Q's and A's

We've been asked many questions over the years. Many questions. So I decided that today, I will post the answers to these questions and others that haven't been asked but I'm sure some people wonder about.
Q. Are they all yours?!(This question is usually posed to my mother)
A. *Sigh* Yes, they are all ours. We aren't babysitting. Nope, not foster parents. We adopted them.
Q. What is it like to have so many brothers and sisters?
A. It's usually fun. You can almost always find someone to play with you. Board games always have enough players. Sometimes, though, it's frustrating when, say, you want to be alone, or want it quiet, and every single room you go into has a person in it.
Q.What on earth do you drive?
A. We drive a 12 passenger van. Side note, if you ever see such a large van, please be courteous and don't park super close. There is only ONE door to get in and out. Many a time do we have to go single file to the opposite end of the car, and then squeeze in one by one, trying to be sure that everyone is in the right order so we don't have to climb over each other.
Q. What happens when you go out to eat? Isn't it expensive?
A. 'Going out to eat' for us is Cici's Pizza, where we can all eat for about $50.....or we stop and get burgers from the dollar menu at McDonalds. We all look forward to Christmas Eve, when we go out and have Chinese food...one of the few times during the year we go to a real restaurant.
Q. OK, how do you COOK for that many?
A. You get used to it. Doubling the recipe becomes almost natural. Checking the ingredients on the back of prepared foods to figure out who can and can't have it because of allergies becomes almost natural. I fear the day when I get married and move out...I only know how to cook in large quantities. Just kidding. Sort of.
Q. Do the kids fight?
A. Ha! Ha! Hear me laughing. Yes, we fight. They range from petty squabbles to my youngest brother sneaking into a room and tackling his big brother from behind, which tends to make them look like the shorter, black versions of Kip and Napoleon Dynamite.
Q.Is it always noisy at home?
A. Usually. Once again, you sorta get used to it. It isn't as loud as you might think though.
Q. How does your mom teach so many different grades?
A. Most of our homeschool work is independent. We read a lesson in our textbooks or on the computer and then do the work. When it is something that needs to be taught, we take turns: I might work on my math problems while mom teaches the ABC's to my sister, then when they are finished mom and I discuss Arctic vs. Antarctic.
So that is a peek into Big Family Life. It usually all works pretty well. And it's usually a lot of fun.