3.17.15 Different by Choice

I never know what to expect when the kids come home from school. Last night was a new one that I'm sure we will repeat again and again through the coming years. I was informed that we are weird for having such a big family. I was asking number one daughter about the academic bowl and suggested taking all the kiddos to which she got very scared and confided all the teachers and all her friends think it is very strange we have so many kids. My first reaction was "What business is it of theirs?" And my second was to calmly deduce who everyone was as I was trying to gain insight into how to handle this. Upon learning it is mainly one teacher and one friend, we discussed why we have a big family and how we are different on purpose.

Selfies in the car with the new phone

As I drove to town to get the others from the bus I called a sister who confirmed she was a bit embarrassed of our mom in middle school too. I remembered my dad telling how he would walk way in front of his parents if out in public with them. I guess it's a normal stage. I decided I was not going to cower at home because of some ill-thoughts.  I decided to go and just try to be cool, or push my parental luck. I threatened to go to the event in my home clothes, just to confirm the weirdness, but decided to maintain my self-respect and got my town clothes on.

Very thoroughly cleaning up one whole hand soap container worth of clean!

 I also took Afton. Harold and Aliza were also competing so we had a whopping four kiddos there. I understand we are different and we are big. I also pointed out we work really hard at teaching and enforcing manners so we are not a horrendous scene wherever we go. All things said we were not the only family, I was not the only mother there, and we moved on with our lives.

John my leprechaun!

 Another thing I really love about the grade school my kids go to, the parents are present. They show up to events and they are around the classroom. They stay at birthday parties and visit, they are very much part of the whole package of their children's lives. I love it! If anything I am one of the more absent parents.

The offender child number 10! She's getting big I was making the most of my time watching the kids compete trying to get Afton to smile again.

Now I realize the kids are growing up an need space but I also think it is important to stay knowledgeable about what is going on. I have attend the special morning class with the number one daughter and I went last night, and I email her teachers whenever I have questions. This is my job as a mom. And if I have the audacity to have more and more children, well I better do a good job!! (If you could read my mind you would know how doubtful I am at completing that task.)

The kids in the front of this picture are siblings to kids competing. Hmmm. Most people do have families and it's good!

I think more popcorn was consumed than serious brain thinking. It was an honor to these 5-6 graders to compete against 7-8th graders from around the valley. Fun night and hard questions.

But alas, all worrying aside, I told said teen daughter I believe we are a good family and I believe it is good we are willing to have children and push come to shove I think those said teachers would also be grateful to have students like mine in their humble classrooms. The fight goes on. That's the bottom line I have signed up for this parent gig longer than most, of my own choosing, so I will wipe more noses, endure more rounds of antibiotics, hunt for more shoes, and train more bowels, minds, and spirits. It's probably best not to dwell  too much on it, I might lock myself in my room and never come out. But on the flip side I see more success, feel more love, and enjoy more personalities so we will keep on truckin on, and defending our life to the teachers. Yeah, life is good.