We all have family "curses." Family "curses" are those little characteristics or quirks that seems to plague people in your family. You could look at is as genetic issues, such as bad eyesight, crooked teeth, allergies, migraines, etc..., but I am more specifically talking about those little things, mannerisms, or actions, if you will, that cannot be explained.

In the McFaddin family, one "curse" is a disgust for bananas. Actually, I don't know how far this "curse" stretches, but I know that both Scott and his sister hate bananas (I figure that's enough to qualify it for this topic). I have feared that my children will not like bananas because of this. (I LOVE bananas so I've been fighting this "curse.") Last week we fed Caleb some banana/passionfruit baby food. He was NOT a fan. And I feared he had succombed to the "curse."

However, I was not ready to give up so yesterday I tried mashing up a fresh banana and he ate the whole thing! Hooray! That's one for my team (not to mention an indicator that he can survive in East Africa)! And now poor Scott now must endure the smell of banana while feeding them to his baby boy and he must pretend that bananas are yummy. This means endless joy for me! (I have been fighting the urge to put a bit of bananas in Scott's mouth and make him fake the enjoyement, but I know that this will eventually come back to bite me in the bum because Caleb will probably love cake - yes, I HATE cake - so I figure I should be careful how play my cards right now.)

In the Wright family, one of the most notable "curses" is that of laughter. I don't mean that we just have a good sense of humour, because there would be no "curse" in that. I mean that when we get tired we laugh and laugh and laugh. If you're tired enough, the laughter cannot be turned off and you end up crying, sometimes bawling. If this occurs in public, it results in quite the scene as tears stream down your face and people stare. You become paralyzed because you can do nothing but laugh. I don't know how many generations this goes back but I know it hit my grandma, mom, sister, and myself. And now: Caleb.

That's right, I don't think Caleb has been able to sidestep this Wright family "curse." I have noticed in the past few days, that when Caleb is most sleepy (ie: right before we put him down to bed) he is the most apt to laugh for extended periods of time about anything and nothing. Obviously, this is adorable and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it hit me today that when he's older it will not be adorable, it will be a "curse" that he will be teased about. (Though I have to admit that I'd much rather him laugh endlessly than get really moody when he's sleepy.)

What are your family "curses?"

Labels: Caleb