Attention Shoppers!

I think I've become immune to the barrage of comments I get on a daily basis when out with the girls. It's very normal for strangers to feel the need to point, make a beeline to talk to us, and usually ask lots of nosy questions, all while I'm trying my best to make my errands as quick and uneventful as possible. It's typical that a 10-minute stop at Walgreens will turn into a 30-minute adventure, as we politely answer questions from cashiers, shoppers, and even homeless people.  A few days ago, I even had a random older Filipino man pull out his wallet and offer me $20 to go get the girls a nice treat because he thought they were so cute.  Let me tell you, it took a lot to hand that back.  Who turns down $20?!  I don't normally, but that was just way too weird.  (The homeless man sitting nearby with his grocery cart full of recycling had to pick his jaw up off the ground as he muttered to me, "I would not have given that back!")

The twins definitely get the most attention, and I might be especially used to the questions in this arena. Maybe my lifetime's experience responding to the "Ooh, are you twins?", "Who's oldest?", "Are you identical or fraternal?", and "Who's the evil twin?" was really just preparing me for my current attention-drawing situation. While most moms of twins (or more) list these types of questions as a major frustration while shopping, I don't mind as much -- it's all very normal to me.

And since it's all so normal to me, I've never thought the girls were either listening or paying attention as I made small talk with curious fellow shoppers. Obviously, I wasn't giving the girls enough credit.

Recently, while at Target with all five girls for a grand total of about five minutes, Megan turned to me and said, "Mommy, why is everyone asking you if they're all yours?". I guess she was paying attention after all :)  (I'm not sure why this question is so popular.  Who rounds up extra kids to take to a store like Target??  I'm usually in favor of as few children as possible on errands like that.  I certainly wouldn't be volunteering to take my neighbor's kids, too!)

And a few days ago, after picking Bridget up at preschool, I recounted what we'd done while she was at school. When I told her I went to the drugstore with Mary and the twins, she said, "Oh, did the lady there ask if they're itwentical?" Leave it to a 4-year-old to turn the most annoying asked questions into a delightful combination.

And since I can't end this without some pictures, here are my little attention-getters. I'd probably stop to talk to them too :)

(these "coffee-store" loving girls were the near-recipients of that $20)
- posted from my handy-dandy iPhone, with Blogpress