‘Organization is key'
Anna Faltermeier
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The doors of a 15-passenger white mini-van spring open as its nine passengers file into the McDonald’s parking lot in Emporia.
“Mom, maybe we should go somewhere else; it looks really full,” says 15-year-old Tyson DuBree as he looks inside the packed fast food joint.
But, the DuBree family, nine of them on this outing, find a corner to squeeze into where they don’t seem to notice the stares they get from customers and employees.
“I think it’s just the force of us all coming in at once,” says Janelle DuBree of the stares her family often gets.
She’s the mother of the nine DuBree siblings, a mix of adopted and biological children, ranging from 5 to 16. There are three 5 to 6-year-olds, an 8-year-old, a 12-year-old and four teenagers (one teenager lives out of the home because of behavior problems).
Janelle and William DuBree decided to adopt six years ago when they were told they probably couldn’t have children of their own.
But when Janelle, who had a son from a previous marriage, unexpectedly became pregnant, the DuBrees didn’t take their name off adoption waiting lists.
One year after the DuBree’s biological daughter, Cydnee, was born, they adopted 6-year-old Hershel. Five years and six adoptions later, the family grew to 11.
A house with this many kids could be messy, but the DuBree home isn’t.
What makes this possible?
“Pepsi,” jokes Janelle DuBree. “I drink a lot of caffeine.”
DuBree also credits her job as a stay-at-home mom and help from her husband with giving her the time to stay organized.
Will DuBree, the family patriarch, drives a truck for Dolly Madison and often spends a couple nights a week on the road.
Janelle DuBree says she relied on help from the older children to keep things going.
On this particular night Destynee, 14, and Tyson, 15, are chopping vegetables for a dinner salad.
Even Dustin, 17, who hides behind his shaggy hair and laptop most of the day, had positive things to say about his family. “We’re chaotic, yet organized.”
Dustin went from being an only child to the oldest of nine.
“It was someone else to play with,” Dustin recalls of Hershel, his first new brother.
Hershel, 12, is smack dab in the middle of his eight brothers and sisters. “It can get confusing,” he says of his position in the family.
He says he tries to divide his time evenly between his younger and older siblings, but it can be hard.
“I can’t be in two places at once!”
Chaotic, yet organized.
The DuBree kitchen has a big table for the older kids and parents and a small table for the younger kids. Meals are regimented so everyone gets fed on time.
The home has three bathrooms. Showers are divided between morning and night to fit everyone in.
“Organization is key,” says Janelle DuBree.
She says she learned to be creative in finding ways to spend time with each individual child.
“It can be in the car riding or in the kitchen making food.”
Will says he never imagined he’d be the father of nine, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We just started adopting and thought we could do more,” he says. “It’s great watching them grow and change.”
Janelle agrees.
“Our motivation is the kids and seeing what they’ve overcome,” she says.
Destynee DuBree, 14, adopted in 2003, came from an abusive background where she was making Ds and Fs and not getting along with other kids. After four years with the DuBrees her grades are As and Bs, she’s on the swim team at her high school and an AWANA teacher at the family’s church.
Back at McDonalds, the DuBrees sort through bags of food, trying to decide whose order was messed up this time.
Dustin’s chicken fingers are missing.
Chaotic, yet organized?
Hershel DuBree may have put it best.
“You know how they say two heads are better than one? Well, we have lots of heads.”
hottopics (anonymous) says...
It is a inspiration to all of us that there is a need for more adoptions of older children. Everyone deserves a family.
April 21, 2007 at 4:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )