Freedom of Speech - Only if Applicable

 Our society tip-toes around race, nationalities, sports team names, job titles, sexual orientation, and gender all in the name of acceptance, correctness, and tolerance. 

 There's very little out there that doesn't offend someone in someway somehow.

 And so we raise fists and poster board signs to protest our rights in order to silence the offenders and political correctness wins.

 A list grows of conversation topics we avoid, waters we don't tread, taboo subjects it's best to ignore.

 So maybe it's because the off-limit topics are tipping the scale and not leaving much left other than the weather to talk about; but then again, maybe cold fronts really ruffle feathers in some circles?

But the people holding their tongues have been circling, looking elsewhere to land. And any Mom out with her, more-than-1.2 average-children-per-household, kids in tow is a comfortable, activist-free, comment open season. 

 And believe me I've heard it. I've heard, "Don't you know what causes it?...Have you figured out how to stop it?...I bet your life is just crazy all the time!...I could never do that; I'd go insane!...Are they all yours?...When are you going to stop?..."

 I've heard, "Don't you just love bedtime?...I bet you can't wait until the leave for college...You have your hands full!...Good grief that's a lot of boys!...You must live for girl's nights...You know there's ways to stop this problem..." Yeah, I heard that, all of these...

 ...And so did my boys. The comments flying to my ears are passing those of my little boys. They're processing the information, the negativity, the freedom of speech to question the freedom of domestic tranquility.

 And so those same little ears are never left wondering, confused, or disappointed. They immediately hear their Mommy praise their beings, correct the naysayers, and publicly declare my passion and joy in mommy-hood, in their boy-ness, in their activity level, and in them.

 I don't know why it's ok to stop a mom and openly comment about the number of children in line behind her or make assumptions about her psychological state, but since I'm not about to raise arms or poster board signs over someone's ignorance about that matter...

...I make it my mission to build up the confidence and back bones of my men-in-training who will only become more aware of how odd a larger conservative family is. And I'll ensure the last thing my boys hear in response to any verbal jab is the evidence of blessing and value they hold in this family.

So free speech lovers, bring it on. I embrace it, just like I do these crazy, muddy, sticky, silly boys...and yes, they're all mine.