~ Better than Empty ~

I'm in the middle of shopping, going about my business. I could be walking to the park, to get out of the house for a while. I see someone standing as if they are stuck in their tracks, looking at me, in what seems to be disbelief. You think to yourself "What are they starring at? Do I have something on my face? Is there toilet paper... stuck to my butt...and trailing behind me... WHY didn't the kids tell me?" Does this sound familiar to anyone?? Well, this is my life.

It happens at least once a week. It makes no difference where I am or what I am doing. There will always be one person who has to ask (in a condescending tone) "ARE THESE ALL YOUR CHILDREN?" Out of the blue, no "HI"... no pleasantries whatsoever. Just that sentence I so love to hear. I honestly don't know what people are thinking, but I guess that's it... their not. To ask such a thing in FRONT of the children you're talking about. What if they were adopted? Why do they feel the need to know? What business is it of theirs? And why do I always feel the need to answer? And yes. Answer I do. "Yes they are."

There are many questions that come after that: "You must either be Catholic or Mormon?".... "Don't you have a TV?"... "Are you going to have more?".... "Don't you know what causes that?" or "Are they all from the same father?" The list goes on and on... and yes it's in front of the children. Which means mommy is going to get a lot of questions later.

A most precious, but horrifying experience, is where the name of my blog came from. The kiddos and I were out shopping. I was looking at earrings for the girls and a woman came up and ask my favorite question. To my surprise my eldest son (6 at the time) answered, " yes this is my brother and my sisters and mommy is having another baby soon." You could see the woman's disapproval. But my son being who he is, didn't notice and continued proudly to tell her anything and everything that came to his little mind. "My mommy has more babies, but they died ... they are in heaven." I had to explain that I had had several miscarriages and with that a light went on. All the woman could do was tell me, "I had my hands full" and my response was "better than empty."

She agreed.