Comments from Strangers

So yesterday afternoon I ventured to "town" with all of my children.  "Going to town" is what you do when you live in a small enough place that there isn't a Costco or Wal-mart to go shopping at and you have to drive to a bigger city to do so!

My children aren't perfect, but they were having a pretty good day, behavior wise.  Then, it happened.  Those comments I LOVE receiving from random people that I do not even know.

I was walking down the toothpaste aisle, and stopped my cart to scan over all of the toothpaste choices presented and prices that go with.  I admit, I do make people turn their heads.  I had one in the sling on my hip, one in the little seat of the grocery cart, two in the big part of the cart, and the two biggest walking along on their own.  And it was a good moment, no fighting, no crying---and I was nicely taking my time looking over my choices.

Then a lady approaches to reach in and get her own tube of toothpaste.  She smiles at me and says, (direct quote) "I HOPE all of these children aren't yours." 

I say, "ACTUALLY, they all ARE mine." and return the smile.

Was she serious?  Did she really mean to say that out loud to me?  My reaction shocked her a bit.  She made her toothpaste choice and headed to the next aisle.

I know that there are those that might think sometimes that I am the lady who "had so many children she didn't know what to do."  I wonder if they ever think that I HAD THESE CHILDREN ON PURPOSE.  I love them and wouldn't trade any of them back!  Imagine that....

I know there are others of you out there that have had one of these wonderful experiences of random comments from complete strangers.  Since having more than two children might make you a spectacle to others at the grocery store, BE STRONG!  You are a wonderful mother.  Being a mother of many doesn't make you crazy!  

Any funny stories to share?????

The Paper Route

Day 15..................of waking up at 5:00 am.

Is it selfish of me to sign my son up for a paper route so that I can get MY SLEEPY eyes out of bed?  Of course I haven't told him the ulterior motives involved.  He is thrilled to death to have his first REAL job making REAL money.  He has learned a life lesson too---he said to me on DAY 3, "Mom, I am less tired when I get up early than when I was sleeping in until 7:00."  So true.............We really don't need as much sleep as we sometimes think!

However, that doesn't make it EASY to wake up at 5:00 am, before the sun pokes his head up.  The alarm goes off, my body resists opening its eyes.  I sit up feeling so sleepy and get dressed because I have to.  These are the critical first five minutes.  This is the time when it is easy to just lay back down and go to sleep---but I can't now because of the PAPERS.  So I get through the hard part, and the rest of the day goes SO MUCH BETTER!  I have two more hours per day to do things---that is 14 more hours per week.  And these fourteen hours are QUIET, CHILDLESS hours.  As thankful as I am for my CHILD-FILLED hours, honesty must admit that I can accomplish triple the cleaning, the reading, the day-prepping in these quiet-filled hours.  It makes it so much easier to fit in the exercising, my scripture reading, my list-making, or just some time to ponder the day in quiet.

 So, it is working out.  My little son grown big gets to earn some money, and his mom gets to wake up every morning with him!  Day 15..............with A LOT of days ahead!