Five on Friday: "I Have Five Kids"

I never try to pull the "but I have five kids!" card to get out of something. Other people have on my behalf ("You can't ask her! She has five kids!") and I might go along with it but mainly I just try to be realistic about how much I can take on.

I realized, though, there are plenty of times I do bring up how many kids I have but for totally different reasons. For example, I say it to:

1.   Any older person completely engrossed in watching one of my children be their joyous little selves with a nostalgic smile on their face (usually starts a sweet reminiscent conversation with them)

2.   Any person whom I’ve helped by watching their child. No, saying “I have five kids” isn’t saying I can’t take anymore (temporarily), it means “Meh, what’s another kid or two? Bring it on, they love having other kids to play with too”

3.   Anyone who tells me I look tired or to the poor manicurist I visit maybe once a year and horrify with the state of my cuticles. Really, it explains a lot.

4.   Any parent whose child is having a major freakout in public. I think it assures them that they don't need to apologize or explain to me.

5.   Anyone who hears my youngest say something completely inappropriate. I swear my oldest never talked like this when she was a preschooler.