Because my business is everyone's business

"Are they all yours?"
"All but one."
"Are you sure?"

I had to pause. That was a new one. Not the "Are you sure?" I've had that one before with a different comment.

"Yes, I'm sure. One of them is my nephew." I wanted to add that I knew that I had a lot of kids but that I was confident that I had not forgotten a pregnancy.

One day I was asked if the younger two, the two who are separated by only 2 years, were twins.
"No," I responded, "They 2 years and 2 weeks apart."
The woman then looked at the two boys who are similar in size and appearance and wrinkled up her face. "Are you sure? They look like twins."
I told her that I very distinctly remembered being pregnant twice to get those two. She still wasn't convinced when she walked away.

"Your boys sure all look alike. Does their Daddy have blue eyes?"
"No, actually, my husband has dark brown eyes."
"Well, you can tell they have the same Daddy because they sure look all alike."
"They do have the same Daddy...my husband."
She kind of hemmed and hawed after that comment because she realized what she had been insinuating.

"WOW! All are those children YOURS!" As I entered an elevator with a man whose child was attempting to scale the walls. I don't mean figuratively.
After looking around to make sure I hadn't picked up the extra number of children needed to actually cause someone to make that sort of comment, I told the man that yes, these four children were in fact mine. While "monkey" child repeatedly failed in his attempts to climb the stainless steel covered walls, my four stood watching curiously and quietly. We've been riding the elevator at the hospital twice a week for almost 3 years now. We've gone over elevator behavior and curtsey extensively. And I reinforce it when needed.
"I don't think I could handle four boys. Just the one boy is enough for us." said the man with a smug smile on his face, though what he was feeling smug about, I'm not sure.
I really wanted to say, "Yes, I could only handle your one kid too." But instead I smiled and gave the boys the look that said "Just in case you didn't know, there is no climbing up the elevator walls. Do not not get any ideas of trying."

"No girls? Aren't you going to have a girl?" Asked the old man with a little pity in his voice.
"No girls, I guess God gave me all boys for a reason."
"Well you should have a girl. I wouldn't trade a million dollars for my little girl."
Now I get these comments all the time. Each dumb person only says it once. But my boys get to hear each and every one of them. I don't ever want them thinking that I feel bad because they are all boys.
So I looked that man in the eye and said very directly, "I wouldn't trade a million dollars for ANY of my boys."
I felt bad for a split second for being harsh with an old man but then I saw my two oldest boys smile in pride.

An older woman stood watching us with a wistful smile as we unloaded two full grocery carts. As I finally paid for this mountain of food, she leaned over to me and said, "I have four grown boys. No one ever realizes how lucky we are."
"Aren't we though? I'm almost embarrassed to be so blessed."
What good boys," she said as she walked away, "Y'all take care of your Mamma, now."
"We will," said the oldest three as the puffed out their little proud chests and continued to move full bags to the buggies.

Be thankful for all your blessings. No matter the number or gender.

ZooMom, Queen of the Zoo and quite a lot