Conspicuous Families Anonymous

I'm killing some time outside my in-laws' house while Shawny boy finishes up a car nap. Good a time as any to blog, eh?

We don't eat out that often in our regular life.  But we all know vacay holds no bars. 

Without fail, every time we went out to dinner on vacation (and a few different times while swimming) we got comments on our family.  These comments were all very positive, sweet, and kind. 

It's just, dang. We stand out. 

And not just a little bit either. I mean we stand oooooout.  

For starters, we are a multi racial family. I'm encouraged, because almost every where I go (seemingly with the exception of Christian schools- don't even get me started...) I see other multi racial families. 

And we have what seems like a whole slew of young kids to your average onlooker.  The youngest communicating almost entirely in screams of delight or frustration. 

Plus those aforementioned kids are all in their pajamas at dinner in some restaurant because we have spent the afternoon swimming, have taken baths around 5 or 6 o'clock, put our pjs on and have then tromped out to dinner.  People, don't even start. I'm not going to take off four (five if you count my own) wet swimming suits, bathe everyone, find clean clothes for everyone, and then forty minutes later put all these same people into their pajamas. No. Just stop. I'm getting tired even thinking about all those outfit changes within 90 minutes. 

The icing on the cake for our stand outedness has got to be the accident prone nature of certain members of our posse. For instance, the mom (who shall remain nameless) feels like she needs to be constantly hurrying, thus spilling a whole cup of Apple juice all over Ollie at the hotel's breakfast.  I would guess at some point in their lives my kids will peruse these chronicles, so I will leave out incidents of a certain six year old (who shall also remain nameless). ;)

I grew up in a very get in, get out, get on with your life kinda family. No drama was appreciated.  I greatly embody this as an adult as well. Then I married a guy who is very easily embarrassed. I probably didn't  know that when I married him, it probably came up after I sang along to the radio in public or something like that.  

We've kinda gotten over all that, but double your kids and go on vacation and you may just notice that you are standing out even a little bit more. I don't really have any where I'm going with all this. I don't really even know if it's a pro or a con to really stand out, it's just kinda weird.

I would loathe being famous. 

And on another weird, people approaching me in public topic, twice in the last week, older women  have approached me to tell me they like my hair cut. Coincidentally, both of these women looked similar. Both had very thick, white or gray hair, cut about two or three inches below their chin that kinda curled under. Really, very nice hair. 

It's nice to receive a compliment. 

It also makes me wonder if the 60+ crowd enjoys my hair more than the under 60 crowd. Or maybe all age demographics like my hair equally well it's just that the 60+ crowd is more likely to approach a stranger with a compliment than the 60 under crowd?  Or (Jon agrees with this theory) a 60+ woman sees us, and having raised a brood of her own immediately thinks, Dang, that poor woman needs a little encouragement... I know I'll approach her about her hair. 

Please know I welcome your theories (and compliments) as well.