An update on normal.

Part of the goal for my month of rest and regrouping is so that I can turn my life in to some kind of normal... I think I may need longer than the time allotted. Normal is overrated. Normal is for other people. Normal is boring. Normal is, well,... normal. If you are reading this and you know us personally, you know that we do not fit in the "normal" category. We are actually in a category all our own and it doesn't really have a title. I have heard people say for many years that the Pearson Peas are not normal, but I don't think I have really heard these people. Maybe I've been in denial all these years, but I really need to embrace the non-normal status of my family. Why I've been so dense for so long is beyond me... you'd think I'd have learned by now that...
...when your son has to scooter from the car to the house so that if an earthquake happens at exactly the moment he is on the path, he will be moving faster than the crack that will open up to consume him... not normal.
...when you have a son that puts a tampon up his nose when he has a nosebleed in the car, and then looks at me like I'm nuts and says, "what? it's what all the hockey players do."... not normal.
...when you routinely deny having children while your children are standing right there beside you yelling, "MOM!"... not normal. (I have learned that most parents don't do this in front of their children - whatever, maybe the kids will get the message if they hear you say stuff to strangers.)
...when you have a son that is known on a first name basis by all his high school teachers after just two weeks of school... not normal.
...when you have a dog that looks at you like you're a total stranger and barks like a maniac every time you come home... not normal.
...when your down time is going to the bathroom... not normal.
...when you have to explain to your son's friends and parents that our house is a bit like a lock down ward in a psych hospital - no, really, it is... not normal.
...when you have to routinely explain to your son that, "no, all the other kids are not dumb."... not normal.
...when you wake up every day with a plan in place and it has been thrown out the window before your feet hit the floor... not normal.
...when you have to explain to your son that, "yes, you have to wear shoes to school."... not normal.
The clincher for me was when I had to explain to my son's teacher that, "no, my son is not normal." and he looked at me and said, "Good to hear. Normal is boring."
I'm starting to get it now - I've known all along that it's easier to stop fighting it and just go with it. Normal really is boring.