Friday, April 22, 2011
Grocery Store Delight
I was grocery shopping by myself keeping my head down reading my list- which was the back of a purple, used mailing envelope. I could hear two rowdy children being pretty disobedient to their parents down the aisle ahead of me. They were maybe 3 and 5 years old but already knew how to talk back to their parents and kept touching everything despite mom and dad's constant warnings. Needless to say I wanted to keep my distance from them. I had no desire to weave around their parade for fear of running one of them over with my shopping cart. However, later on in my trip we unavoidably met in the egg and cheese section. The parents were taking their time picking out cheese while the kids were being rude (but truthful) and talking about everyone that passed by. I tried my best to stay out of their line of fire by picking out my egg carton from a distance then quickly running up to the fridge to grab it. I didn't make it. The little girl saw me, looked me up and down and started tugging on her mom's shirt. "Mom. Mommy. Mom. Mom.." I braced myself for what I knew would be the ugly truth because we all know that out of the mouth of babes often comes blunt honesty. Would she pick my unidentifiable baby belly or my pale skin? To my surprise, she pointed and exclaimed loudly to her mom, "Mom, that's a fancy lady! That's a fancy lady Mom." I smiled, felt better about myself and walked away wondering what in the world she was talking about.
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11 comments:
Hahaha I love this! Don't sell yourself short- you are a fancy lady. I'm sure kids are just as impressed with your bountiful blonde hair and stylish clothes as adults are. Way to get a compliment from what sounded like some seriously bratty kids!
LOVE this! You are a fancy lady, indeed!
And I love your fancy little burrito, too.
Delight indeed! I'd take "fancy lady" anyday! This story is priceless and yes, I do agree you are a fancy lady :)
Hilarious!
Not to be the only "debbie downer" to comment, but did you realize how discouraging your comments about those kids and their parents sounded? As a mother of a 3-y-o I know what its like to try to do grocery shopping with tired, cranky kids. Sometimes you feel like you are just surviving! Its just incredibly discouraging to be judged by other people, especially new moms who havent been through the toddler stage yet and have NO idea of how hard it is... you'll see, my dear, you'll see...
Well, this is interesting. :) I, too, have my own set of little ones and we have been "those people" in the store on occasion. It happens. And it's no fun. And while it's true, we should guard ourselves against judging people, I don't think that means we shouldn't have standards about what sort of behavior is acceptable, and I would hope we all agree that backtalk and rudeness are not acceptable. Generally, reflecting on those occasions, I discover that my parenting methods left something to be desired in those moments. (And I can think of recent examples.) Worry not, fancy lady. While you will have your moments, I trust your unborn child will (usually) be well-behaved in the grocery store. And, just as an aside, I'd recommend against financing the education of a random blog commenter who I'm guessing you don't know. :)
I learned early on that Walmart is open 24-hours a day. Life is too short to ruin my shopping time. I am with Jenn on the disrespect and rudeness. Innocent questions will happen at the most inopportune time, but rudeness, NO! Now my kids are a big help at the grocery. Even the little guy (9 years old) likes to help now. Very cool.
I don't have toddlers yet, but I'm very close to my two young cousins. I've NEVER seen them rude or disrespectful in public (4 & 8 now). I know children have minds of their own, but I do not think it's an impossible thing to teach your children not to be rude to others, especially in public. I've taught young children and have seen two different types. You can see the ones whose parents spent a lot of time teaching manners and respect, and other parents who just allow their children's "young minds" control situations. Not saying that kids do not misbehave, but if you teach your children right, going out in public should be the one place they will use what they are taught :) Especially if you're consistent with them! I know I know, I will see one day. But being around bratty children versus respectful children, I can see a clear difference in how a parent raises their children. Allowing your kid to speak rudely of others out loud... is not acceptable, no matter how cranky or tired they are.
Ha, this is funny! Thank you to all my friends who found the pure humor in the post. My description of the kids in my shopping trip was meant nothing more than to emphasize and illustrate how unexpected her exclamation was. Annonymigo, you obviously have no clue about the depth of my background, experience and love for children. But I have no need to defend myself to you. I strongly recommend that you guard yourself against seeking out and fabricating judgement against you. It's not healthy. This nonsense blog is strictly a place for light-hearted stories and a chance for my family and distant friends to catch up on happenings in my family's life. These posts are not fashioned for public encouragement or stirring up discussion. I'm not looking for people's opinions other than the occasional, yet positive, "what's the best baby lotion" or "who has better tacos?" I love all you ladies' knowledge on parenting and clearly do not claim to have any at this point. So thank you, friends, for sharing your thoughts and it's even better when we get to do it in person. I recognize that anyone may stumble upon this blog and that's fine. I chose not to go through the hassle of making it private because I, quite honestly, don't care that much. I hope you will all continue to laugh with me in the funny times, pretend to care about pointless posts, and share in our excitement as this year gets even better!
Oh, how I love you!!! "Anonymigo" - hahahahahaha. My new favorite word!
I just totally stumbled upon your blog, so I guess I too am an Annonymigo but not of the first one's fashion. I loved this post! I have a toddler and am aware of the brutal honesty they possess. This comment is directed solely at myself; but, I never let tired crankiness or illness be the excuse if my child's behavior is unfavorable. If anything, those are the best times to teach.
God Bless you and your baby girl on the way!
www.tracyreavis.com
i did just stumble upon this..and have enjoyed reading your thoughts.
just to be opposite the anonymous debbie downer, don't buy into the belief that there are "stages" that you just have no control over. :) God gives grace and it is possible to have children who are under control :) it's all about intentional living!
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