Laughed until I peed a little...just a little.

We masqueraded as a put-together-family the other day on our bi-annual adventure to Emanuel hospital. Just me and 4 tiny humans (well, technically 5 tiny humans, but I gotta say the bebe isn't making it's presence known much on our outings...other than mama's need to find a potty more often. ah, pregnancy!) They were wonderful little travelers~ smiled at the world, stayed together, held hands when crossing the parking lot, opened doors. It was amazing!! (don't hate me, just wait til the end of this post.)

(little angels!)

 I want a secret camera for these trips out. People stop and say such creative things:

1) "You have your hands full!"
2)"You're brave!" (that's not what their eyes are saying...those eyes say "you're insane!")
3)"You must be so busy!"
4)"Enjoy them while they're little!"

Yep, I hear some truly original and thought provoking comments while pounding the pavement, clan in tow.  Someone wonderful will one day gift our family with a t-shirt response to each of these. Something along the lines of:

1) Better overly full than utterly empty.
2) No, we're not brave...we're crazy.
3) Yes, we're busy....in both the ways you're referring to.  
4) "I have no response to that."   (all you Joe vs the volcano fans will know where this comes from.)

On a happier note, these folk also say wild things such as "You must be so organized!"  First time we heard that one, I laughed until I peed a little...just a little.  ~~ We get this not only from elderly grandmothers with indulgent smiles, but also from young mothers who shoot bewildered glances at my brood before chasing after their own one or two. It's to the these latter women I really wish to set the record straight.

I. AM. NOT. AN. ORGANIZED. PERSON. 

Some skills I learned (by need for pure survival more often than not.) Don't short change yourself by ending your sentences with "and we only have TWO!"  We have 4.5 and it's hard. When we had 3 it was hard. Two was hard. One was hard. It's just hard any which way you look at this whole parenting thing...unless you hire a nanny (in which case I really don't want to talk to you cuz that's just plain unfair!)

**Back to our Portland adventure. Right after meeting all these fabulous folk who think we are brave/crazy/busy/full handed/obviously not enjoying our urchins enough and insanely well organized, I loaded all of my smiling children with their mostly healthy snacks back into the van for our hour-plus ride home. Five seconds after the buckles were buckled, chocolate pudding stains magically appeared on the only white shirt in the lot, someone had to pee RIGHT NOW!! someone else swore they were feeling carsick, and a rousing game of he/she is in my space bubble began.   This is not my favorite game. Said another way~ worst. game. ever. EVER.

  Parenting is a rough road. Worth it? Well, it has to be. You wouldn't wipe just ANYONE'S bum at 2 in the wee hours! Truck on mamas and papas. Eventually (so I've been told) they say thank you for wiping my bum, making me eat green beans when I wanted tootsie rolls and not duct taping me to the wall when I made demands worthy of a hostage situation.   :)