letters

Dear Dad and WSM,

In just a couple of days Puddin Pop and I will be taking up residence at your home for a weekend of fun with my best Girlfriends from Junior High and High School (and a friend I’ve known since Grade School).  We look forward to spending time with you and appreciate you opening your home to the both of us and to Cassandra who will be coming in from Chicago.  I’m looking forward to a fun weekend.

I must warn you.  

I know you both have little tolerance for misbehaved children so I encourage you to take the next few days to put away any valuable items you do not want broken.  While I do not predict that Puddin Pop will do intentional harm to these items, you have a LOT of very pretty things to spark her interest.  She knows “to be careful” and what that means, but a stern “No” once she is already holding said items may result in a response of her throwing it to the floor.  It’s just the way it is.  I’ll do my best to keep her away from any items left out.

She is also just showing signs of entering the 3 year old phase and has the temper and tantrums that go along with that.  Fortunately she is usually pretty good around strangers and since she hasn’t seen you in over a year, I’m hoping she thinks of you as strangers and is on her best behavior.  Don’t make her your friend and it will all be good.  If you show her too much love, she will manipulate the heck out of you and scream until you do exactly as she chooses.  You’ve been warned.

I do not want to hear how I allow her to be the boss.  We went through this with her brother.  I know your feelings and I hope you can appreciate the way I’ve chosen to raise MY kids and keep your opinions to yourself.  Nothing you can say will make me less tolerant of the stages children go through.  It’s my job to raise them into confident adults and while I may give them more choices and chances than you think I should, It’s up to Me and I take my job seriously.

We look forward to visiting.  Hope nothing gets broke. Hope you put the breakables away.

Love,

Your Daughter

Dear Ms. Suleman,

Congrats on the birth of your octuplets.  Congrats also to their 6 siblings.  I know you must be overwhelmed with all the publicity you are receiving, but did you think you could avoid it?  Was there ever any doubt in your mind that the world would want to understand what you and your doctor were thinking when you were implanted with 6 embryos (according to you) and already had 6 children from previous treatments?  I’m not judging you, your doctor maybe, but I would just like to know what the thought process is here.  Are you trying to keep up with the Duggars?  Envying Jon and Kate?  You do realize Kate has Jon and a slew of other people to help, right?  Or is that your motive?  To have enough babies to solicit help and a possible TV show of your own? 

Personally, I can barely keep up with my own 2 children and do not understand how parents with large families (5 kids or more) have the energy, patience, and sanity to do it all.  I also have to wonder about your current living arrangements.  You previously made this statement:

“I didn’t feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment. I felt powerless. And that gave me a sense of predictability. Reflecting back on my childhood, I know it wasn’t functional. It was pretty dysfunctional, “

If that statement is true, why are you living and getting help and support from those very people who made you feel this way?  Is that in the best interest of YOUR children?  I further have to question your need to inform the donor of his 14 children.  Is this common practice at the clinic you go to, or is this an isolated instance where you, or your doctor thought he should be informed?  And what would you like him to do now?

Those are just a few of the questions I have right now.  I’m sure as more information becomes available I’ll have more.

Congratulations. Enjoy your babies.  Try to keep your sanity.

Mommy to 2

aka: 2isenough