Changes

Children change us...that is something no one can argue.  Remember those commercials that were in black and white and it was always a parent and child doing something with a caption.  Okay, bad description, the one I can remember the best was a dad and his boys looking at a frog they had just caught and it said "boys night out" then at the end of the commercial it said "having a baby changes everything."  It was always slightly confusing as to what it was selling, but they were for Johnson and Johnson.  Anyway, it is true and you think that it is just when they are a baby that your life changes for the most damatic, which is true, but they continue to change you as they grow up.

Parker decided that this year for his birthday, it would be a Star Wars theme.  I know you are probably thinking that it is too early to be thinking about that, but I like to make the fancy cakes for him each year with the special pans, so this is typical.  (the whole baking the fancy cake thing is definitely something that he changed in me).  I am not sure where he gained as much Star Wars knowledge as he has but it isn't from me.....at all.  But now, we are getting ready for watch the first Star Wars ever created together.  I know it isn't the true beginning, but it was the beginning of most people's Star Wars experience.  I also found an R2-D2 discontinued cake pan on eBay....very expensive but now I have to have it.  His interest in Star Wars and the story and the characters has made me look up more about those stories than I ever had cared about knowing before he showed interest in it.  Now, with in two days, I care about it.  He continually changes my interests and what I care about learning so that I may know and understand what he is talking about.

Sometimes I wonder what kinds of things he would care about if he was a she.  If he was a she would I feel like my interests have changed as drastically as I do now?  Like I have said before, I know nothing of what it means to be a boy or anything that goes along with it, so maybe that is to account for the continual change that I feel, or maybe it would be the same if he was a she.......I guess I'll have to have a little girl and find out ....ha. ha...haha..... (uncomfortable sarcastic laughter inserted here) 

Weirdos

The other morning Parker was fighting the cold table in a karate type fashion (he take karate once a week and then after watching the new Karate Kid...he has been OBSESSED!).  He typically marches to the beat of his own drummer, or whatever the saying is, but for some reason that struck me as odd enough/funny enough to mention on facebook.  It has and always will be my belief that children who hit about 6 or 7 all become weirdos.  I have never been a fan of kids ages 7-13....they are weird.  When I used to want to be a teacher, it was either up to 5 years or after 14.....never that inbetween.  I don't know why, but I remember I was probably at my weirdest, most socially awkward betweent those ages.  Since becoming a mom though, my mind hasn't changed about that so much as little boys in general.  I never had brothers or close boy relatives growing up so everything boy is quite strange to me.  I shudder even writing that sentence because of my other deep rooted belief that most of what is defined as "boy" and "girl" is a social construct....but that isn't really what I wanted to talk about here.  Back on point, i was fearful for a moment the other day that he was entering the "dark ages" of weirdness early.  He has always been a little bit a head of the crowd in terms of development.  So hence writing on facebook about....is it just my kid or all little boys?  Of course I had responses from other mothers of sons agreeing that it is in fact all boys.  (I know your thinking, you are writing about a facebook status update on your blog....LAME....give me another couple sentences, I'll connect it)

So today Parker was talking about how he thinks Quinn (Happy 3rd Birthday Quinn!) is so weird and he just doesn't understand why she is as weird as she is and so on and so forth.  Having a soft heart for all the weirdos out there....I defended her and asked if it matter to him that she is a little weird.  His response was classic, "No it doesn't matter.  It's fun to be weird."  Besides laughing, two thoughts came to mind....the fighting the cold table and a comment I made when I was about 7 to a bunch of my 1st grade peers.

I was definitely a kid far from the in crowd.  I don't know why the cards fell they way they did and why I wasn't "in."  When I was a child, I didn't care what anyone thought about me or how I acted, I was defensive of my personality.  Even though, much like everyone else, I wanted to be popular, I never chased it or tried.  This one time at recess, I can't remember who, but a couple people looked at me and said, "you are so weird!"  I remember my response perfectly, "Well, I'd rather be weird than normal!"  Said with straight attitude!

After those two thoughts popping into my head after he made his comment....I realize that his weirdness and the joy he sees in others being little left of center is probably genetic.  I hope he always feels that way and is never clouded by the wanting to be part of the crowd.