I don't view my family as larger than normal. Four kids, in my opinion, is not a lot (most days). I certainly pale in comparison to the supersized families (Gosselins, Octomom, Duggars, etc) that you see in the tabloids and on tv. However, it almost always amuses me when people's eyes bug out of their head when they see my demon brood coming. When the six of us flew to Florida, you should have seen the people praying that they were not going to sit next to us. There was a mad scramble to get away from us (and for the record, the children were absolutely well behaved, with only a minimum of muttered threats and bribery).
Many moons ago, we did the Bay Bridge walk with all four kids. Paige & Cameron were still in strollers. We got halfway over the bridge, and JP was done. I mean, he was really, really done. He looked at me and asked," Can't we just turn around and go home?" As I was explaining to him that it would actually be faster to keep going instead of turning around, we were approached by a reporter from the Baltimore Sun. She had heard the conversation, thought it was funny, and she wanted to interview us. She talked to the kids, and then she turned and asked me, "do the kids all have the same baby daddy?" (Well, maybe she didn't ask it quite like that, but I was so taken aback, all I said was yes, and the interview went on). Never again have I been asked if they were all Jason's kids.
Now you add three or four cousins into the mix, and it's game on, baby. Any one of my nieces or nephews could be interchanged with my kids. There is definitely a family resemblance. Try as I might, I can't deny any of the little buggers (I mean darlin's). So, when I have extra kids in tow, you can imagine the looks I get. One time, years ago when the kids were little, I was with my sister in law, and all 6 of our kids, at Sam's Club. There was a little old couple who watched us (with their mouths hanging open) as we disgorged ourselves from my mini-van. I could see them counting...and their eyes kept bugging out of their heads. I had the kids hold hands, and we walked like ducks in a row past them. Oh, did I mention my sister in law is teeny? I mean, she is really, really petite. I heard the couple muttering some thing about my "seven kids." Yup, they thought my sister in law was one of my kids. Since she is just a little bit older than me, we had a good laugh. And by we, I mean her, obviously.
When my nephew (and godson) was in preschool, I used to drive him and pick him up. This went on without incident for almost two years...then one day his mother (the petite one referenced above) picked him up from school. Now besides being teeny, she also has brown hair. Not that there is anything WRONG with brown hair. One of my very own children has brown hair. Brown hair is perfectly lovely. Her youngest son has blond hair. I mean, knock your socks off platinum blond hair. The color hair I had until my children sucked it out of me. The color blond that I now pay my hairdresser good money to recreate. Can you see where this is going? My sister in law was waiting in the carpool pickup line, and a teacher said, "Who are you here for?" When she told her the name, the teacher asked her,"And you are?" My sister in law answered as frostily as her sweet self could muster, "His MOTHER." So, thankfully they released him. To his mother.
Another time, we were at a local restaurant celebrating Jason's Aunt & Uncle's Wedding Anniversary. The kids were getting restless, so I volunteered to take them out to look at ducks and boats. Again, the looks and whispers about "all the kids" were buzzing about me like so many annoying bees. I just smiled and went about the business of making sure no child fell into the water...or got his or her eyes pecked out by a rogue duck.
Are they all mine? You betcha. They are all mine.
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