I think I suffer from some type of parental amnesia. All moms must have it. Nothing else could explain a mother willing to have more than one child. But mine extends well beyond childbirth. I ‘suffer’ quite often. I believe wholeheartedly that things are a great idea, hate (totally exaggerating for effect here) them the entire time and then afterwards, remember them fondly and sign on to do them again (and again.) Some examples include sleepover parties, tent camping in the summer and more recently and most notably, field trip chaperoning…I love the idea of field trips and being the kind of mom who always tries to go and afterwards I have great stories and pictures and a desire to go again. But in the middle, while I am there, they can be quite painful. And don't even get me started about the darn bus rides...
I usually like to think of our little family as pretty typical. Two working parents, one child we adore and ruin, a cozy little home, a school we agonized about, extracurricular activities (karate and such, you dirty birds!) A lot like most families these days. So, sometimes I actually forget we are different at all… Oh, just in case you don’t know, we are gay, (both of us, which really works out most conveniently for all involved.) And not that there’s anything wrong with that…The times where I am most often reminded that our family is not typical are pretty much any time Cyn and I set foot into X’s school together or join him on a field trip. The questions and curiosity always abound here in good old Glen Burnie where we are a bit more of an oddity. No judging, they are just little folks, just lots of entertaining reminders that we are not the norm round these parts. "Are you X's mom?" "Are you really his mom too?" "Why does he have two moms?" "Are you his real mom?" "Does he have a dad?" "Well then who is/where is his dad?" "Do you really celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas?" Oh, and just in case you are new to this parenting thing, please be aware that teachers and other parents do not like it when you tell students to “myob, shut the f up and get back to work.” Just saying...
On our most recent trip to DC’s Smithsonian museum we were actually accosted (again, exaggerating for effect here) by one mom who felt it was completely unfair that we two moms had the same size group that she had on her own. Though she was probably right, I frowned upon her tactics so was not as willing to help as I may have otherwise been. I mean really, throw me a bone, we found one way that being gay moms was a total bonus and she wanted to rip that away. Yup, that’s right we have faced years of discrimination (again effect,) been denied the right to marry or share in any of the other many benefits of straight couples just so that one day, down the road, we would be ahead in the field trip chaperoning department. She’s onto us!
But really, it was a mostly wonderful trip…the butterflies were lovely, X faced a fear, the children listened, Mr. Rob sent us on a ridiculous wild goose chase (I mean educationally stimulating Scavenger Hunt) and we all spent the day together! Can’t wait for the next one!!!
What were we talking about?
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| X and Cyn working on the scavenger hunt that nearly killed us all. |
