What Would You Do?

Something happened today that has me on edge.  I am usually an accommodating person.  I am polite, I am kind.  I use the manners my parents taught me.  And I respect my elders.  That all went out the window today.  I'll explain.  I am making a simple project for a sister's birthday party.  I had to run to the fabric store.  Joanne's no less.  I had not realized that the store was closing and moving to a new location, so I found some fabric for Sariah's Halloween costume. I had taken my three kids with me.  Usually they are pretty good, which is why I can take them in public.  I am not bothered by kids around me.  I am use to them.  They are good kids.  Anyway, I am standing there, waiting for my fabric to be cut.  My little man, E, was behind me, running in a tight circle, he was singing a little loudly, his nonsense song, it was turning into a higher pitched squeal.  It was not a scream.  Suddenly, a older lady comes up to me and says "Is this your child?"  and points to my cute boy, who was still running in a circle, a small, tight circle behind me.  "yes" I reply, thinking I was going to hear a compliment, it usually happens, right?  Nope.  "Would you tell him to be quiet?  His noise is hurting my ears.  He is disturbing the other costumers and myself" she said very rudely.  I looked at her, and felt my heart stop.  What do I do?  I still had to wait to get my fabric cut, it was going to take at least another five minutes.  Now, usually, I would have been polite, and would have said, of course, I'll try and keep him quiet, blah blah.  but it that small amount of time, I thought, he isn't doing anything wrong.  So I replied "No, I'm not going to keep him quiet.  He's fine, he's having fun, and he isn't doing anything wrong"  She started in on me.  Telling me that everyone in the store was annoyed by my child, and she was the only one who had the nerve to tell me so.  I looked around, most everyone else was minding their own buisness, and one grandma even winked at me.  "Well, I'm not keeping him quiet."  She huffed and while walking away, to the CHECK OUT STAND where her cart was, she kept telling me what she thought.  She had been in the check out line.  The same grandma who winked at me was taking care of a grandson, who was busy pulling things off of a shelf, and causing a lot more harm on the aisle than Ethan had been doing, dancing behind me.  He hadn't done anything wrong.  He wasn't running around the store, or pulling on things, he was tugging on strangers, or screaming at the top of his lungs.  He was entertaining himself, behind me, right next to me.  He was right next to me.  And she had the nerve to tell me to keep my child quiet?  What would you do?  Would you have told your kids to be quiet?  Would you have been polite?  She hadn't even tried to be nice at all.  I think she expected me to do what she said, and what?  Chain my child to my side, and duct tape my three year old's mouth so that he can't disturb someone out in PUBLIC? The lady helping me was still cutting fabric, and Ethan was getting more restless, I was trying to keep him quiet, so I handed Sariah the car keys and told her to take him outside.  I could see the mean old lady standing there, talking to her daughter, and I knew from the glances she was giving me, that she was talking about me.  Seriously, what would you have done?  It was the first time I ever wanted to call someone a swear word.  And my children, they were shocked by that lady as well.  they talked about it on the ride home.  And they talked about it while we were eating lunch.  I don't know if what I did was right, but it sure didn't feel wrong at the moment!

Home Again, Home again, jiggty jig.

My kiddos and I were able to catch a ride up to great Salt lake valley and spend a week vegging out at my parents house.  It was exactly what the doctor ordered.  I didn't have a car, so I spent a lot of time just chilling at the house I spent most of my formidable years.  we ventured to the park up the street, and it was slightly scary.  There is a skate park there now, lots of interesting people converge there.  We ate lots of junk food, I gained about five pounds.  We drank diet coke, and by we, I mean me.  We were spoiled.  Sariah and I went on a girls night with my sisters and Mom and watched Snow White and the Huntsmen, and surprising, Kristen Stewart did pretty well.  I would say she redeemed herself.  I wasn't a fan of the vampire movies. (gasp)  We went and played with cousins, and I relaxed, a lot.  I got to listen to Sariah play on a piano, all day.  Ethan discovered he liked the piano too, and would even sing.  he sounded like a cat dying a slow and slightly painful death.  I tried video taping it, he saw me and stopped.  Good Old Roy.  We of course, had to get a sandwich and donut from the Hole, because that is tradition.  The bread, oh my.  The donuts, oh my.  And it was donut day, of all days.  We enjoyed the cooler weather.  My daddy kindly brought us back home.  The nice, cool weather slowly warmed up, until the red sand reflected the heat we felt as we climbed out of the car.  It was hot.  HOT, and it was the first time I though to myself, why do I live here?  It's so dang hot!

How's your summer going so far?