So today we went into Denton to go to the doctors office to get my bi-monthly allergy shots. Generally the routine is we go in, Isabelle and James settle into the toys in the kids area and then when we get called back I get my shots and Isabelle gets a sucker. Up to this point I think James has been too little to get one too. Following this Isabelle tends to run around the waiting room generally amusing and charming any other patients who happen to be there. They compliment me on how cute she is and ask her questions which she is happy to answer...they then exclaim over how well she speaks and how smart she is and how old is she? Only three? That's amazing! She always is so proud to tell me how she's "not shy of people" anymore and loves talking to them. The type of patients range from other kids to older grandparent types. The worst anyone has ever said to her was that she shouldn't run with her sucker in her mouth as she could choke. She then obligingly takes it out (the same guy says it everytime and we've been there at the same time a lot more than you'd expect) and they tell her how she's a good girl, etc... This admonition is generally given with a chuckle and an amused smile.
So today; we go in and I decide that James is big enough for a sucker as he is gesturing repeatedly towards Isabelle's and babbling (he can't really talk yet). I ask if he wants one and he nods emphatically. I give him a sucker and he walks around eating it going "mmm....mmmm" over and over again. He eats the entire thing as Isabelle alternates between running around visiting with people and reading/looking at books. I am at this point complimenting myself on how I am such a good mom since I let James have a sucker, and allowed Isabelle to wear her underwear all the way to the doctors office. She even went potty in the restroom there.
Anyway, I am sitting down reading a magazine and listening to Isabelle talk/run to ensure she isn't bothering anyone (which has never really happened before to my knowledge so I wasn't too worried about it...as I said most people think she's charming and compliment me on how cute my two kids are). So this older couple has come in (around late 50's maybe) and is sitting down waiting for their turn. I hear the woman tell Isabelle at one point that "running is an outside activity." I roll my eyes and think to myself how she should mind her own business as she isn't her mother. However I tell Isabelle to come over and ask her to finish her sucker so we can go. She agrees and continues to roam the waiting room munching on her sucker. I then hear the gentleman (and I use that term loosely) tell her that she "needs" to "go back over by her mama". I'm a little annoyed at this point since she isn't hurting anything but I again have her come over and tell her we're going to leave and maybe she should start help cleaning up (as they tend to dump the entire basket of blocks as well as all of the kids books on the floor while we're there....the kids area is on the opposite side of the waiting room in a kind of foyer area so this doesn't tend to bother other people). Anyway, Isabelle is over there eating her sucker and I am awkwardly crouching over my huge pregnant belly encouraging my 1 1/2 year old toddler to help pick up (which he's doing quite well), I again ask Isabelle to come and help. Now for those of you who have ever been pregnant you know how uncomfortable and hard it is to bend over and pick anything up, much less lots of things and watch two toddlers at the same time. In most social situations I've been in this has elicited sympathy and unasked for assistance from other people. Not the case here. As I'm in the middle of this the guy gets out of his seat, stalks over to me and demands that I "control my child" with a please added on as an afterthought. Now again Isabelle was not hurting anyone and I am obviously not in a position to go over there and physically restrain her in her chair. She's three years old! She has wiggles!
So my first impulse was to say something to the effect of "control this" and flip him off. Instead I restrained myself and told Isabelle in my firm/mean voice to get over here right now unless she wanted her bum spanked. She ignored me so (under the glaring supervision of the uber evil, child-hating couple) I walked (more like stomped) over to her and she immediately sat down saying something to the effect of "I'll sit here!" I say no, pick her up (again with my huge pregnant belly) and carry her back over to our side and sit her in a chair. I then continue to shove toys/books back where they go with more force than is necessary as she cries, not understanding what she did wrong. I explain to her that some people don't like it when she runs by them and gets in their space. She is crying more now since, as I said usually people think she's cute. The couple walks out and she again asks why they were mad. I am at this point very mad myself and tell her, in a voice loud enough for the nurses to hear, that it's because they're JERKS. This gives me a little satisfaction, but I"m still angry.
I ask you what am I supposed to do to "control my child?" Maybe I should have said "Oh I'm sorry but I seem to have left my duct tape at home" or maybe explained to the gentleman that I didn't see that she was doing anything wrong and how maybe
he was the one with the problem...or just flipped him off and called him a jerk. We've been going to that office several times a month for the past three years and I have never once had anyone say they had a problem with either my children or the manner in which I "control" them. I'm sorry but after driving 45 minutes to get to the stupid clinic I think it's okay to let them move around and get some of the wiggles out. I don't feel the need to restrain them in a chair just on the off chance they may bother somebody. Again the idea that the man would come over to me and say something like that when I'm obviously pregnant and not at my "restraining children" parenting best, crouched over awkwardly on the floor trying to be a good citizen and clean up after my progeny, both of whom are too little to be able to sit in a chair for that long with nothing to do and then demand that I "control my child"? WTF? Stupid jerk. Okay that's all about that.
On a more positive note; James went to nursery for the first time on Sunday (two weeks early, which was very nice of them to allow) and had a great time. Every time we asked if he wanted to go and run around/play with toys/Isabelle/etc..he nodded his head emphatically and tried to go. So by the time nursery came around he was ready. Patrick took him (as they tend to cry if I leave them somewhere and not so much if he does) and he reported that he took off running down the hall to get there, went right in and headed straight for the toys without looking back once. Patrick explained where he'd be and made sure Isabelle would "watch" him (though I don't know how helpful she was) and left. The nursery leader reported that he did really well and Isabelle said he didn't cry once even when one of the other kids "ran him over." She said he ate all of his snack and that they had fun playing. Also Isabelle wore her underwear all day to church on Sunday without any accidents. Patrick warned the teacher she was wearing underwear and was surprised when she then explained that Isabelle has been asking to go potty for weeks and they've been taking her with no problems. Who knew? I took her to go before nursery and after and she went just fine. So now if she can just manage to poop in the potty I'll call this a potty training success....of course she only poops in her diaper every 3-4 days so who knows when that will happen....
(Pardon my big belly getting in the shot) As you can see there was nothing really "wrong" with the room, it was just very, very dark. My grandpa's house had dark wood paneling everywhere and a dark kitchen floor and I always thought it was very depressing, so I was trying to lighten up the room. It's kind of sad because the panel is kind of warm and pretty when it's cleaned, if you like that sort of thing. Oh well.
This is where you say "What in the world are you doing painting when you're that pregnant?" and I answer "well obviously I am insane."
So they have way more light than we do, but our window looks out onto a covered porch, so there's not much light in there anyway. What do you think? Remember we are planning to replace the floor with something a lot closer to white than that ugly brown and yellow stuff they have down now...I think that will help alot.
