All of my kids are a bit odd - I know this.
I think they are aware of this fact, as well.
As a matter of fact ... I think my kids work hard at being odd - going against the grain - standing out in the crowd - marching to their own beat - they do!
But ...
Of all of my kids ...
Alexis is by far ...
The oddest!
So ...
It could not be more appropriate that Alexis' word of the month is the word --- ODD.
Alexis often has a favorite word that she uses over and over again and for the past month it has been the word ODD.
When we prepared to go on our Utah vacation just after Christmas, Alexis was very excited.
She loved the plane ride even though her ears felt odd when the plane flew above the clouds.
She loved eating in the airport even though she found it odd that there was no McDonalds.
She loved the excitement of passing through security and having to take off her shoes but did find it odd seeing everyone walking around in their socks.
She loved seeing the snow falling from the sky outside the window of the airplane and found it odd that the sight would scare the living day lights out of her mother.
She loved pretending like she was on a roller coaster in the airplane and would throw her hands up in the air when the plane would drop due to turbulence and liked how odd it made her tummy feel.
She was very excited and could not wait to get to ... Utah!.
On the afternoon of our first day, I unpacked Alexis' snow clothes and proceeded to dress her to go out and play in the snow.
She cried.
She whined.
She complained, "These pants feel ODD!"
She complained, "These socks feel ODD!"
She complained, "These gloves feel ODD!"
She complained, "This hat feels ODD!"
She complained, "These boots feel ODD!"
She complained, "Why do I have to wear all these ODD clothes?"
I ignored the complaining and the whining and the crying --- I stood her up and aimed her at the front door, "GO," I said. "GO PLAY IN THE UTAH SNOW!"
"It's not Utah," she turned back towards me. "It's U-T-A-L-L," she insisted with a slight Texas twang.
"Okay," I said. "GO PLAY IN THE U-T-A-L-L SNOW!" and I pushed my oddest child out the front door.
She did not go far.
She walked about 5 steps down the snowy sidewalk.
She turned.
She SCREAMED ...
"I'VE GOT A WEDGIE," at the top of her 7 year old lungs - so all the U-T-A-L-L Mormons could hear her all the way to the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City! "IT FEELS ODD!" she begged me with her eyes.
I walked out the front door.
I turned her around.
I put my hand down the backside of her snow suit and ... yanked those panties out of her butt crack.
She smiled and went on her way.
On the upside ... I threw my hands up in the air, closed my eyes and tried to pretend like I was on a roller coaster ride - WHEEEEEEEEEE - WE'RE HAVING FUN NOW! Oddly enough --- it didn't work for me.
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