Friday, August 27, 2010

m,

Can we pleeease talk about the beauty of Casanova’s tantrum? I’m not sure anyone out there appreciates it fully. I want to watch it again, and possibly Gretchen’s epic backpedaling, complete with the judge’s snarky, bemused and wondering faces during judging. Oh, and maybe Tim Gunn’s final speech, one more time. I like this season. I like the 90 minutes. I didn’t think I would, but really I could watch hours of footage if we’re being honest.

There was an *incident* at the park yesterday. You’d be proud that I stood up for myself, although of course later I thought about so many other things I could have made clear(er) and it would have been nice to have been calmer. The pillar of calm in the face of ridiculous, erroneous hostility. But apparently I receive false accusations, especially aggressive ones, somewhat like Marty McFly being called “chicken.” Not well. So there was a little boy smacking N.Lo on the playground equipment. K.Lo notified me about it first, and then I watched him do it myself. There were no adults around that were clearly with this child, much less telling him to stop. So obviously I had to say something to him. I wasn’t mean about it, although I did have to chase him down a bit, since he wasn’t interested in hearing what I had to say. I simply said, “Hey, buddy – do you see that little boy in the green shirt? You can’t treat him like that because he’s little. Understand?” He ran away to find his grandma, who incidentally was sitting directly in front of the crime scene. Didn’t hear or see anything else. But then, as they were leaving the park, maybe 10 minutes later, she approaches me and says, “Don’t you dare ever threaten my grandson again.”

What the whaaat?

Hello?

So the Marty McFly “chicken” button immediately goes off in my brain and I see red. I hate, hate, haaaate someone telling me – much less aggressively – that I have done something I have not. But I told Mad Grandma in no uncertain terms that I did not threaten her grandson, would not say anything to someone else’s kid that I wouldn’t say to my own. That I was protecting my little one from being smacked. That it happened right in front of her. (And where was she? is what I should have said.) And she was all, “You should have come talked to the adult first, he’s only four.” Umm – except a) my kid’s only TWO and b) there were no adults stepping in. Should I have gone around and run a survey as to whose child this was? And where’s the 4-year-old getting the word “threatened,” anyway? That one’s sure not in my own 4-year-old’s vocabulary. I’m just saying.

Reassessing later, had I known which adult was attached with the kid, I certainly would have approached the adult first. Obviously. I can see her point in that respect, although I don’t feel like my actions (protecting my kid in a reasonable manner) were wrong. What bothers me most is the aggressive conversation opener. It could have gone a lot differently if she had just asked what happened. I mean, I know I look like a super-threatening individual who would terrorize a 4-year-old. But still.

Grrr.

Conversation closer: “I don’t appreciate your accusing me of threatening your grandson, and you need to have a talk with him about truth.”

So there. Pbbbt.

Do I really not talk enough anymore about bizarre encounters of the world, as you suggested? I must ponder. I’ll be more mindful about sharing my interpersonal snarktastic moments, I promise.

Bought a new, non-citrusy tablecloth for the kitchen. It’s neutral. This weekend: scraping down the porch railing and repainting! And also possibly the shutters and shhhh… I want to paint the front door red. Don’t tell J.Lo. Black porch railing, black shutters and RED door. Kerpow. But that might wait til another day when he’s not looking.

love to you. happy friday.

pen

5 comments:

almost anonymous said...

Try to get a picture when he comes home to a red door :) Or stage one afterward.

Ugh. No fun in the park. I mean, was there really a good way for it to end when she acted like that. Bad example on her part.

My WF is socypen, which I take as Saucy Pen. In a good way, of course!

ashley said...

Unbelievable the way some parents will go to great lengths to rationalize and/or condone poor behavior on their child's part for the sake of pride.

I think you did the right thing. Poo on Grandma. She's going to wonder in a few years why his behavior is so "misunderstood" in school.

somebody's mom said...

Calls to mind the time I was at the grocery store and there was a boy of about twelve picking dried beans out of a bin and shooting them at his younger sister by pinching them between his fingers. Of course, they were bouncing all over the floor. I spoke to him sharply asking if he was going to pick them up, wasn't he concerned that someone could step on a bean and fall. His mother shortly came over and spoke to me sharply that I wasn't to discipline her children and I said, well then she should supervise them and not them shoot beans everywhere. grumble. ditto, the grandmother being surprised when her little darling is in the principal's office all the time.

~sarah said...

No fun! But fun to read about after. : ) I would've done the same thing. I mean, let's first consider that you, a stranger, were able to chase down this 4 year old and speak to him without the Gramma even noticing. HELLO! As soon as you began to interact with her child she should've been front and center wanting to know what was going on. Her rudeness to you was probably more of a reflection of her own guilt for not paying better attention to the kid in the first place. Even when pride and stupidity get in the way, people still know, deep down, when they aren't taking proper care of their kids.

pen said...

Sigh (of relief). I feel better about this situation. Thanks, all. :)