Monday, June 18, 2007
Sidetail Rides Again
The Sidetail rides again! As the last little sidetail ages, I begin to think about my future plans in a career path outside this house. This week, I have set a personal record. I am seriously considering five totally different career paths. Let's see....there's teaching (no surprise there), yoga instructor, doula, chinese medicine, and opening a business on the web. I am contemplating on how I can combine all these interests into one workable, rewarding career. I need to take a moment this week though, and see if there's anything else I need to add to the list. It's the sidetail way...any advice?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Crash Carts
I have to share another story about the little Sidetails. A couple weeks ago, I took all three sidetails to a doctor's appointment for the littlest. All was going well. They were all in a good mood, I had the snacks, I had the books, and I had a great hope...that we would walk out of the doctors office and our next errand in good social standing.
My optimistic attitude ended abruptly when the middle sidetail (age 2) walked across the reception area to a little boy who was about 1 year old. I thought to myself, "Oh, how cute. My son is so friendly and wants to make friends". I was obviously fooling myself into a relaxed state because with no warning, my friendly little sidetail kicks the little boy in his knees. There was no interaction between each other before that point and then BAM!! Instant crying and embarrassment for me. How do you explain that as a mother?? "Oh! I am really sorry. My son mistook your defenseless little boy for a football. You understand, I'm sure." Talk about random acts of violence.
Well, I gathered up the sidetails as fast as I could and basically ran out of the office. I could hear the poor boys cries and feel the othe mom's glare as I strong-armed everyone out the door. Off to our next stop, a grocery/garden shop that is literally right across the street. I was hoping that angry mom wouldn't follow us for revenge.
We entered the store casually. This was going to be easy, we needed to get some produce and then we could leave. The oldest little Sidetail picked out a watermelon (which was very blah by the way. We'll have to work on that skill.). The second sidetail picked out his favorite, bananas and we were off to the check out. Yes, the check out. Where it always falls apart.
The lines are long and we have to wait. Second sidetail is not happy. He wants out of the cart. What can it hurt? He has been so good at this store up until now. He'll stay right by me. He loves me. We are on the end aisle of check out lanes. The automatic sliding doors are directly ahead of us and the banks of carts are directly to our right about 5-6 feet away. Second Sidetail walks up to the bank of carts and begins to entertain himself by sticking his hands in the carts and moving the seats. Not a big deal, I am almost ready to pay and he's not going anywhere. Well, he didn't go anywhere but he made all the carts (25-50 of them) move into a display. Yes, he managed to in a minute or two push the whole 1,000 pound bank of carts into a diplay of plants that stood a few feet away. Once again, I did not know what to do. I left my cart and the other two sidetails in line as I tried to detangle carts from a large wire display rack without destroying anymore plants. The manager came running over and kindly asked me to leave the mess for her to clean while I paid. She was an angel in disguise.
I think the second sidetail was just loving the commotion he caused but sensed a punishment was in his future because he took off like a shot out the automatic door to the sidewalk outside. I have no time to think. I leave my other sidetails and my cart again to retrieve the little devil. He is standing on the sidewalk holding on to the legs of a kind elderly couple. They are laughing. He is laughing. I am not laughing. I haul him back into the store and trap him in our cart. I try to recollect myself, my produce, and my dignity. The cashier tries to be helpful by saying "at least their cute". Yeah, at least their cute. I left the store for home and wondered if the woman at the doctors office thought the same thing.
My optimistic attitude ended abruptly when the middle sidetail (age 2) walked across the reception area to a little boy who was about 1 year old. I thought to myself, "Oh, how cute. My son is so friendly and wants to make friends". I was obviously fooling myself into a relaxed state because with no warning, my friendly little sidetail kicks the little boy in his knees. There was no interaction between each other before that point and then BAM!! Instant crying and embarrassment for me. How do you explain that as a mother?? "Oh! I am really sorry. My son mistook your defenseless little boy for a football. You understand, I'm sure." Talk about random acts of violence.
Well, I gathered up the sidetails as fast as I could and basically ran out of the office. I could hear the poor boys cries and feel the othe mom's glare as I strong-armed everyone out the door. Off to our next stop, a grocery/garden shop that is literally right across the street. I was hoping that angry mom wouldn't follow us for revenge.
We entered the store casually. This was going to be easy, we needed to get some produce and then we could leave. The oldest little Sidetail picked out a watermelon (which was very blah by the way. We'll have to work on that skill.). The second sidetail picked out his favorite, bananas and we were off to the check out. Yes, the check out. Where it always falls apart.
The lines are long and we have to wait. Second sidetail is not happy. He wants out of the cart. What can it hurt? He has been so good at this store up until now. He'll stay right by me. He loves me. We are on the end aisle of check out lanes. The automatic sliding doors are directly ahead of us and the banks of carts are directly to our right about 5-6 feet away. Second Sidetail walks up to the bank of carts and begins to entertain himself by sticking his hands in the carts and moving the seats. Not a big deal, I am almost ready to pay and he's not going anywhere. Well, he didn't go anywhere but he made all the carts (25-50 of them) move into a display. Yes, he managed to in a minute or two push the whole 1,000 pound bank of carts into a diplay of plants that stood a few feet away. Once again, I did not know what to do. I left my cart and the other two sidetails in line as I tried to detangle carts from a large wire display rack without destroying anymore plants. The manager came running over and kindly asked me to leave the mess for her to clean while I paid. She was an angel in disguise.
I think the second sidetail was just loving the commotion he caused but sensed a punishment was in his future because he took off like a shot out the automatic door to the sidewalk outside. I have no time to think. I leave my other sidetails and my cart again to retrieve the little devil. He is standing on the sidewalk holding on to the legs of a kind elderly couple. They are laughing. He is laughing. I am not laughing. I haul him back into the store and trap him in our cart. I try to recollect myself, my produce, and my dignity. The cashier tries to be helpful by saying "at least their cute". Yeah, at least their cute. I left the store for home and wondered if the woman at the doctors office thought the same thing.
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