Are we Crazy?

The first responses we got when we told people we were adopting were one of two things. It was either "That is awesome, congratulations!", or "Are you guys crazy?!" We loved the first one because we looked at it just as if we were pregnant. To us it was no different and that is how we would have like others to approach it also. However, we are not total idgets and realize that not everyone understands why people that have already had their "own" children would go off and do something crazy like OMG have more kids for goodness sakes! That's just nuts, right? Well, maybe.

Let me try to explain why we didn't like the crazy response so much, but also why we didn't really take offense to it either. Like I have said before, we viewed it as...okay, so yes we have three kids already and yes they are biological- so what? God put all kids here, right? They all need parents, why not us? We love kids, especially ours and we could care less how they got here. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't care too much for the whole pregnancy thing to begin with. I mean- someone is going to just give me more kids and I don't have to swell, get high blood pressure, Bells Palsy, or gain 70 plus pounds and eat everything in sight, then work it off for several years (yes I said years!!)? I'm in! Chad and I have many things in common, the main thing, and our priority in our marriage has always been our kids. It has been what keeps us strong when things have been hard or times have been rough, we have always been able to smile or laugh when we look at our kids. There just really is nothing better in life. If you have them , you know. If you don't, I am so sorry.

We also do not take offense to the crazy response because, well we understand why some people just don't get it...nuff said.

Now more on the crazy issue:) I have had a whole lotta a crazy in my life from various sources. Some sources still give me issues. These sources are probably what have led me down the paths I have gone down...being drawn to kids, wanting to be a therapist working with family's and kids, always trying to avoid conflicts at all costs, the list goes on. I have a different take on crazy than most people.

My kind of crazy involves a sometimes messy living room with matchbox cars lined up in the middle of the floor, paint splatters on the wall and carpet and our dog's hair sometimes being trimmed in secrecy. It means sometimes daily chicken nuggets, french fries, and Sponge Bob shaped mac n' cheese. It means night school, a husband that commutes, and both of us coaching soccer. It means trying dance, gymnastics, and karate, then realizing Avery thinks she is a horse. It means walks to the park, weekends at the pool, Sundays at church, and lunches with our friends and neighbors. It means a hormonal pre-teen, a booger obsessed four year old that puts them on chips and eats them, and a toddler that really acts and squeals like a Monkey. It means make shift tents and S'mores inside on the stove when it rains. It means things getting knocked off the walls when balls are kicked and thrown indoors (and that is usually by Chad!). It means lots of squishy kisses, tackle hugs, and daily, hourly lovin'. It means never being alone even when you want to be, like when you want to go to the bathroom or take a shower. It means having pranks pulled on you all the time, it also means the house is full of laughter and playtime. It means my new car is full of dings and scratches, toys, and lost french fries even though no one is really "supposed to eat in there. It means getting things wiped on you constantly that you are not sure what or where they came from (just got that done do me as I type...) It means all privacy and time to yourself, as well as quiet is out the window. It means a future of uncertainty and probably some painful years and troubled times for sure, yes we are aware they actually do turn into teenagers at some point! It means never watching your own shows and when you do, constantly being interrupted. It means sometimes a lot of crying and days full of tears and sometimes your hearts feels like it might burst or stop altogether, due to pain but more often than not and the reason we parents do it- is because of the joys and rewards that it brings. Watching your children grow and develop is such an amazing, wonderful thing. Have you ever actually watched a child look at a bug, or play in a hose? Have you ever tickled your kid until they laughed so hard that even you couldn't stop from totally losing yourself in the moment? That is why we do it.

But for all of these reasons that my life is crazy and chaotic, other people's craziness to me is the kind of drama I have lived with before and do not desire to waste my time with. The rewards to my craziness are so vast. Filling your life with the drama of fighting constantly with your family or getting into other people's business, or always worrying what other's think of you, or wasting your time sitting around being lonely doing nothing with your life is just wasting a life. It serves no purpose, yours or anyone else's. I decided a long time ago that I was done with that kind of crazy in my life. Other people can have that kind of crazy. Some people can truly be toxic and I want none of that. I will take my kind of crazy any day.

So if you happen to be one of those people that thought to yourself "Wow, those Watson's are crazy for doing that!" that's okay. Just now you know why we are doing what we are doing, and why to us, this kind of crazy makes sense for us. It may not be for everyone. Some people may prefer the craziness of everyday soap opera drama. I much prefer having some warm, cuddly kids to come home to, fighting for a spot next to me on the couch, or a dogpile in bed on Saturday morning before a day at the soccer field. But that's just us....