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Going anywhere outside of the house was a treat for the kids. I remember a trip to Target right around that time. Jon and I each put four kids in a cart. We got the usual stares and conversations, but the kids didn’t notice. They were all looking up at the shelves lined with colors and shapes. It just wasn’t normal for them to go to a store like that, in fact, for some of them, it may have been their first visit. Our kids were always so good in public because they didn’t get to go out very often. They were too amazed at everything they saw to act up. As we loaded the kids in the car, Leah started fussing and tried to tell me something. “No home, Mommy. No home, Mommy!”

She didn’t want to leave!

“Are you having fun, Leah?” I asked.

She nodded her head.

“Okay, how about we drive around and you can look out the window?”

She seemed happy with that idea. She is really easy, let me tell you.

By September 2006, we had the basics down. We could do family outings without too much trouble. One Sunday we took the kids to Applebee’s, calling ahead to arrange seating.

When we arrived, we used our newest (and easiest!) way of moving: we walked in holding hands. People were awed—actually staring with open mouths—as we walked to our table. One lady and her husband at the bar both seemed fascinated with us; they had a curious expression as they watched our every move. They also had a baby with them. I couldn’t help but wonder what they were thinking as they watched our little parade.

We got everyone seated rather quickly and in a relatively organized fashion. The waitress said we could have two free kids’ meals with their kids’ club and she gave me a card for each child for a free meal on their birthday. The staff went out of their way to be kind and we so appreciated their generosity and help.

At some point, a new waitress came over to our table. “Here, this is for you,” she said, handing Jon a five-dollar bill.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

“I was working the take-out section and a woman picking up her food saw your van. She asked me if a couple with twins and sextuplets was inside. I told her yes. Then she gave me the money and asked me to give it to you.”

Jon and I were surprised and touched by her kindness.

The kids ate well and were very well behaved. I think we impressed the people around us. I don’t want to brag, but I was impressed myself. The Applebee’s employees all stood and waved as we left. The kids said “bye-bye.” It was too cute!

When we got into the van, Jon put his hand out and we slapped a high-five.

“That was cake!” he said.

I thought so too. When we first started going out with the kids I never imagined a day we’d think it was easy.

I think we appreciated those experiences more than “normal” families because we had to work so much harder to make them happen. Sometimes people would say, “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe you took all the kids and did that.” And I understood. Pure exhaustion followed every excursion. Not only because of the planning and execution, but also because of the emotional energy of constantly being on high alert. It would have been much easier to stay home, but we wanted our kids to have opportunities to experience the world outside our home.

I grew up in a house with four siblings, and I don’t ever remember being in a restaurant with my family. Until I was an adult, I didn’t even know how to order off of a menu! I didn’t want that for my kids. We couldn’t afford to eat out often, but we did it as often as we could.

After the dinner at Applebee’s, we went to the Cocoa Castle. As we pulled in, Hannah yelled, “Castle! Hi Castle!” Somehow, that made all our effort worth it. My kids were braver than they were at the beginning of the summer. They were eagerly embracing and engaging the world around them. Though it was exhausting for Jon and me, that’s why we did it.

When your kids can get through a meal in a restaurant and the waitress compliments their behavior, you know you’ve done something right. Yes, we