Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The opposite of music to my ears...

Misery loves company, which is why I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Janelle's blog lately.

Wait. That sounds wrong.

I'm not enjoying the fact that people are being rude to her in the last stretch of her pregnancy, it's just that I'm happy to have someone else in the club. Lately, I have also had at least one person every single day make some sort of bonehead or insensitive comment.

Yesterday, it was boys on the brink of puberty that got to me.

We had to get the oil changed in the van since we're taking a little road trip this weekend. There is a little park that the kids like not that far from the Grease Monkey, so I decided that was how we'd spend the 45 minutes. I had both kids loaded up in the stroller and was hoofin' it as quickly as I could. It was at least 80 degrees and let's face it, pushing two kids in the stroller on a hot day is not the same experience that it was a few months ago.

Anyway - the path to the park runs behind an elementary school. The kids just happened to be at recess on the playground that backs up to the path. (I'm sure you can see where this is going.) All is well, we're talking about all of the geese, ducks, and bugs that we are seeing as we walk when I start hearing older boys' voices (the school goes up to 8th grade) calling me from the playground:

Hey, you!
Lady - look over here!
Hey, you in the blue stripes!
(In hindsight, they were horizontal stripes. Probably not a good move.)

Now see, I just wasn't in the mood. I guess maybe I should have played along and given the kids the benefit of the doubt to see what they wanted, but I had seen them on the play structure as we approached, and they were being pretty rowdy. I just didn't get a good feeling about what they wanted to show me. (I sensed a bare butt or two, if I'm honest here.) So, I just decided to ignore them and keep walking.

Well.

They didn't seem to care for my choice. Pretty soon the same voices were following me with:

Hey, fat lady pushing the stroller!

Hey, you - with the big, fat stomach!

Hey, fatty. Where ya goin'?

You'll be happy to know that I didn't even turn around...even though I was tempted to do many things, none of which would have been appropriate for my kids to hear or see me do.

I just kept on walking, and thankfully (or should I say mercifully?) Mitchell didn't seem to hear them either.

But UGH!!! I think I might have preferred to get mooned.

14 comments:

Mari said...

I think you did the right thing. I'm mad at those boys just hearing this.

Janelle said...

Oh, sweetie! That is just awful. I am sorry that happened to you. I think I prefer the KNOW-IT-ALL at the grocery store to those punks. Where were the teachers????

UGH. That just isn't right.

The Boulais' said...

Ohhh. If I was a teacher right then....I would have nailed them all girl. Punks.

Rebekah said...

What a bunch of Baffoons!

I'm Tara. said...

I should have explained where the teachers were - and why a mooning would have totally been something they could have gotten away with. The playground is long (width-wise) with like 3 different playstructures. They were all the way at the opposite end of the playground - the majority of kids were back by the doors to the school...that's where the teachers were, too. These kids were up on top of the little platform before the slide. Make sense?

I know. Ick. Little punks!

Sadie said...

TARA! That's just awful. They don't know the true beauty of a pregnant woman. You are gorgeous!

Terri said...

Oh that makes me so mad. Little RATS!

Cheri said...

That is just awful. I'm so annoyed and I wasn't there.
I'm impressed with your self control!

Alana said...

Ugh. That is terrible. I think I might have had to pull out my "Listen here, Mister" voice for those little punks.

The Stressed Momma said...

Oh, Tara, I'm so sorry they were so mean! I think I would have turned it around and found the principal's office! Or at least called afterwards! Little jerks.

BethAnne said...

Have they no upbringing?!!! I would have probably thrown big heavy rocks at them (out of the sight of your kids of course ;-).

Shelley said...

Maybe someday they will be blessed with some boys of their own, and they just might remember how rude they were! Mercy Tara, I am APPALED! You are BEAUTIFUL and I am seriously impressed that you were pushing those sweet kiddos of yours to the park! I would have been sitting in the greasy waiting room, yelling at my kids to BE PATIENT ALREADY!

Earen said...

OH MY GOODNESS! Kids....I'm so sorry that happened to you. You composed yourself much better than I would have. What a bunch of jerks!!!

Birdie said...

I'm so sorry, Tara! That's just not right at all. If I was with you, they'd all have boxed ears and soap in their mouths. I'm sure their mothers would have bee HORRIFIED. ((hugs))