Is this what it’s like to be a mom with four kids?

You may have gathered from my last post that my family is going camping soon.  We’re actually leaving tomorrow.  I’m running out of time to get things ready, and I absolutely had to go grocery shopping this morning.  I’m also watching my friend’s two children today.

Rather than wait until tonight to go shopping sans kids, I decided to take all four kids with me this morning.  Yes, people have called me crazy before.  Surprisingly, the kids all did very well.  Sure, they got a little rowdy at times, but they calmed right down when I told them to.

What also surprised me was all the nasty looks I received.  I’ve rarely had people look at me in disdain when I’m out shopping with my two kids.  But with four, I could just see people thinking, "Are they ALL yours?"  Of course, nobody actually said anything.

At checkout, once again the kids were all behaving.  The store employee kept looking at the kids as she rang me up.  Finally, she asked in a rather cold voice, "How are you today?"  I replied, "I’m fine, but I’m sure not used to shopping with four!"

Instantly, her demeanor changed.  She brightened up and asked, "So they’re not all yours?"  Dumbfounded, I told her that no, they were not all mine.  She happily chatted with me until I paid her and went on my way.

So, is this what it’s like to be a mom with four kids?  Do you find you get nasty looks?  Do people question you about your choice to have a "large family"?