Adopted?

Little known fact about me:  I teach PSR.  What is PSR?  Well, PSR is Parish School Religion, which was once called:  CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine), and is also known as Catechism.  In other words, if you are Catholic and don't attend a parochial school you go to PSR.  At least, if you or your parents want you to complete the sacraments, but that is another post and for another blog all together.

Anyway...

I took Goofy to PSR with me tonight and one of my students (I teach 4th grade) goes to the school that Goofy attends.  Goofy talks about this girl a lot, all day and all night.  Her sister is in his kindergarten class and we have attended a party at her house so my student is actually one of the few people in my church that A.) I actually know and B.) knows my family.  I am relativity new to this church and only just started to participate outside of just going to Mass.

After class this student was helping me...

student:  the other kids think your son was adopted

me: ha

student: they don't think he looks like you

me: oh (amused)

student: I think Goofy looks like your husband but how can they think he was adopted?

me: eh, let's not tell them and let them think what they want...

Even if I heard the kids talking about my kid being adopted (which assure, he is not) I am not sure that I would correct them...  adopted or not he is mine.

I don't feel the need to explain.  The only time I do (fell the need to explain) is when he starts talking about his other mommy and then I have issues!  She is i-m-a-g-i-n-a-r-y.

I feel like if I have to explain why he is darker then me then it diminishes our sameness.  That our family is somehow different by stating that our family is "mixed" when we are no different then any other family - adopted or not.  That somehow we are not a family because of the preconceived notions others have put on us.

It also does not help that every time one of my students asks me how many kids I have I would give a different number...  boy the looks!   I also do this with my age and any other personal question they throw at me.  I just can not share with the kids anything personal that I would gladly publish on the internet. 

Maybe, I am afraid that they would see me as someone other then their teacher.  Maybe, they would see how human I am and who wants to see adults like that anyway, never mind a teacher.

Or maybe, I just feel it is not their business and if we could get through just one lesson with out me shouting, "Ladies and Gentleman... please stop talking" I might be more incline to share and not ring their angelic necks.