How many is too many?

The ideal number of children to have is 2.6, according to recent surveys. I've been asked many times how many children we are going to have, which is an understandable question because we had 3 children in 5 years. My practiced response is to keep a straight face and reply with 6-8. I never say over 10 because I want it to be believable. The responses vary between men and women, but they are always amusing.

Men usually respond with a nervous laugh, and then try to end the conversation as quickly as possible when they see that I'm not laughing. One male co-worker looked at me and asked how we could afford them. He was ready with the $300,000 figure per child. It's more like $245,340, but whose counting. I just shrugged my shoulders in response. Another male co-worker smiled with a "good for you" after I said 6 kids were a good even number.

Women usually think about my answer and ask again. "Six kids, really?" or "You're sure about that?" I'm usually vague about the second answer, but that's usually followed by some 'old woman that lived in a shoe' comment.

My husband suggested that we have kids in the odd years of this decade (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019). Easy for him to say. From the beginning, we have tried to plan our babies. Planning never worked out though.

So how many is too many? I've done a pros and cons list like my logical mind likes. The cons are obvious: time, money, sanity, etc. However, watching my sons whisper a secret to each other and then burst into contagious giggling is enough to wipe out any cons. Watching the three of them play together is enough proof for me. An outsider might see a chaotic, disastrous household, but a closer look will reveal a lot of love and fun.