Today I went to my cousin's daughter's 2nd Birthday party. Unlike last year she didn't cry when we sang Happy Birthday and she actually ate the cake. She did the cutest thing when it was time for presents. Every toy she opened she wanted to play with right away. She kept walking off with each gift ready to use it. She got so frustrated when her mom would make her come back to open more things she wasn't allowed to play with yet. By the time she got to the last few presents it was clear she was over it; she began just throwing each item on the floor with sheer annoyance and disdain. It was quite entertaining.

Her mom had made a another picture book memorializing year 2. There were dozens of adorable pictures of K and the family. At the end was a page with small photos of K, one from each month of the year to show how she had grown. After that were pages for everyone to sign and write their birthday wishes. The entire thing just made me so depressed. It didn't help that I was surrounded by many other cute babies and children and their picture perfect families. I felt like I was staring into a future that I would never have.

Why Can't My Family Be Normal???

Don't get me wrong, I genuinely love and appreciate my family; but why do they have to be so crazy?? Is it to much to ask for to have a normal family dynamic? Is there even such a thing as a normal family? I certainly can't be the only one with a crazy family. Sometimes I lie in bed at night and think, "oh God, please don't let me be the crazy one and they are all actually normal..." Because sometimes the level of lunacy my family produces can be so extreme that the idea I may be the demented one is the only rational explanation my brain can compute.

Stay tuned for examples and stories of my lovely family encounters. We actually have a big gathering this weekend so I am sure I will have plenty to vent about...