Friday, May 29, 2009

They Made Us This Way

We used to be a normal, functioning, fun and even cool people, Mr. Weasel and I. Not any more. At least not by my kids standards.

I will admit, I talk to myself regularly. Sometimes it's even full blown conversations, asking and answering my own questions. I often make seemingly random statements out loud. The Weasels will say "Mom, you already told us that." I inform them that I was just reminding myself. There is just not enough room in my head to store all of the information I need to neatly. It's much more like a junk drawer and if I don't pull out the information that I need and put it on top it will get lost in the jumble.

The Mr. and I are not overly self conscious in public. We are usually self entertaining where ever we go and can often be seen visibly laughing at a thought or a joke that popped into our head that no one else heard. These things humiliate our children (especially the Eldest) to the umpteenth degree. No wonder they would rather not be seen in public with us.

Every morning when driving Eldest to school, I remind her to try not to miss me too much during the day and ask is she needs a few tissues in case she breaks into tears about it during the school day. She rolls her eyes at me and sometimes I'm lucky enough that she will play along and be my straight man and reply something like, "It will be tough, but I'll do my best". Usually though she just gets annoyed and asks "Why do you have to be so weird?".

Just the other night Eldest and I were in the grocery store picking up a few things. I was talking to myself, as per usual, going over the list in my head and giving myself directions around the store. Once again the question of "Why can't you just be normal?" came up. One item on my mental list was cookies. Eldest was allowed to bring them into one her classes for her birthday. As we were going past she spotted fortune cookies. Very excited and animated she ran to her glorious find and started selecting a box. I asked how many kids in the class to figure out how many boxes we would need. The response was "Ewww, no. I can't take these to school, that's dorky. I want these are for home. I want cookies from the bakery for school".

I took this opportunity to answer her question of why I can't just be normal. I explained once again that Mom and Dad used to be very normal and that after way to many conversations like this, she had made us this way. "Why are you telling me this?" complete with eye roll left her lips. "In hopes that you might have a little sympathy and cut us a little slack knowing that you did this to us".

Her response "Meh".Fatherhood Friday at Dad Blogs

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21 comments:

JonnyTam13 said...

My wife and I were never normal and I thought that would make things okay. But after reading this, I'm kind of afraid of what we'll become. My saving grace is that she'll likely grow up to be just like us. I think I feel worse for her.

Melisa Wells said...

Oh, "Meh." I hear that one ALL THE TIME.

Great post! It's is a nice companion piece to mine today. We're like peanut butter and jelly! :)

Jason said...

oh man, I'm really not looking forward to the boys getting older. I like them thinking my being weird is still cool.

Gertrude Groggins - said...

It's an eye opener. I thought my parents were huge dorks (and I was right). What if we really are too!? lol!

Andrew's Daddies said...

Love this post! I am going to embarrass the hell out of my son for sure. He is going to think i'm the weirdest guy on the planet as he gets older.

Mocha Dad said...

My daughter doesn't want me to take her to birthday parties because she is afraid I will act weird.

Otter Thomas said...

My wife already say "You're so weird" to me on a regular basis. I am either already in the correct mindset to be a parent or I am only a few short years from being reduced to a babbling idiot. Either way it sounds fun to me.

Tom said...

We get that too. Our response is pretty short: "We inherited it from you."

Now weirdness is a sport my wife at which my wife and I love to compete, to garner the best reaction from our teenagers. It's so fun.

-Justin said...

Reminds me of the Bill Cosby routine. 'My wife and I used to consider ourselves intellectuals.'
Great post, and one I can totally relate to. My wife used to comment on my 'old guy sense of humor' while we were dating. Now that there's kids around, it's gotten worse. I can't pass a chance to ask them if they saw the elephant run under the chair and other classics.
I think that's our job: to teach the kids that life isn't as serious as all that.

The Devoted Dad said...

WeaselMamma, I love how you placed it on them! I, for one, was "dorky" long before my kids and long before I got married. My phrase was " I am at peace with my dorkiness!" I too talk out lists, laugh at my own jokes/thoughts, played the tuba in high school, love science- all precursors, and I have taken ownership of it! -Jason

Michelle said...

I'm impressed that you got a verbal response at all. You must be doing something right ;) always good to know what I have to look forward to!

terri said...

Normal is boring.

Steely Dad said...

Yea, what is it that when you have kids you immediately become a dork? I think I'm even dorkier than MY parents and that's saying something!

AiringMyLaundry said...

Oh, I'm a total weirdo. I admit it. But I think weirdos are more fun than normal people.

I also talk to myself. My kids are used to it now.

poosemommy said...

My mother used to tell us "Insanity is inherited: you get it from your kids!"
I know I will hear that phrase come out of my mouth sometime in the next 15 years. Probably several times. With drooling. I'm just saying, When did I become my mother?

PJ Mullen said...

I've never been cool, but I am relishing the opportunity to embarrass my kid when he's older.

SurprisedMom said...

Just when I think I have hit cool, I have two teenagers who remind me I have never been, am not and never will be cool. I am just the mom. I also talk to myself, mutter to myself when I am mad and get totally confused by my children. And they wonder why I mutter to myself . . .

de-I said...

Patience grasshopper revenge will be yours.

Nothing is more gratifying as when your grown children say to you (with desperation and the desire for sympathy in their voice) crying about their children,

"I never knew karma would come back so fast."

seashore subjects said...

Here we take pride in the fact that we are dorky and not afraid to flaunt it! We even give gentle reminders that there is no hope for her - as she is of us (definite eye rolling material there)

Mrs4444 said...

Pretty classic :) I think you would enjoy Zelzee's recent post: Two Peas in a Pod. It's a gem, and I know you will relate (some day :)

http://www.zelzee.com/2009/05/29/two-peas-in-a-pod/

The Microblogologist said...

Would you like me to ask my mother to take her for a day? If she thinks YOU are bad she really needs to have the eye-opening experience of true dorkiness. She'd come back a changed weasel!

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