Monday, January 26, 2009

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


Okay, this one isn't painful to remember at all. And it didn't take place in a dentist's office.

While finishing up our appointments, we didn't have the unlucky timing to pass through the waiting room where a young woman was sitting. This young woman definitely did not have the misfortune to sport a dark mustache and a five o'clock shadow. This young woman wasn't clearly uncomfortable at all in the crowded waiting room. And I didn't have my back turned on the kids while I paid the bill and they put on their coats.

So I really wasn't aware that my 3yo (gregarious, outspoken, no understanding of social cues) didn't approach this poor young woman and ask loudly, "Are you a man or a lady?" When the young woman tried to ignore the question, the child persisted, "But you have a BEARD?! The young woman didn't slink down into her seat and deny tersely, "I don't."

Before I could stop her, my 3yo didn't continue, "Yes, you doooooooooo!!!" and point directly at the poor lady's face. "NO, I DON'T," she denied, emphatically and uncomfortably.

At that point, the receptionist didn't notice what was going on, and didn't hustle the poor soul back to a private waiting room. And I definitely didn't die of shame, right then and there.

And that child, years later, still lacks a well-formed concept of social cues or appropriate topics of conversation. We don't refer to her candor around here as "diarrhea of the mouth."

This story isn't legendary in our house, either.



Breathtaking:

Natalie: Uh-oh! Water pilled! (after knocking over her cup)
Mom: Get a towel and clean it up.
Natalie: O-K. (chanting) Keen it up. Keen it up. (while wiping floor)
Mom: Good girl. I love you!
Natalie: Yuv you too.
Mom: I love you too!
Natalie: I yuv you too!
Mom: You're awesome!
Natalie: You awe-tum too!


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We had an incident similar to your, but it involved a large man and the words fat belly were thrown around several times to his face.

And we also had a spill yesterday, but mine cried saying it wasn't her fault and I keened it up...LOL

Kim said...

I'm so glad you share stories like this! My daughter (who was about 3 at the time) really hurt the feelings of my friend when she asked her why she was so fat. I try to use those incidents as teaching moments, but they can be soooo painful (at least to us moms—the kids don't seem to get embarrassed at all).

Lana@The Kids Did WHAT?! said...

Ah, yes. Have to love the innocence of children. Only it isn't always perceived as innocence, is it! That's a great story! Well, not for the poor woman anyway!

Anonymous said...

Oh, out of the mouths of babes! Hilarious!

Kathy B! said...

That poor woman! Poor you! I think it's a rite of passage that a young child has to say something humiliating to a stranger in front of an audience in order to graduate from toddler-hood. The good news is you can check that box and wait for the next calamity, I mean stage...

Restless Ink said...

I don't know what just happened...I was leaving a comment, and it jumped back to the post w/o leaving the comment. So I apologize if the comment is left twice!

Anyway...as I was saying: Wow! That's what I have to look forward to?!! What's sad is that I'm more scared she's gonna make comments like that about me! Back to waxing the upper lip!:-D

p.s. thanks for the "SHOUT OUT" and blog-love:-) I will definitely be stopping by here often as well!