People watching at Lakemont Park

Anytime we go to a public place I wonder if my children notice the interesting people. Especially a park like Lakemont. It's not big enough that you get lost in the crowd. The more eccentric definitely stand out and despite going on different rides, you will see the same faces again and again.

When a person is truly eccentric, opportunities for comments from the rugrats abound. Take for example, the cross dresser. I'm sure once I use that term, you have a vision in your head of pink lacyruffles on a ball gown with oversized pink pumps, lots of makeup and accessories. But no, this one was a bit more difficult to suss out.

He was wearing a pair of shorts that were not too feminine. Maybe like the gym shorts boys used to wear in the 70s. A yellow T-shirt that said something about Girl Scouts, and white sneakers with white socks. Not too much to work with there. It was the wig that was the first clue. Not only was it a bit askew, but it was also a really badly done wig. Just a hair too long and coiffed for a man unless he was still stuck in the 70s. He was walking with another man early in the day. So for a bit I thought he might be an older woman who just wasn't graced with very good looks.

Later, I saw sideburns peeking out the edges of the wig.

Then later, I noticed pink nail polish. So now I'm thinking... female. OK. My mind can get around this, but still, I'm a bit uneasy with that human need to classify and organized everyone and everything neatly into categories that make sense.

When my family stopped for a bathroom break, all questions were answered. He stepped into the men's room just before DH and the boys entered. The room was full, so DH waited outside with the boys for the crowd to clear a bit. Eccentric man exited the men's room Firstborn (yes, that's right, Firstborn this time) yells out, "A girl in the mens room?" Then he mutters under his breath, "That's just not right."

The funny part was that he did it in his best Boston accent. Guhhl. Of course, for Firstborn, this is no accent. He can't produce Rs. The difference is that in Boston, there are no finial Rs. In Firstborn land, there are no Rs at all.

The other funny part was that Firstborn thought this was really a girl. His level of disgust was totally on a 9year old, girls are gross sort of level.

Frankly, I thought we had grown out of this unedited commentary stage shortly after he turned 5 and shouted out in a McDonald's one day, "Mommy, that lady is fatter than you!" While pointing of course.

But no. The week was indeed graced with yet another unedited outburst from the firstborn child.

At another McDonald's on the trip back home (yes, I'm seeing a fast food pattern here), I brought the kids outside to run in a grassy area near the parking lot. At the end of running time, I gathered them together to help DH carry the food to the car, but I had to stop them at the curb and say, "Wait! This lady is trying to pull out." To which Firstborn responds loudly and with great expression, "That's a lady?"

His explanation later was that he didn't know that women drove SUVs. I know. Weak, but give him credit. He's only 9.