Day 209: Never Have I Ever... Thought My Family Was Weird (And Still Don't)

I know my family is weird - to everyone else.

We have arbitrary rules that are strictly followed, like the point, snap, thumb rule. (If you see someone younger than you sitting where you want to sit, all you have to do is point at them, snap your fingers, and make the "get lost" gesture with your thumb and the younger relative must get up right away with minimal grumbling. I'm lucky that my younger cousins were the ones who kept sitting near the fireplace where I wanted to sit.)

We make racist jokes because there just so happens to be no one in my family who isn't white.


We tease each other to the point where most would be offended, but we know by now that it's out of love.

It takes newcomers some getting used to, but to me, this is and always has been normal Christmas celebrations:

Calvin was getting two frames for Christmas from my sister. Obviously he would want photos in those frames of his mom and two sisters with the gorgeous wreathes the three of us kids made 20 years ago and with the La La Lady whose sticker eyes fell of, so my mom replaced them with googly eyes.

Too many people, never enough room (the number of Rays on my dad's side alone numbers 67... and three women are pregnant!)

John smelling Becca's money bouquet with the card denoting when it's his turn for the white elephant gift exchange safely on his forehead.

Becca thinking she's better than any present in the gift exchange (and with felt hangers, an Entertainment Book, and draft door guards as actual gifts, she's pretty much right...)

John loves the gift that was in the Victoria's Secret bag he picked thinking it couldn't possibly be girly. And then I stole his gift - fair and square.


Dad was apparently not good this year...


Never have I ever thought my family is weird... and still don't.