Yes, They are all mine and no my hands are NOT full
Well, maybe they are sometimes full of peanut butter or soft baby hair going into a ponytail, or they are full of love for my kids as I hug them tight…
An open letter to the strange man at the park or cashier at the supermarket, the old lady in the bank:
My hands are NOT as full as you suggest because to be so, then by what you are implying is that my kids are a burden when in fact they are a blessing, thank you very much…
My response to the unwarranted comments we receive:
“You’ve got YOUR hands full” The only thing my hands are full of is blessings!
“Five girls…that’s a lot of weddings.” And a lot of funerals… you’re point?
“I feel bad for you when they get their monthly (really)” I don’t even know what to say to this appalling rude personal invasion.
“Are they all yours?” No, I picked up a few strays at the park. (I know some people babysit and such but it can be in an offensive tone like asking a pregnant woman if it’s twins because in your eyes she is huge!)
Well, I know this all sounds like I’m angry but truth be written, I’m not. In fact I’m quite content with my little piece of heaven on earth and to be completely honest, I pity those that feel the need to make such remarks. It tells me they never had the joy of feeling what I feel because if they did, they would be smiling or telling me how lucky I am(which I have had my fair share of joyful commenters to prove this point). I also find that most of the people telling me how full my hands are never had any children of their own. How would they even know?!
Anyway, next time you are in the supermarket or bank or wherever and you see a mother or father with a gaggle of kids please bite your tongue unless to offer some normal conversation without judging a parent just living their hectic life. We don’t have all day to parade around answering to strangers about our choice of contraception or in my case, lack thereof.
Thank you!
Blog is where the Home is 
Lisa, You are indeed blessed. You are also awesome. Any one child can be overwhelming at times, from what I’ve seen. Just being able to transport a group of extremely well behaved children is still a logistical challenge. You handle everything with such grace and your daughters get along so beautifully together, which is another thing that does not always happen (in my family of only 3 sisters, there was plenty of fighting and our Mom, who I think is also exceptional, lost it plenty of times!) So I think what you’re hearing, aside from some rudeness I admit, is that people can’t imagine themselves doing what you’re doing, but I am sure many of them also admire and envy your wonderful family.
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Martha, Thank you for these beautiful words. I am blessed to have wonderful people like you in my family. We’ve been getting these comments for years, since baby # 3 so I’m sure your mother also encountered them. Most days, I ask myself the very question many strangers ask of me, “How do I do it?” I try to savor every moment because one day soon these little girls will be grown women with blogs of their own. (hopefully)
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