Apparently Lydia’s behavior in public is so bad that strangers feel it is ok to suggest I spank her.
Just your typical Lydia behavior in the grocery store. Refuses to sit in the cart, screams, and trantrums, today she wanted to sit in the basket part of the cart, but I was putting food in there..she wouldn’t sit in the seat, and after I wouldn’t put her in the basket, she just refused to move. Allison was carrying her for a bit, and I was trying to carry her while I pushed the cart and shopped, but she didn’t want to be carried either. Just wanted in that basket, and was screaming and tantruming….which is pretty common behavior for her when we are out in public (people laugh when I say that I don’t take her in public often – I only take her to the store for small shopping trips, I save the big ones for when Eric is home with her) – actually common behavior here at home too, but at home it is easier to ignore….anyway this one lady caught my eye, gave me this disapproving look, and then in large emphasized hand gestures, mimed a spanking being issued! My mouth dropped open, my eyes widened in shock and I vehemently shook my head NO and rushed away! I was (and am) still in shock! Eric asked if I met up with her later in the parking lot to give her a peice of my mind (and perhaps show her what a spanking felt like, lol) – I’m still kicking myself for being shocked into silence and I wished I had come up with SOMETHING to say….but I am sure my face conveyed a lot. I am used to the disapproving looks, although mostly I get amused glances…looks that seem to say, “thank goodness it isn’t me” and sympathy.
But it was SO much fun (maybe because of the wine, huh?). After the meeting broke up around 11, three of us sat in the driveway chatting.. I didn’t get home until after 12:30! The topic of the evening was largely on birth (oh, we should have discussed the book?? hmm…that’s odd!), as the host is 7 months pregnant with her first child. Odd how you get 12 women in a room, and if one is pregnant, the other 11 feel the need to share their stories and advice. This poor woman sat there like a deer in the headlights. “You MUST get the epideral” was quickly followed by 3 or 4 epidural horror stories. “Big babies MUST result in a c-section” was quickly followed with stories about 13lb babies being born naturally with no tearing. It was really quite comical to be honest. But this poor poor woman. And it was a bit discouraging how FREAKISH the three of us who had natural childbirths were made to feel…”You did WHAT? OMG, WHY?????” Of course I was the only one who had had 2 of her babies at home in a horse trough. TRUMP!