Pining for dignity
When you have a baby, you learn quickly not to take yourself too seriously. After all, you need more than a little humor to get you through a newborn puking in your bra or a toddler walking in on you in your full glory and wondering “What’s that?” Unfortunately for those who travel in my company, I’ve always been a bit of a goofball. Pregnancy just magnified it.
Case in point: this afternoon as Ladybug and I collected pine cones at the Norton Art Gallery park. We’ve been making homemade Christmas ornaments – or rather, I’ve been making homemade Christmas ornaments; she’s been making a glitter-and-glue mess – and we needed more pine cones for our project. A beautiful collection was scattered across the lawn that borders the employee parking lot, and Ladybug and I raced back and forth to fill our bag.
I ran to scoop up some more pine cones when I noticed Ladybug wasn’t beside me. She had taken off in the opposite direction. I called her to join me but, as usual these days, she ignored me. So I started jumping up and down, waving my arms and yelling “Woo-hoo! Pine cone! Woo-hoo! Pretty, pretty pine cone! Look at all the pine cones!”
It got her attention, all right, as well as that of the police officer whose car I happened to be making a spectacle next to. He nodded at me, a smile curling up on one side of his mouth.
You think I let it go there?
Nooooo. I had to do the wave. It’s a natural reaction when I’m embarrassed. My hand flies up to my chin and flutters open and closed a half dozen times like a five-fingered butterfly.
I could feel the dignity draining from my body. But the bright side is I saved myself the humiliation of having the officer laugh in my face.
I had already turned around and skipped off.
To share your thoughts and to read other comments, click HERE.
Case in point: this afternoon as Ladybug and I collected pine cones at the Norton Art Gallery park. We’ve been making homemade Christmas ornaments – or rather, I’ve been making homemade Christmas ornaments; she’s been making a glitter-and-glue mess – and we needed more pine cones for our project. A beautiful collection was scattered across the lawn that borders the employee parking lot, and Ladybug and I raced back and forth to fill our bag.
I ran to scoop up some more pine cones when I noticed Ladybug wasn’t beside me. She had taken off in the opposite direction. I called her to join me but, as usual these days, she ignored me. So I started jumping up and down, waving my arms and yelling “Woo-hoo! Pine cone! Woo-hoo! Pretty, pretty pine cone! Look at all the pine cones!”
It got her attention, all right, as well as that of the police officer whose car I happened to be making a spectacle next to. He nodded at me, a smile curling up on one side of his mouth.
You think I let it go there?
Nooooo. I had to do the wave. It’s a natural reaction when I’m embarrassed. My hand flies up to my chin and flutters open and closed a half dozen times like a five-fingered butterfly.
I could feel the dignity draining from my body. But the bright side is I saved myself the humiliation of having the officer laugh in my face.
I had already turned around and skipped off.
To share your thoughts and to read other comments, click HERE.
posted by Michelle Mahfoufi at 9:32 PM
Michelle recently gave up her career to be a full-time stay-at-home mom to a toddler. At least that's the plan ....
3 Comments:
ya know, as moms, we just have to deal with the fact that other folks JUST WONT UNDERSTAND!!!! i am one of those who has always "talked" to my kids even though they were too little to really understand- & i get the oddest looks from folks in the stores when i do that-& then i will say their familiar phrases to em too & they stare even harder- so i have learned just NOT TO CARE!!!!its okay to look silly-we have kids- & usually, the folks watching & laughing- do not! so embrace the priveledge of our silliness! we're special!!!!~mimi
I have noticed that also. I talk to my son constantly when we are out and about. How else is he going to learn what is going on in the world around him and learn to talk. I get plenty of crazy stares. I had one older man start laughing at me and said something along the lines of "Boy he sure has you wrapped around his finger" Well yes he sure does I wouldn't have it any other way.
The best thing is the payoff, like the other day when we were driving along Kings Highway and Ladybug saw a billboard with a fruit on it. She correctly yelled "apple!" I'd like to think it's because of all the show-and-tell we do in the produce aisle at the grocery store. : )
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