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ciroccojSo my babysitter and I got our wires crossed today, and Chris had to stay at work late, but it all turned out just fine. The boys impressed the bejeebers out of me and Chris, and a perfect stranger wearing a black t-shirt with "man whore" in small white letters showed up and spread around good karma in the form of $.75 and a sunny attitude.
And if you can figure out what the hell happened today with that description, you probably need to up your meds ;)
I have class on Thursdays from 5-7, and the boys are supposed to go to their sitter until Chris comes home. Unfortunately, Chris and I both thought the other had cleared this with her, and we were both wrong. So I ended up taking the boys with me to class. It's in a lecture hall with about 150 people, so I wasn't all that worried about them disrupting anything, but I still bribed them with the promise of a chocolate bar and $2 each if they were not just good, but silent and perfectly well behaved. As in, better behaved than the real students (sadly, not always a difficult standard to reach).
They were. Perfectly well behaved. No noise, no fidgeting. They worked away in their little workbooks, looked at story books, and turned the pages quietly. Daniel spent about forty minutes staring off into space while the prof described the six instances in which counsel is allowed to ask leading questions of their own witnesses.
I wasn't that surprised that they were well behaved, but I was ecstatic at their attitude. Daniel frowned at Justin once, and Justin gave a little bored sigh at one point. That was it.
The man whore thing happened at break time. I had promised them chocolates, so we went upstairs, found all the vending machines broken or off, then discovered the small eatery was still open, and they picked treats while I counted coins.
"Brought the kids into class?" said this guy in a black t-shirt.
"Um, yeah."
"Can't be easy, studying with kids."
"It's all right."
"Mm. I know I couldn't do it."
Oh sod off, you know, I didn't bring my kids into your childfree zone for the fun of making your life difficult and they were quieter and better behaved than about half the students. I'm so sorry that my daring to procreate and try to have a career has inconvenienced you. What did you do, sit there seething and just knowing that one of my brats was going to disturb your perfect learning experience in a way that's obviously more dastardly than the guy who yacks on his cell phone during a lecture or the two girls who decided to shuffle through their class notes for the last three years for about twenty minutes tonight?
Ahem.
Memo to myself: Don't say all of that out loud, and get a grip on yourself. He sounds passive-aggressive, but maybe he's just genuinely curious. Just because you've witnessed more hostility towards breeders & brats at Ottawa U than anywhere else - except possibly lj - does not mean everybody here hates kids.
So be nice.
"Babysitter cancelled."
"Oh, that's rough."
"Mm-hm." At this point I suddenly realized I was 75 cents short. Bugger, bugger, bugger, there wasn't time to go back and get my wallet before break time was over, and I hate disappointing the kids when they've been promised a treat, especially when they've been so damn good and cheerful...
"OK, guys, sorry, I don't have enough, we'll just have to come back after class-"
"Oh, hey, how much are you missing?"
At this point I actually looked at the guy (and registered the man whore thing). "75 cents - oh! No you don't have to-"
"No problem. My pleasure. You guys are really well behaved," he said to the boys, and handed the money to the cashier.
"Did he just pay for our chocolate?" said Daniel.
"Wow! What a nice man!" said Justin. "Thanks!"
"You're welcome. You earned it, guys. You're really behaving well." And off he went, leaving me feeling totally flustered and a bit sheepish at my rather uncharitable thoughts. Oh, and really proud of my boys, too :)
And if you can figure out what the hell happened today with that description, you probably need to up your meds ;)
I have class on Thursdays from 5-7, and the boys are supposed to go to their sitter until Chris comes home. Unfortunately, Chris and I both thought the other had cleared this with her, and we were both wrong. So I ended up taking the boys with me to class. It's in a lecture hall with about 150 people, so I wasn't all that worried about them disrupting anything, but I still bribed them with the promise of a chocolate bar and $2 each if they were not just good, but silent and perfectly well behaved. As in, better behaved than the real students (sadly, not always a difficult standard to reach).
