This is my usual look when we go places. Today was no exception, the only difference was Lyra was on my back today. Our trip the grocery store usually involves a few stares and maybe a couple of comments about our Boba carrier but today was extra special in the comments department.

We get to the grocery store and throw the kids coats on (they don’t wear bulky coats in the their car seats), and we head into the store. I toss Lyra onto my back and the big girls ride in the cart. After browsing the produce, deli meats, and bakery Lyra and I head to look for some deals in the natural food section while Stefan and the bigs go and hunt down some meat deals. Just as I was heading in the opposite direction the meat man said it looked like we had our hands full and asked if Capri was manning the grocery list.

I was debating some 50% off strawberry flavoured Mum Mums when the phone call came. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and it was Stefan. I answered and he tells me to come quick because Payson has just thrown up all over the floor. I jog down the aisle with Lyra laughing away on my back trying to figure out where the rest of my family is in the store. I spot them in front of the sausages.

As I start walking towards them I hear over the loud speaker, “clean up in the meat department, we need a wet clean up in the meat department”. I arrive just as Stefan is slowly peeling layers off of Payson. There are a few people standing around awkwardly staring at us. The nice Superstore lady came over to help with some tissues and paper towel. She says not to worry about it and that her kids use to throw up all sorts of places. She then looks at us and realizes that we have THREE children and asks us if they are all ours. Shockingly we didn’t have a witty comeback. People keep trying to come down the aisle, realize what is happening, give us a funny look and turn to go the other way. I grab Payson and take her to the bathroom to finish cleaning her up while Stefan and Capri grab the remaining groceries quickly. We meet up and head to the check out. We load our groceries on the conveyor belt, and the lady behind us loads her groceries on. After a few minutes she says, “oh wow I didn’t even notice this little bundle on your back, wow you have your hands full”. We pay for our groceries and start to head out.

We stop just outside of the door to start putting coats, hats, and mitts on. Both big girls are helping out and Lyra is half asleep on my back. No one is screaming, making a scene, or vomiting on the floor currently. Two ladies walk by and one says to the other, “if you look up ‘have your hands full’ in the dictionary that is what you would see”. We finished up and took the girls to the van and strapped them in (after taking off bulky coats of course).

Photo Credit Jillian Theriault Photography

Stefan and I marveled at all of the comments today. But today is not abnormal. We get comments where ever we go. We get people telling us that we must be done having kids because obviously three is the cut off. When we mention that we will probably have more, and would also like to adopt one day we get strange looks and lots of comments. People think of children as an inconvenience, and that sucks. Children are NOT an inconvenience; they are a wonderful gift from God and even when they throw up all over you, or go into a full blown tantrum it does not mean they are anything less.