[Shelley]

Nellee I LOVE that response, How do you know you won't go crazy without them?
Well just for the record, since my last post here, which looks to be back in April, we have found an agency, and gotten pre-acceptance from the CCAA to adopt a waiting 4 yo little girl from the Peoples Republic of China. Right now we are just waiting on our travel approval so I can go bring her home. We missed her 4th b-day in Nov. We'd really hoped at the latest she'd be home for Christmas. SO unless we get travel approval early next week, looks like mid Feb travel as Chinese New Year is the end of Jan begin of Feb. So I believe we are OFFICIALLY a large family now with 6 children.
Ages 17 next week, 15, 12, 3, 20 months and now sweet SiZhen who is 4. Shelley

[bjhv5]

I know this thread is old but I just found it!

We have 9! and we get asked all the time WOW you stay busy dont you? Or are they all yours? I love it when we dont have a couple with us and people count and go OH MY! I just smile and say and we are missing 2-3 what ever the number!

[fabfam]

I agree that I think if you have 1 or 2 kids that 4 or five would seem like a large family. I have 10 and I think 15 or 20 would seem like a large family. Although I know we are considered a large family.

[lela]

Lets not talk about laundry. Mine has been in the laundry room planning a hostile takeover.

I was talking to a friend who mentioned a mom she knows with 6 kids. I said "Wow, 6 kids!" My daughter rolled her eyes and said "Mom, you have 7." Sometimes I forget we are any different than anyone else.

I was in Costco (this is a classic...you have to tell me if this has ever happened to you) and I noticed a caucasian woman with a little AA girl and a caucasian boy in her cart. (They were arguing the way only a brother and sister do) I thought to myself "Hmm..you don't see that everyday". Then I looked at my cart, at my little AA daughter and caucasian son arguing. Then I remembered, oh yeah, I do see that EVERYDAY. I guess that's why people stare. It feels normal to us, but looks different to the rest of the world.

lela

[Shelley]

Ok Let's not talk laundry anymore, let's talk grocery shopping!!
I don't know how everyone else shops, but I shop every two weeks, for 8 people and a dog, which equals a lot of food. Do you ever gets the looks/comments about how much food you're buying, or one of my favorites "Glad I don't have YOUR grocery bill!"
My dh is retired AF so I shop at the commissary, and even though most people who shop their shop for two weeks I still get the comments.
I buy 7 gals of milk at a time, and hope they last 1.5 weeks. I had a man say to me one time "SHoot you might as well just buy a cow!" Told him I've considered it.
When I check out I have two very full shopping carts and $20-$25 dollars worth of coupons, not too mention 2 doz eggs, 4-6 loaves of bread... well you get the idea.
I do freeze the bread in a paperbag in the freezer. I don't go back to the grocery store unless we run out of milk, eggs, bread or diapers. If the older boys eat up all the good stuff in the first 3 days, so be it, they're stuck until the next time I go shopping.
Our grocery bill averages about $900. a month for 8 people, a dog and one in diapers. 3 of those people are teens who seem to have hollow legs :-)

Just was curious how others food shopping for a large brood goes, and any smart-aleck comments you might get, SHelley

[lela]

I'm sure we're spending over $1,000/mo for 9 people and numerous pets. I shop maybe once a week at our local store and twice a month at Costco. People at Costco LOVE to ask me if I'm throwing a party. I guess its not a party until you have AT LEAST 300 diapers...

lela

[jaenelle]

As an only child, even 3 kids seems like a LARGE family to me. I can't imagine 9 or 10 kids!

My heart's dream is to have several kids -- 4 or 5, I think. But we will probably only be able to afford Yuna, and while I'm grateful for the blessing she is, I already find myself wondering if there's ANY way we can afford another adoption, let alone all the expenses that come with another child. I know it will be several years, at least, if it can happen at all.

Those of you who have many kids, it's great to see you so grateful for them. You truly think you are blessed and that's wonderful.

[Shelley]

HAHAHAHA Lela, If you're having a diaper party, I'd LOVE an invite :-) and are the party bags going to be filled with diapers and wipes???? Shelley

[lela]

Yah Shelley, and the dress code at this party is pretty formal. You have to be wearing some dried on, unknown substance on the shoulder of your shirt. If you really want to go all out, try to have something stuck in your hair as well. Don't forget to complete the look with bags under your eyes!

Jaenelle, look into the fost/adopt program in your county. Both our adoptions were completely free, and our daughters get free health insurance and monthly aid. There are lots of great babies and older kids looking for loving families.

lela

[Shelley]

Count me in! Sounds like my kind of party!!!! :-) Shelley

[jaenelle]

Originally Posted by lela

Jaenelle, look into the fost/adopt program in your county. Both our adoptions were completely free, and our daughters get free health insurance and monthly aid. There are lots of great babies and older kids looking for loving families.

lela

I can't even get anyone from our state's foster care system to call us back. We've called numerous times, both about specific children, and in general, and only once got a call back, and the child we inquired about was listed as "mild emotional problems" and the social worker told us flat out her problems were much worse than that, so we turned it down.

[lela]

oh how frustrating! I know the info on the photolistings is frequently either not up to date or just plain wrong.

We called the intake number for our county. They called us back right away....it was only AFTER we finished our foster classes that they stopped returning our calls (go figure).

good luck!
lela

[SAHmom]

I hear you on the grocery shopping. The store is use to us having 2 carts that if we only have one, they are looking for the other one and look disappointed!!

[Guitarmom]

We have four bio kids,and plan on adopting a sib. group of 2. Right now I consider our family to be average - but we have many acquaintances with 7-9 kids, so we are small in comparison.
On the other hand, I work part time,and most of the ladies have 1 or 2 kids,and think I am nuts and tell me they can't stand being home with the 1 or 2 they have ( sad ,isn't it!), when I tell them I also homeschool my 4. They also think I"m a bit crazy for wanting to adopt more! oh well!

[Shelley]

It is sad. I hear the "I go crazy with my two" or "I have a hard time dealing with two, I don't know how you deal with 6." Now don't get me wrong I have my "I am slowly going crazy, 1, 2 ,3 ,4, 5, 6 switch" Days, but more often than not We laugh and sing and have a grand ol' time. One thing that does bother me is everyone feeling the need to say something about it. Giving their input.
There was one man as we were leaving an apple orchard back in Oct. who said to my dh "Why don't you stop reproducing!" The only reason the man didn't end up flat on his back in the mud is because dh was holding the baby. anyway, I know we all ge the comments, and just deal with them.

I know when I go grocery shopping the managers LOVE to see me, and the cashiers HATE it. Oh well, big families have to eat too. SHelley