I went out to VA today to check in on my parents. Betty, of course, was out working in what my dad calls "the Back 40" - the parkland and creek behind their house. My dad was watering the yard.
I checked email as I was waiting for my mom to change from creek clothes to normal, hang out in the house clothes. I was sitting at the computer when she came in.
"Hey, Lis, would you look at my butt?"
"Sure. . . Mom, it looks like poison ivy. I think you have poison ivy."
"I think something bit me. It's really itchy."
"It looks like poison ivy to me."
"It can't be poison ivy. I don't have any anywhere else."
"It's not a spider bite, that's for sure. Maybe you got some under your finger nails and scratched your butt but washed it off your hands."
"No, I didn't. I do not stand around scratching my butt."
"Fine. Go look in the mirror. I don't know."
"I'm just going to put some Benadryl on it."
It's all in how you describe normal. I've had conversations with my 8 year old about how she supposes that wearing a thong would make it hard to fart.
ReplyDeleteNot normal for some people, but normal for us. Come to think of it, I do often tell my children that they shouldn't repeat this or that outside the family because "people might not understand and they'll think we're crazy."
Nothing creepy, weird, or illegal, just not normal.
P.S. I'm relieve to hear that Betty does NOT stand around scratching her butt.
ReplyDeleteIt would blow my whole image of her as a porn addicted, cigarette Sneaking, AC/DC fan.
You know, I once didn't show my mom what I thought was poison ivy (on my stomach) because I thought she'd be mad and not let me go back to summer camp. Granted, I was 8.
ReplyDeleteAnd how was I supposed to know the difference between poison ivy and impetago?
I'm glad you guys are close like that - it's actually quite wonderful. :D
DCup - You and your eight year old both make me laugh. A lot.
ReplyDeleteDagny - I'd have done the same thing. When you're a kid and afraid of getting something fun taken away because you've got a rash, much better to pretend everything is fine.