he wasn't sure, but it'd probably be nice to have another.
We got ready to leave. He stood there in shock as we pushed the carts out .... and as soon as we got out the door Mikey and I doubled over in laughter. Sometimes you've just got to laugh. And - hallelujah - it now takes a heck of a lot to make me blush.
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