The sound was deafening in the Happy Joe's party room. Twelvechildren ranging in age from just over one to a college freshman weretaking turns sitting on a game-ticket-purchased whoopee cushion andhowling with laughter. We'd just come off an hour of bumper bowling,and the kids could barely contain themselves after being stuffed fortwo days straight with myriad cookies and other sweets while taking over a three-bedroom condo also occupied by 14 adults.

As I passed my one of my seven brothers-in-law to refill my large soda, he gesturedto the kids chanting each other's names as they passed the whoopeecushion.

"Just think, Rita," he said, laughing, "If you were the Duggars, all these kids would be seven short of your nuclear family."

I looked back at the trashed party room, the piles of plastic crap,the discarded utensils and wadded up, pizza-sauced napkins, and imaginedmy life if I had 19 kids.

Then I laughed my mother-of-an-only-child-for-sanity-purposes ass off and went to refill my glass, knowing I'd made the right choice for me.

More power to you, huge families. I enjoyed my huge extended family this weekend. I adore every one of them, and when I hugged all my nieces and nephews goodbye, I almost felt like crying, I love them so much. But now, back at home, I treasure the quiet and the calm. I am lucky, lucky, lucky to have access to both worlds.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Here's hoping you had a lovely time with your families and your digestive tracts recover nicely.

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