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A very special Mother's Day
"She lets each of us be our own person," says Buckley, "and we're all loved the same." Each of the quadruplets does a variety of different activities, from dance to cheerleading, tennis to hunting, keeping this elementary school teacher busy. "She never leaves without a calendar," according to her coworker, Laura Moore. "Nothing ever seems stressful to her." "She calls herself the 'Taxi Driver,'" says Buckley with a smile. Despite the strain of having quadruplets, she is able to spend time with each of them individually as well. She tries to make it equal between all of her children and make it fair, and she wants to be a part of every phase of their lives. "She always goes to the one that needs her at the moment," Brianna says. Jared remembers one instance in particular when the family was at the Grand Canyon and he and his mother got to spend some time without the others. "Everyone else went off with Uncle Steve," he says. "It wasn't what we talked about, just that she was there." Brianna tells of her first cheerleading competition. "I told her 'Mom, I don't want to do this,' and she said 'you'll be fine, everyone will love you.'" Brinsley has a story of another nature: when she killed her first deer. As per tradition, she put the blood on her face and called her mother about it. "She started screaming into the phone and we brought it home to show her and she was so proud," Brinsley says. Not bad for someone who grew up mostly in Augusta and Savannah, never living in a rural area before she married Keith, the children's father. "She is always calm and collected when something goes wrong," says Buckley. As Brianna says, "She doesn't freak out." "Buckley was in the kitchen opening a can of cat food and needed help, and I cut my finger open," Jared recalls. He had to go to the hospital to get five stitches, but his mother just kept watching over it and kept her cool the entire time. Even when Brianna got into an ant bed when she was a toddler and had to go to the hospital for a severe allergic reaction, Karin was calm, talking to her in what Brianna called her "calming voice," keeping her awake until they got to the hospital. "Aunt Boo drove the old van to the hospital," Brianna says, "and she had to breathe into a bag." But Karin remained calm throughout the ordeal. "I was doing a stunt in cheerleading and I was the flyer, and I ended up on the ground with my back twisted," Buckley remembers. "Brianna called Mom and she was there asking what was wrong, what hurt, getting an ice pack. She stayed with me." She supports all of her children equally, being there for each of them when it matters most. Whether its when one of them is overloaded and having a breakdown, or nervous before a performance or even needing that little extra boost of support to win a tennis match, Karin is always there for her children. "She'd tell me 'if you mess up, you mess up and its no big deal,'" Brianna says. "I was in a tennis match with this tough girl and I was behind in the second set and needed to win. Mom came and stood by the fence and encouraged me," Brinsley says. "I won after the tie breaker. She really helped by being there." She really puts aside her own needs to make sure the children have what they need, even going so far as to try and hide having her appendix out so as not to disrupt their school day. And even as she supports her children in the activities they do and the choices they make, Karin is still a parent. The children are not allowed to have Myspace sites, for instance. "She's very attentive with what they read and watch and all that," says Laura. "She taught us how we're supposed to be," says Brianna. "And she always wants us to give back to Swainsboro for helping us, like with community service." She doesn't let them go too far, and lets them know when they've done so, but when she corrects or disciplines, she walks out smiling. According to Buckley, "it happens once and its over. She gets over it really quick." That's not to say the quads don't have their mischievous sides. "When we were little, she used to wake us up and lay out outfits for us on the couch. We'd all go and fall asleep on the couch until we heard the shower squeak--meaning Mom was done--and then we would get up and run to get dressed so we wouldn't get in trouble," Jared recalls. "She's just a real person. She doesn't stress, just quietly does what she's got to do," says Laura. "Kieth would be proud of her." Every year for Mother's Day, the quads would make her breakfast in bed and give her cards and presents. They would also write notes about what she means to them. This year, they decided to change the format a bit and honor their mother with a special Mother's Day message: "Mama, I love you! You are the greatest mom ever! You have done so much for each and every one of us. You are so caring and always put others before yourself. You are truly a great mom that I know is always gonna be there when I need you. I love you so much! -Buckley" "Mama, You are the best mom a kid could have! I love you so much!! Words could not explain how great you are!! You've done so much for all of us and are always there for us when we need you. Thank you for dealing with us for 15 years! You have made so many sacrifices for us, and I am so thankful. I love you! -Brinsley" "Mama, Thank you so much for all that you have done! You are such a great mom and you're always putting us first. I can't tell you how much I appreciate and admire you! I don't know how you do it all. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! You're the BEST! Love, Brianna" "Mom, You are so wonderful! Thanks for putting up with us for all these years! No one could ask for a better mom than you! I can't put it in words how much I appreciate you doing all the things you do for us or how much I love you! Thank you for everything! Love, Jared"
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