Weird

My kids are weird. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm sure 99% of the time, they appear normal to the outside world. But, they're kids. They say and do some of the darndest strangest things. What makes it so crazy is the fact that they each have a different set of quirks. This means a constant buffet of weirdness to choose from.


Recently, we had hot dogs for dinner. This is a pretty basic American staple. A hot dog in a bun doesn't seem strange or very interesting. How one eats a hot dog also seems to be rather mundane. Unless, of course, you give it to Sean. I handed him a plate upon which I had placed a hot dog in a bun. He's had hot dogs before. I just assumed he would pick it up and eat it like everyone else. He will occasionally forgo the bun. Instead he went to town on that hot dog the way Heckle and Jeckle used to eat corn on the cob. (Remember them?)

Who eats a hot dog like that?

My little Charlotte may only be 1, but she's already got some quirks of her own. How many toddlers do you know that would pass up a freshly baked cinnamon roll for a piece of turkey? Maybe she's on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. All I know is that I had made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but she wasn't at all interested. Instead, she did a drive-by toddle-by and stole a piece of turkey while I was packing lunches for the kids. 


And then there is her fascination with Shakira. Charlotte is usually very content in the car. If, however, she starts crying, she will not stop unless you stop the car and get her out of her seat. This is not very convenient if you're actually trying to get somewhere. So, we've been known to drive around with a screaming Charlotte. Until Sophie - thanks to Juju's Zumba habit - discovered the one thing that could shut her up. Playing "Waka Waka" by Shakira. Very loudly and on repeat (much to Patrick's dismay). We've actually had some fun with it. Charlotte starts screaming. As soon as she hears the opening of the song, she stops. Stop the music. Scream. Start the music. Stop. It's comical. If we got a video of it, we might have a YouTube sensation on our hands. Don't get me wrong, it is a very catchy song. But after the 25th time, it starts to wear on you. Although, our Fang is getting better and better!

Shakira dancing in the Waka Waka video

Now, Sophie has always been different from the rest. I think it's a birth-order thing. I've been polling families with three or more children for years. Number three is almost always a little bit louder, more adventurous, and crazier funnier than the others. For example, she is the only one of my children who ever had a habit of eating Barbie shoes. Mostly, though, Sophie is famous for saying unexpected things. You never really know what might come out of her mouth.

The other night, we used our popcorn popper and had a little movie night. I had to make a few batches because the bowls kept turning up empty. After the movie was over Sophie turned to us and very seriously said, "I can't eat anymore popcorn. All those kernels really hurt my brain." Um, ok.

Lucy and Patrick are getting older and far less unpredictable. Lucy still has questionable fashion choices but, for the most part, I think they've grown out of the weirdness. I suppose it's a sign of them growing up - which is a little sad. Maybe maturity and normal go hand in hand. Although, knowing Sophie like I do, I think she's always going to have a few extra quirks to keep us all laughing!


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