The Crazy Lady

The Crazy Lady. Here goes...

I am the 4th of 9 children. Yes, it's a big family by anyone's assessment. Well, anyone except maybe the Duggar's. Anyway, I liked it. Well, okay, not every bit of it, but really, I think a big family is good.

I grew up happy with a big family and figured that was the "right way". When my boyfriend (at 18) and I discussed our future together, he wanted 10 kids and I wanted 8, so we agreed on 9. As I continued to be single through most of my 20's, I realized that 9, or 8 for that matter, was just not going to happen. I was okay with that and figured I'd just have children at a reasonable pace at whatever point I got married. By the time I got married, at 28, I was well aware that I was not going to have a "big family".

We were blessed with #1, #2, #3, and a move to California.

In Utah, 3 kids is a nice start. In California, 3 kids is socially irresponsible... except that we didn't have a boy yet, so people could cut us some slack and "allow" us to procreate a third time.

When we became pregnant with #4, things changed for me. I was put into a whole new category of people, which I did not understand. Hello, 4 kids is NOT a big family!!! I'll never forget going to Jamba Juice with my 8 month pregnant belly and 3 children in tow. I seriously felt like a mother duck waddling along with my 3 little ducklings waddling behind. We had to walk past the chic folks sipping their lattes at Starbucks on the way. EVERY person watched as we waddled by. I wondering if I ought to look at them and quack. At least no one threw bread crumbs. :)

#4 was a difficult adjustment for me. For a long time, I felt like I was losing my mind. I couldn't remember anything for any length of time. I still wonder if I ought to put my name on the waiting list for a good Alzheimer's facility. As you know from either yourself or watching someone else, having 4 kids brings out a different part of your personality. You just can't know their every move like you did with 1 or 2 kids. Your patience gets tested to exponentially new levels as not 1, not 2, not even 3, but all 4 of your little darlings get on your very last nerve. At your best, it's the most marvelous thing in the world. At your worst, it's down right scary.

3 years later...

We decided to have a dinner party. We invited two couples and asked one of them to invite another couple. The point being to get to know someone with whom we have a mutual friend, but probably wouldn't get to know otherwise. So, we invited Kara and David, who invited Jennifer and Mark, both of which also happen to have 4 kids. In all the get-to-know-you's, Jennifer talked about how she used to live by a lady with 4 kids. Jennifer could not believe someone would EVER have FOUR kids!!! She was happy and content with her 2 little girls, and being witness to several crazy antics from the neighbors, she mockingly referred to her neighbor as... yes... The Crazy Lady. A short time later, she found out she was pregnant with #3. After that adjustment set in, she found out she was actually pregnant with #4 too. Yep, twins. SHE WAS GOING TO BE THE CRAZY LADY!!!

So, that night, after commiserating on the difficulties of 4 kids, we began referring to anyone with 4 kids as... The Crazy Lady.

The Crazy lady and her brood, visiting Aunt Boots last June.