Introductions

I've lost track of which nap this is for the day, enough that they're
starting to blend together. I feel like nothing got done today and
when the kids get off the bus in an hour that's the end of
productivity for the day. Yet, luckily I start every day with the
dishes and laundry so I know I got at least 1 load of each done. I
even started crocheting a hat during 1 of the naptimes. Then I
decided to check that "task list" so got some phone calls made before
I got to the blog task. I LOVE writing out what I'm doing or did
because it makes me sound productive even if I wasn't.

Ok, as usual I'm babbling so back to the topic at hand.
Introductions. My name is Brandi, and yes I am "that" mom. You can
take that so many ways and most of them are probably true. I really
am non confrontational to a fault, at least in real life, so as much
as I may sometimes sound like a meany I don't think I am. Heck, I
don't even like to make telephone calls inquiring about things.
But yes, I am "that" mom who dares to have 6 children. I am "that"
mom who has a 6 year old dressed with a tutu over her clothes, her 4
year old in flip flops in winter, and yes I really did brush my 2 year
olds hair today (she even had a bow when we walked out the door, my
van may house $100 in hair bows somewhere). I am "that" mom who they
are pointing at because they can't figure out how the baby is tied to
my back. I am "that" mom who actually takes that American Academy of
Pediatrics recommendations on breastfeeding and carseats literally. I
am "that" mom who actually thinks it is ok to take 4 kids under 6 to
mass.

Yes, that is my toddler climbing the big kid play structure. Yes, I
am perfectly aware she is doing it and I am fully aware of her
abilities. Since you only just saw her 10 seconds ago you probably
don't know that one of her big sisters or I have spotted her on it
3000 times already and she's been doing it on her own for months. And
yes, I would be right under her if I thought she needed me to be.
Yes, that is my 6 year old across the garden center on the swing
waiting for me to check out. Yes I know she's there. Yes I can
actually see her and am aware of every blink she makes. Yes I can
actually be aware of 6 kids movements at once. Yes, I am aware that
my 11 year old has a coat on even though its 80 degrees out. Yes, I
think at 11 she can make that call herself.

I am married, though it may not seem so at times since my husband will
go nameless. He is anti Facebook, anti blog, anti sharing anything on
the internet. You probably won't hear much about him and won't see
his picture. To top that he does travel occasionally. But for the
nosy dental hygienist or cashier, yes we are married, yes they are all
his children, yes we know how it happens, yes we are Catholic what's
your point? And yes he does help out.

As you've seen we have 6 kids. E14 is a highly gifted teenager who
loves to read and play the cello. She also plays soccer but is still
a Girl Scout. Yet in true teenage fashion is attached to a computer
screen most of any day. Her only sarcasm is reciprocal to her father
who loves it. She even helps out, sorry you can't have her.

B11 is gifted as well and is a horseback rider. She LOVES to be
helpful. I might as well tell you now as I'm sure you'll figure it
out, she has Autism. Does a label really make her any less her? She
loves to cook and she thinks girls' obsession with Justin Bieber is
silly. She can sew and make awesome origami cranes.

S6 isn't "labeled" but you might as well know is gifted too. We are
pretty sure she at least rivals E14's "scary smart". Though bossy, at
least to little brothers, she loves everything. Currently she is a
dancer but she's done soccer, tball, and swimming. She's proud to be
a Daisy Girl Scout and doesn't mind at all that we plan to exploit her
cuteness to sell cookies.

J4 is the only boy. He gets bossed around by S6 as well as
embarrassingly dressed up. He gets spoiled by everyone else. He
doesn't "like" everything like S6 but sure wants to do it all. At 4
he has already done a season of tball, flag football and just started
soccer. He wants to do basketball, karate and hockey but there are
not enough months in the year. After years of speech therapy and ear
issues he is finally making some steady progress on intelligibility of
his speech.

A2 is happy. That is the best way to describe her, happy. She just
wants to be a big girl too. She has the cutest little voice and is
the one who actually is blonde. Very independant and curious she has
a horrible popsicle addiction. Oh and not only is her speech more
intelligible than J4 but she speaks 3 languages. Ok, not really but
she does love Dora and Kai Lan and has picked up a few of those words.
Since she picked them up when she first learned to talk the kids
thought it was cute to say she knew 3 languages. They're even trying
to teach her a couple words in japanese, german, french, and asl so
they can say she knows more. Most of the girls are daddy's girls, she
however is E14s girl.

Baby L is the baby so what more can be said, she acts like a baby.
She is usually being ogled over or tied onto someone. That's probably
why she HATES the car. Since she's still nursing she is still a
mama's girl too.