Saturday, October 11, 2008

c'mon...seriously?!?!?

ok, so i've NEVER been one for confrontation. in fact, i typically avoid a situation or just agree with someone, in order to avoid such confrontation. however, lately i have been put in a few situations where i'm just not quite sure how to respond. my annoyance meter is off the chart and this has my heart racing and my fingers a'typing...i can't type fast enough! ok...here's the situation (side note: how many of you are singing "parent's just don't understand" right now, after that last line???..."my parents went away on a week's vacation...")...
ok....for real though...here's the deal...
those of you who know me, or have come to know me through reading this blog, know that jacob is a breastfed baby. now, i don't consider myself to be one of those crazy, must only have breast milk moms...in fact, J has had formula. however, i do consider it much easier to breastfeed on the go, than to worry about packing bottles and such. side note...there have been instances where i have packed bottles, and not breastfed in public. when i nurse in public, i either cover myself with my awesome hooter hider or i find a place that is more private. i do not just whip it out and start a buffet in front of everyone!!! this is important for you to know, before getting into my story here. so, if i saw someone nursing "under cover", i would not direct my attention or my preschooler's attention that way. well, apparently other women/moms do not agree with me! case in point...i'm at the gym and J is in the child care there. the gym staff comes to get me because "baby won't stop crying." i go into the child care, where indeed, my baby is pretty upset. i scoop him up and try to soothe him, but nothing. he is definitely hungry. so, i go to the very back of the child care room, behind a partition wall, where clearly noone can see me. i'm nursing J, when i hear a mom walk into the child care with her son. the son spots J's car seat and says "where's baby." the child care provider says he's with his mommy. i then hear the mom say, "oh, he must be having mommy's." i'm thinking, "mommy's...what the hell is mommy's?!?!?" the woman and her son then proceed to come to my self made nursing room. that's fine, i think to myself, it's not my space. well, then she starts saying to her 3 year old, "look he's having mommy's. see honey", while directing his attention directly at my boob! he moves closer to me...and i mean close...he could practically be "having mommy's!" she says to me, with a grin, "we call nursing, having mommy's." i smirk back, with no response. i can't even think of something to say in the moment. does this mother not realize that her son is way too close to another woman's breast? is she not aware of this fact at all? i'm beginning to freak out! i say nicely to the boy, "i think the baby might need some space" thinking maybe this will give the hint, at least to mom, if not to her curious preschooler! hint not taken! she walks away and leaves her son there to observe this scientific experiment! now, i'm fuming. i don't want to be mean to the boy...after all, it's his mother who should be doing something. so, i repeat myself, hoping that the mom will hear me and remove her boy from my grill! no such luck. in the end, it was actually the child care provider, (god bless her) who came and got the boy and told him that we needed privacy. this is only one example of this situation...there have been several others! i know that kids, especially boys, are curious creatures. i know this, because i'm a mom too. but c'mon people...

i'm curious to know...am i overreacting? what would've you done?

ps...disclaimer to my friends who are reading this...please do not think i am referring to any situation involving your child! i'm solely speaking of run-ins with complete strangers.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

notes to mom

oprah has always said that moms have the toughest job in the world...and of course, i have to agree! but the smiles on a child's face or a simple "i love you mom" makes it all worthwhile. parents magazine had a great article this month, which stated that while moms have a lot of lessons to teach our little ones, they too, have a few words of wisdom for us. so...while i'd like to claim the following words as my own...i have to give props to parents mag...

"stop freaking out about the mess! there's always time to clean - but how often do we get to make mud pies?"

"love me, even when i'm naughty. i'll only be this age once"

be patient. i do everything for a reason, but i don't know enough words yet to give you an explanation."

"let me do it. i know you can do it faster and better, but sometimes experience is the best teacher."

"don't expect too much of me. i want to do what you ask and make you happy, but i'm still little."

"don't keep asking me if i've been good. i'm not even sure what that means, but if i was bad, i'd never admit it!"

"keep your promises. it's all about trust. when i'm a teenager, you'll understand why it's so important."

"set limits. i can't actually eat a whole box of cookies - i just want to see if i'd get away with it."

and my favorites...

"don't let me think that you're perfect. i feel a lot better knowing i'm not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes."
"don't try to reason with me when i'm having a tantrum. trust me - i can't hear you over my own screaming."

 
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