Birth Control

I am nigh unto positive the local pharmacy gets the biggest freaking kick out of me.  Once a month I go in there to pick up my birth control pills.  And usually I bring in four little boys with me, ages 4, 3, 2 and baby. 

Like today, we did this.  And seriously I feel like I have a stamp on my forehead that says "I NEED birth control!" or "My husband is really attractive, I just can't help myself."  Usually the clerk has to contain a smile or won't look me in the eyes or makes some casual reference to how many kids I have.  But that's okay.

I was so thankful that today I lectured those kids pretty firmly to be on their VERY best behavior in the store.  And they were awesome, they didn't even touch anything (minus Matthew trying to test out all the canes) and we even walked back through the candy aisle (which I thought for sure would end in my utter demise).  So of course I gave them each ten skittles when we got home.

Our entrance to the store: Caleb and Logan are walking oh so very slowly, holding hands (I told them to, somehow they help keep each other in check) while I kind of push them along with the car seat that I am lugging along that I swear gains ten pounds everyday even though Andrew is still underweight, and holding very tightly to Matthew's hand.  We have to walk to the very back of the store past all the many tempting treats, bottles, packages, etc.  And then we walk up to the counter.

Me: "Hi, I have a pick up for Camden Cooper."
Clerk: "Okay..." (typing something into the computer, I'm assuming my name) Then she laughs out loud and quickly stops herself.  "Cooper?"
Me: "Yup."
She turns around and goes to get something.  She brings it back and as I pay/sign for it, she comments,
"So, four boys huh?"
Me: "Yup." (I am trying not to blush.  I think about explaining that one of the little guys isn't biologically mine, but then I realize I have another one at school that is, so what really is the point?)
Clerk: "Hm"  I think she was thinking "Does she even know how these pills work?"

I thank her and away we shuffle back out the store.  I want so badly to make some funny comment every month like "Yeah, obviously I need these pills" or something clever, but alas, I can't ever think of anything.

But I am so proud of these boys, they are so good and make me proud.  I may have lots of them (compared to the worldly standard today), but they are really good kids.  I mean, not always, like the time where Matthew tried to grab every pair of glasses off the shelf and Andrew was screaming, or when Caleb and Josh disappeared down an aisle and I had to decide to go find them or keep my place in the eternal line of waiting, or when Caleb was a baby and Josh ran off and I quickly finished paying thinking he would just run around the store but turns out he ran outside into the parking lot (SOO thankful for the clerk that retrieved him).  Maybe that is why all the clerks smirk when I walk in, they all remember me and tell my stories so it lives on and on over the years and I will become a local legend.  I think I'm okay with that.

But for today, I am so thankful for these boys and their awesome behavior and I am SO thankful for modern medicine in the form of birth control.  Cuz as much as I love these boys, I don't think I could handle another just yet.