They were. Perfectly well behaved. No noise, no fidgeting. They worked away in their little workbooks, looked at story books, and turned the pages quietly. Daniel spent about forty minutes staring off into space while the prof described the six instances in which counsel is allowed to ask leading questions of their own witnesses.
I wasn't that surprised that they were well behaved, but I was ecstatic at their attitude. Daniel frowned at Justin once, and Justin gave a little bored sigh at one point. That was it.
The man whore thing happened at break time. I had promised them chocolates, so we went upstairs, found all the vending machines broken or off, then discovered the small eatery was still open, and they picked treats while I counted coins.
"Brought the kids into class?" said this guy in a black t-shirt.
"Um, yeah."
"Can't be easy, studying with kids."
"It's all right."
"Mm. I know I couldn't do it."
Oh sod off, you know, I didn't bring my kids into your childfree zone for the fun of making your life difficult and they were quieter and better behaved than about half the students. I'm so sorry that my daring to procreate and try to have a career has inconvenienced you. What did you do, sit there seething and just knowing that one of my brats was going to disturb your perfect learning experience in a way that's obviously more dastardly than the guy who yacks on his cell phone during a lecture or the two girls who decided to shuffle through their class notes for the last three years for about twenty minutes tonight?
Ahem.
Memo to myself: Don't say all of that out loud, and get a grip on yourself. He sounds passive-aggressive, but maybe he's just genuinely curious. Just because you've witnessed more hostility towards breeders & brats at Ottawa U than anywhere else - except possibly lj - does not mean everybody here hates kids.
So be nice.
"Babysitter cancelled."
"Oh, that's rough."
"Mm-hm." At this point I suddenly realized I was 75 cents short. Bugger, bugger, bugger, there wasn't time to go back and get my wallet before break time was over, and I hate disappointing the kids when they've been promised a treat, especially when they've been so damn good and cheerful...
"OK, guys, sorry, I don't have enough, we'll just have to come back after class-"
"Oh, hey, how much are you missing?"
At this point I actually looked at the guy (and registered the man whore thing). "75 cents - oh! No you don't have to-"
"No problem. My pleasure. You guys are really well behaved," he said to the boys, and handed the money to the cashier.
"Did he just pay for our chocolate?" said Daniel.
"Wow! What a nice man!" said Justin. "Thanks!"
"You're welcome. You earned it, guys. You're really behaving well." And off he went, leaving me feeling totally flustered and a bit sheepish at my rather uncharitable thoughts. Oh, and really proud of my boys, too :)
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:24 pm (UTC)He's learning, though. I fear the future ;)
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Date: 2006-09-15 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 04:34 am (UTC)Always nice when an interaction like that is a "happily ever after."
no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:25 pm (UTC)Yup :) :) :)
Well, except for me and my cynical little thoughts. But hey, at least I didn't say them out loud ;)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:29 pm (UTC)Yeah :) :)
I wasn't really worried that they would act up - I wouldn't have brought them into class otherwise - but I did think they'd be a lot less good-natured about it. And positioned myself near the exit just in case Justin's grumpy little sighs got too loud or frequent. As it was, there was only one grumpy little sigh, which was far below the average for the folks actually attending the class ;)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 02:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:29 pm (UTC):) :) :)
Love your icon, BTW :D :D
no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 02:43 pm (UTC)And don't feel bad for your defensive (and mercifully silent!) reaction--I get like that sometimes, too. And I don't even have the excuse of having experienced that childfree hostility. :/
And giant hugs and smiles for Daniel & Justin. Good for them.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 09:35 pm (UTC)Yeah, it's funny, I don't have a problem with people wanting small children kept out of certain places or situations; fancy restaurants, china shops, etc. And I don't have a problem with people wanting parents to make sure their kids behave in public and don't disrupt too much. But sometimes it really feels like the only thing that will satisfy some people is for children to be kept under lock and key 24/7, or muzzled and restrained any time they're out of the house.
I just need to remember not everybody feels that way, and that there are plenty of folks who are willing to accept kids in their space, as long as those kids behave themselves.
And giant hugs and smiles for Daniel & Justin. Good for them.
:) :) :)