When Mommy is Weird

It may not be the best thing in the world to have a mom who's a little odd, but it can help to take some of the focus away from you. Abbey delights in my unusual behavior even if my oldest daughter get embarassed by it sometimes.

No, I don't walk around scaring people if that's what you're wondering, but I do wear Scooby Doo shoes, carry a Powerpuff Girls purse and have been known to talk like Yoda in the grocery store. I guess, compared to me, my daughter is really not that unusual.

My oldest daughter has informed me that I am definately not like the other mothers and of course, I took that as a compliment. I asked her if it bothered her and she said no, it's actually kinda cool. Compliment number two. I asked Abbey if she thinks mommy is weird and she said "yeah" followed by a quick "love you", so I guess that's three for three.

I guess being a little left of center helps me to be so bold when it comes to Down Syndrome. I'm sure some people think I'm a lunatic with a big mouth, but at least I cause them to think a little about Down Syndrome in the process. I don't have a problem with who I am or my daughter's condition, and I refuse to go to my grave knowing I didn't do all I could for my daughter.

Sure, I'll admit that acting a little goofy may not be the most grown-up thing to do, but my girls and I are very close and part of that is because of the way I approach things. It helps to put them at ease when someone is staring at Abbey, and mom is talking about underwear in a Marvin the Martian voice. They are learning how to be comfortable within themselves no matter what other people may think. Truthfully, Abbey already has this skill mastered and it's my oldest daughter who is still learning.

I don't know if I can take any credit for Abbey's complete comfort in the face of other's discomfort, or if she was just born that way. When she notices someone staring at her she just says "hi" in a cute, cheerful voice. I have always told my girls not to worry about what other people think with respect to who they are. We have a good time when we go out shopping and neither one of my girls has ever thrown a coniption fit in the store. People may stare because we're giggling, but they've never had to stare because the girls were trying to rip each other's hair out. They save that little show for mommy at home.

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