I think we may have crossed some sort of line when it comes to the size of our family. Now that we have four children, we hear the question “Are they all yours?” often when we go out. It’s fun to see their response when we tell them they are indeed all our children! Frequently, they begin to assume two of them are twins, and start guessing which two it must be. 🙂 Other times, they just shake their head as they leave this crazy mother alone! At the very least, we see some eyebrow raising!
The other day a group of ladies passed me in the aisle as we were shopping. I had both girls in the back of the cart, Joey was seated in the front seat, and Calina was in the sling. (Okay, maybe I do understand why we get stared at!) One woman came back and incredulously asked me the infamous-
“Are they all yours?”
Of course, I confirmed that all this cuteness did indeed belong to me!
My new friend then began counting while bobbing her head up and down, “One.. two… three… four…” , and then began to shake her head while excitedly chattering in Chichewa to her friends as she continued her shopping.
A little later Felicia piped up from her spot in the cart, “Mommy, you like having a lot of children, right?”
I replied, “I sure do, Honey!” and told them how each of them were such a blessing to my heart.
A second later she said, “I love you, Mommy!”
Natalie then joined the conversation with a confident, “I yuv you, Mommy! I yuv my mommy 237!” Her way of assigning a number to her love cracks me up! Anyway…
I fail my children. Tremendously. I wish I could be the perfect mom who never shows impatience and perfectly handles each situation. But I don’t. Begging God for grace and wisdom and forgiveness is something that’s needed multiple times every single day. But it thrilled my heart to hear that, despite my failings, my children seem to know that I love them. That I want them. That I’m thrilled God made me their mommy!
Even if there are times that I want to join Calina and just do this-
🙂
Sweet blessings, indeed!
By: Sue on November 18, 2012
at 9:51 pm
The perfect pose. It’s OK to do that for a minute or two, just be sure to come back out of your covering arm and reassure them! The girls and I were trying to put our back seat back in the van last week and we had such a hard time that I stopped twice and put my head down on the back of the seat and cried for a few seconds. That let the tension out and then we tried again. We did it! Later the boys informed me that the two little girls, one big girl, and one short woman installed a 185-pound van seat. So they saw that I stop to cry in frustration, but I go back at it and we succeed. 🙂
Love, Jamie
By: Jamie Parfitt on November 19, 2012
at 3:52 am
This was a fun post for me to run across right after MY #4 was born. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 http://www.raisingarrows.net/2010/03/the-crossover-point/
By: jolenesloan on November 19, 2012
at 7:29 am
Wow! Look at those cheeks and that chin on your baby! Sooooo chubby and sooooo cute!
By: Jessi on November 19, 2012
at 9:55 am
Lisa, I love your little one’s cheeks! Wow! She is looking good for 7 weeks old. Thanks so much for the email, by the way, and a reply is in the works. 🙂
May God bless you~
By: Mrs. VK on November 19, 2012
at 1:08 pm
Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Lisa!
By: Kate Mientkiewicz on November 20, 2012
at 12:43 am
LOL I can’t count how many times we’ve been asked that! Here they ask that and walk away laughing, then stopping to look again and start laughing all over again. I love those cheeks! You are encouragement to me….thought I was the only one that had to ask for forgiveness many times a day!
By: ted1611 on November 20, 2012
at 3:17 am
I remember getting comments like this when I was expecting our fifth child. I had four little ones and another due. I remember thinking that when I went out to the store that I needed to have the children looking nice and that I needed to not look undone. I never wanted anyone to think that because I has “all these children” that i couldn’t take care of them or myself. That they were a blessing.
What sweet comments from your children about feeling loved. Love really does cover a multitude of sins.
You are one blessed Mama!
~Cinnamon
By: Cinnamon on December 10, 2012
at 5:45 am