It’s easy for me to rant and rave about the bad and the ugly things people say to me and forget about all the good. Here are a few conversational snippets from this past week:
We’re at the schoolyard, and Theo spots a woman with three dogs, two large and one smaller blind dog. He runs top-speed yelping and laughing loudly and bounds around with the dogs for about 20 minutes. At one point, he just lies down in the grass staring at the sky. The woman looks are with wonder and says, “He is the most amazing boy I’ve ever met. He’s got a real personality on him. You know, he will be famous one day.”
He's going to be famous one day, really, he is
The sun sparkles over the grass blades at the schoolyard (yes we spend a lot of time there!), as Mark and I chat lazily with a neighbour. Theo is tussling with the dog and finally pulls the Frisbee from his mouth, winds up and lets loose a perfect throw that sails about 20 feet. The neighbour says, “Wow, he can really throw!”
A South Asian woman in traditional wear crosses the school yard while Theo is pushing a plastic car around the gravel. I’m talking about race with my friend who’s commenting that “other races can be racist too.” Her two unruly dogs jump up all over the poor woman. My friend apologizes for her dogs, and the woman says in a rich sub-continental accent, “Oh, actually I didn’t even notice the dogs, I was just thinking how beautiful [looking at me] your son is.”
I’m at StrongStart (a free, play-based early learning initiative in BC) with about 30 Filipino and Asian women and children, and the group leader asks how many of us are nannies. I pipe in unnecessarily just to be clear that “I’m NOT his nanny just so you know.” And she says, “Oh no, I can tell you’re his mother.”
Now’s the time to brag about the amazing things people say about your kiddos, right here, right now!
This is my favoritest post of yours yet (grammar I know) !!
I’m not a skinbaby parent, but the best thing I heard about my dogs (who, because of their black fur and scary size, get a lot of hateful, fearful comments and very few approaches) was from this old guy who knelt down, grabbed their faces and said, “How’d that lady get to be so lucky? Twice too! I hope you remind her every day of how lucky she is to have you two to love her.”
Aw. And you loooooove your dogs too
But I do feel the same way, all the time. We are the lucky ones.
So I just got a text today telling me that so and so had lunch with so and so who mentioned that my #1 son was an amazing athlete! This from one season of basketball! Kindergarten sports today, Olympics tomorrow.
Love the “what dogs– I am admiring your son” moment.
He he… seriously, she the childless dog-lover admiring my son at his most random! Life is funny.
Here’s to your one-day-famous, far-throwing, obviously-yours, beautiful son!
We get a lo of comment on Lilah’s lips and eyes, neither of which I can take any credit for!
Lilah is a force no doubt about it! She’s ahead of her time and then some! And those lips…
i love the term skinbaby your friend noted : )
we got so many ‘he’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen’ that i began to wonder if people had ever seen a baby before – we just smiled & nodded – as I’m sure you all have. then we accepted that he was darn cute!
our daycare mom says he is a gifted artist (repeatedly) – we just smile & nod : ) & enrolled him in Arts classes…
ps
i can’t believe people say bad things to you. theo is amazing – even from a distance…
I’m not surprised he’s a GIFTED ARTIST, look at his mama! And, oh yes, adorable
nice post. theo is an amazing baby and now toddler to watch grow. he’s got such an great personality and energy about him.
the greatest comment that i get is when wes comes to my work with chloe and she runs a muck through the store, all my coworkers tell me that they saw my daughter and husband. apart from saying “ohh how cute she is”… they usually comment what a good job wes is doing! and that’s what make me super happy.
have a nice long weekend!
LOL – That Wes, he’s a keeper. And Chloe is not only a fashionista but knows how to steal the show (remember the couch photo!)
Usually people comment on what a stoic, serious personality Ari has. But there were two awesome nurses in the hospital who adored him. One laughed aloud when Ari asked me “Are you pumping mama?” with regard to using my breast pump. She said jewfro was hysterically funny. She even shared a Krispy Kreme donut with him. The other nurse just kept saying how cute he was every time he walked by, and that he reminded her of a character from a movie. We couldn’t figure out which one, though.
Okay, I didn’t mean to type “jewfro ” that should have said “he was hysterically funny.” My phone did that!
I don’t have anything but this is a really sweet post!
This is not a bragging about my children day – as much as I love them. Nice to hear the good bits others say to you. The comment from the StrongStart woman was interesting. I wonder how you can tell the parents from the nannies. Is there more involvement from the parent I wonder? A touch of exasperation in the voice, a beaming of pride in the eyes? It would be interesting to observe groups of parents/caregivers and see if I could pick them out as well.
I will totally brag and tell you that Hannah’s teacher told me she’s the most mature kid in her class. Knowing that she can function in school sees me through some of the tough times at home, let me tell you.
I don’t have anything to brag on, but I’m going to remember this post when Theo does become famous.
Those comments must have felt wonderful! He’s a special boy.