You Have Four Kids?!?

Outside of the LDS community four kids is considered to be A LOT! By LDS standards four kids is a small to average number. I got to thinking today about the typical responses I get from people when they hear I have four children after such an encounter. I realized I have begun to enjoy telling people I have four children just because I get a kick out of it.

The most common response is just a look of absolute shock and a repeating of the statement that I have four kids as if they can't quite wrap their head around it. This is often followed by "you don't look old enough to have four kids". Or "you don't look like you have four kids". Which always leads me to wonder what does someone with four kids look like? My favorite is when people try to tactfully ask if they are all from the same man. Upon hearing that yes, all four children have the same father there is an even bigger expression of shock and amazement. Many times I am asked if I plan on having more children. I do not. But sometimes I think about messing with people and saying yes. My own niece recently asked her Mom why I had so many babies (she is 5).

I asked Chris what kind of responses he gets when people hear he has four kids and he said his most popular response is, "You know how you get those, right?" To which he likes to reply, "I think I've almost figured it out." He was very jealous that people tell me I don't look old enough to have four kids. He says no one ever tells him that.

Another fun development is if people meet Whitney. Whitney looks like she could easily pass for at least 15 but is in fact only 12. People have started to make comments like, "did you have her when you were 12?" By LDS standards I was actually a little old for my first baby when I had her at the elderly age of 23. Fellow members were starting to ask me if we were having problems conceiving.

When people hear that all four children were planned pregnancies and not "surprises" I can see that their estimation of my intellect is thrown into total confusion. I assume they are thinking along the lines of learn about birth control lady! And then the look of horror to know that I would willingly choose to have that many children! While pregnant with Landon my obstetrician lectured me on the perils of having so many babies after I complained of fatigue and back problems.

No doubt about it the question of if and how many children to have is a hot topic. I consider it to be a very personal decision and not one to be taken lightly. I do my best not to judge others on their choices and reserve the right to have a little fun with mine.