School Starts Con't

So if there is one thing I'm looking forward to about school starting, it's the thought of going to town with 3 kids instead of 5. I still often look for someone to leave a few of them with but it seems like it's getting more common just to load 'em all up and take 'em along.

It's not that it's so terrible. But I do still get a LOT of looks and comments.

A few memorable ones from the last week:

- last Friday afternoon at about 5:00 I was just finishing a week's worth of groceries at Superstore. A kind lady, who I can talk to for a couple of hours if we ever end up in the same room together, called me "admirable" for doing groceries with 5 kids. I TOLD you she was KIND. Most other people would have called me CRAZY for pulling a supper hour stunt like that. (for those of you who read the last post you would notice she didn't call me smart :) )

In fact, if I would have pulled the cotton out of my ears, I probably would have heard all the muttered comments from the slightly peeved people who had to screech to a halt or dart to the side to avoid hitting my children who were all over the aisles.

But I didn't pull out the cotton out of my ears. That way I can't hear the "puhleazzzze?" and the "look at this!" and the "can we?" etc.

- then last Saturday I hit a street worth of garage sales. All the kids jumped out and we did great as long as we were on the side of the street with the sidewalk. Once we got to the end and headed back for the van I did a lot more, "watch out", "stay on the side" don't touch the cars" etc. We got to a drive way and a gentleman and his wife, about in their fifties, were standing there watching the kids dive through their 10 cent box of toys. He came to stand beside me and said, "hold out your hands." I thought that was such a strange request but I did oblige. He nodded, "you got your hands full", he said. "My heart, too," I answered. They asked if I was busy. I smiled politely. I mean I guffawed. Or actually I don't remember my response but this is what I do remember. "You love every minute of it," he observed, "I can see it in your face, it's shining out of your eyes, you love it."

I think that's the kindest, the most heart warming, the most touching response I have ever gotten about my gang from a stranger. I hope more people, who's faces sometimes border disgust, see the love that's overflowing my heart. It might have some tough moments but God has blessed me so richly with these dear children of ours.

- the last moment was this afternoon. Back in Superstore at 3:00 with 5 monkeys in a bit of a disarray. Leah had no shoes so Cam (had to) gave her his favorite too big crocs and cried because he actually wanted to be walking, Cara was serverly wishing for her nap, Cody was trying to wake up from a 10 minute nap, and Leah and Sam were just your typical grocery store hyper... and a elderly gentleman made me laugh out loud with his query, "did you leave ANY at home?" His twinkling eyes let me know he took no offense at their being in his way. It cheered me enough to persevere to the checkout line. It cheered me enough to ignore the lady in front of me who gave us a rude once over (more than once :) ) as we all TRIED to wait patiently in line.

It cheered me enough that I might just wait for Leah and Sam to get home from school next week so we can all do groceries together. That way we can give to the members of our community by providing another dose of entertainment while they shop.

Just kidding!

I took these pictures a couple of months ago when I was at Price Mart. Yes, on occasion I do put both babies on the top and make them do two legs per hole. It's getting much harder for them to do comfortably but it works great in a pinch.

Sorry. :) That was for Les, make sure he reads it okay, Kris?

It does work, though, if I only have a couple things to grab and I don't want to have to dive to cushion the one that suddenly stood up as I whipped around a corner.

PS. In going back and reading my last blog post about not being one of those moms looking forward to the start of school I really hope I didn't come across as condescending to those moms who can't wait for it to begin. It's true, I have really enjoyed the summer and I do love having the kids all home but I didn't write about the times that I would have been glad if they were at school (like when doing groceries). Remember, there hasn't been much rain this summer and so there were not too many days when they were just hanging about inside underfoot. Ask me again on a Saturday in November and I'll most assuredly have joined the camp of Mom's that can't wait for the school week to start. I"m almost positive of it. Hope I didn't make any Mom's feel looked down on.