FAMILY QUIRKS

A post on my cousin's blog made me realize that my family has some funny quirks. These are things we do that seem perfectly normal to us, but might be viewed as strange by others. I realize every family has these quirks, it's what makes us unique. Some families more than others. I have a few that I am not too embarrassed to share with you (others will remain hidden until we die).

• We drink water right from the tap. We are careful not to put our mouth on it and I have given instructions on how to do it correctly. You might be wondering why I allow this and how it got started. I actually learned it from Big C's family. It saves having to wash a glass. I got into the habit and have done it ever since. How can I punish my children for doing something they see me do all the time? Disgusting or not, it is a regular occurance in our home.

• We hug each other after every family prayer. This is a great quirk in my opinion. Our kids are getting a positive, physical expression of love at least twice a day. I LOVE this quirk. I am not sure how it started, I guess it is just left over from when the kids were little, but they know, even now, that they do not walk away from the circle until the parents are squeezed.

• We do not wear shoes in the house. I know a lot of families have this rule, but it creates an issue that I do not enjoy- a pile of shoes by every door. How do you deal with this at your house? I still haven't figured it out and would love any feedback you are willing to share.

• The last quirk I will share takes place at Christmas time. You may have noticed from previous blog posts that we do not celebrate this holiday in our own home. I know this is strange to many of you (it is to me), but it is a tradition my husband grew up with. We go up to my in-law's barn and Santa comes there. I still struggle with this quirk. I grew up having Christmases in my home, with only my family and really miss the intimacy of those times. My children, however, are horrified by the thought of not going up to the barn with all the cousins, and Christmas is definitely for children, so they always win.