Here, On The Island of Misfit Mums

I suppose it is good to be reminded that I am simply not that kind of Mum every now and again.

It's just that over the past few weeks, I have been being constantly reminded and told just that.

I mean, I really do not have any desire to fit in with any particular group, or even be anything like the apple pie, Mrs. Cleaver sort.

But I do suppose that over the years I have been spoiled by my friends into forgetting that not everyone accepts others unconditionally regardless of age, looks, religious preference, and even career goals and other ways people have found of trying to categorize and file those around them.

Yep, mine has always been a world of tolerance and acceptance of even the most different of us out there.

I am one of those weirdo's that is of the idea that the things that make us different are the very things that should bring us together.

Lately, I have been glaringly reminded that not everyone out there feels this way.

Sure, I am used to the "Circus freak" treatment that my kids and I get whenever we walk out of our front door.

I understand that not everyone has ever seen a set of triplets and that my babies are fascinating to just about everyone we see and meet.

I get all sorts of "Advice" about my tiny trio and even how to handle my eldest son as well.

As of late, it has been pointed out that my eldest should not be allowed to play with his air soft pellet guns.

You would have thought that he had a penchant of using our kitties as target practice or something worse by the way this tidbit of information was presented.

I didn't let him play with toy guns for the longest, too. But once he reached an age where he was old enough to understand right and wrong and the way that one SHOULD use these types of toys, I allowed him to have them.

Besides, my eldest child already had a small arsenal of swords, a whip collection, and a bow and arrow set and has been proficient in using each type of weapon for practice and for the stage for years.

We won't cover things like religion or presidential candidate preference as not to get terribly into politics.

Here, on the island of misfit mums, I let my eldest have chocolate cake for breakfast, or even pizza some days. We have even been known to eat breakfast foods for dinner!

I never even knew that it wasn't normal until the movie "Practical Magic" pointed out that it wasn't.

I let my babies watch television because it makes them happy. My eldest watches zombie movies.

I even let him watch the "Clerks" movies. I have this weird notion that if he dares try and emulate anything he hears within them in front of any girls, that he will find himself dateless.

We talk about appropriate versus inappropriate things to bring up in conversation. If he violates our agreement, then he will face consequences.

Sometimes, I have even been known to let him take holidays such as Halloween off from school.

I'm the mum who could be found at the school office on the day prior to career day, armed with a copy of that letter defining which careers were real and which ones were make-believe, to ensure that my child would not be chastised over his career day presentation choice of being being a pirate.

He went as a pirate, wearing not only his faire identification and actor card, but with copy of his paycheck in tow, just in case anybody tried to tell him that his choice was not a valid one.

He was only six at the time, too! I suppose it could have been worse. Occupations such as ballet dancer and Peter Pan were also on the list (Mary Martin and Baryshnikov would have been so offended!)

Just another day in the life, I suppose! We do what we can for our kids, regardless of what other folks think of us.

I just wish other folks would open their minds to the validity of other's choices and actions. People would learn so much more that way!

But until that day comes, I am happy being, "Not that kind of Mum!"