I have always maintained that – while it can be a little cumbersome – I generally don’t mind people ooh’ing and goo’ing over my sweet baby girls when we’re in public. As long as you don’t try to touch my sweet baby girls…in which case I will go Ninja on you…I fully understand they are completely irresistible.
Even the usual “double trouble”-type comments, I try to savor to some degree…as I know they won’t last forever.
Since the girls have gotten a little older, though, I’ve started to get much more sensitive to what people actually say.
I don’t want random strangers, well-meaning as they may be, to plant a seed in my girls’ heads that they’re trouble…that they’re a handful…that one is smarter / prettier / more outgoing than the other.
At the grocery store a couple of days ago, we kept running into the same older couple.
The lady was polite, but ultimately she was focused on her shopping. Hmmm…I would like to focus on my shopping as well. The man, though, seemed just along for the ride. He was not interested in matching coupons to brands of oatmeal. It was obvious he was looking for diversions.
Aisle 8
Oh, look, how sweet! Are they twins?
Yes, ma’am! Say, ‘Good morning,’ girls!
B: Good morning!
Double trouble!
Double blessings!
Aisle 6
Hm. Brown eyes and blue eyes. How’d you do that?
Smile sweetly. [Via special order at the Buy One, Get One Free store.]
Aisle 5
How are you girls today?
B: Good.
Brown eyes must not be able to talk.
Oh, she’s a talker. She’s just taking it all in this morning. [And she apparently thinks you’re creepy.]
Aisle 3
You’ve got your hands full driving that limo (referring to my double stroller, behind which I was pulling a full cart).
Yes, sir! I just try not to run over too many toes. [But I could run you down and mow you over, dude.]
In Front of the Bananas
So who’s older?
B: Sissy!
Smile slightly. [Seriously? Are you following us? Or do you just happen to have the exact same grocery list as I do? I could call security, ya know?]
In Front of the Grapes
Who’s the boss? (To B) You’re not going to let your little sister be the boss, are you?
B: Mommy’s the boss!
Good answer, Baby Girl! Tell this nice man to have a good day.
A and B: Have a good day!
[Whew! Made it to the check-out! And no one's following us!]
That’s the thing about the grocery store…I’m there for a reason, and I’m working my way through my list. Oh, and I happen to be on a schedule, too. It’s not like I want to haul my refrigerated items (and my two children…who might eventually like to eat lunch!) over to the sporting goods section to kill some time to allow these folks to get out of my hair.
I know people are well-meaning. And I want my girls to appreciate idle chit-chat with folks in public. But I sometimes wish I could request people think before they speak.
Or maybe I should wear a Ninja outfit???
Ticker
15 comments:
I tend to give people the death glare if they reach their hands towards the boys, lol. And that definitely sounded like a stalking experience. I know they are making what they deem 'appropriate' small talk, and it serves as good teaching moments for our kids, but my they are exhausting! Nice job at not telling the guy he was a creeper, I might have lost it by that last interaction!
Was this ALL in one shopping trip?? My goodness. I feel the same way -- it's ok to comment, appropriately. Sometimes it seems like people just leave their tact at the door. I would imagine as the girls get older and pick up on more of what is said .. it's important to screen the comments. It's almost to the point we need to wear a sign -- "sweet, kind and helpful comments only". Have a good day Mandey!
I am still laughing over the act that you said "ninja"!!
Sounds like you had quite the trip! We get the same ( maybe not all in the same trip)!
I have many of the same responses... Just never thought of going ninja before ;-)
In many of our experiences, it has been the older men that are the worst! They don't know when to drop it and move on. I get that they are probably just bored because their wives have dragged them along...but geez! : )
i've been known to go to GREAT lengths to avoid speaking to people like this. after the first two aisles i would have ditched the cart and decided to come back to it later. lol.
you do a great job at this, btw. :) must be the southern lady in you!
I vote ninja suit! Js.
Is it horrible that I can just abruptly turn and walk away from people? I usually say no more that a quick, YEP! and move on about my business. I'm rude. But it saves me the unnecessary interruption and allows me to focus on Em who is usually adding thing to my basket!
I too get impatient when the chit chat moves past just one intrusive comment. And it bothers me when people give me a look when I seem too impatient with them. Like we are there for their entertainment or something. I once had a woman ask if she could hug our girls. Seriously? Sometimes I feel like wearing a sign, yes they are twins and yes they are DIFFERENT. It happens.
You are SOOO polite! I love all the "sir" and "ma'am".
I would have been a little more straightforward :)
BTW< how far is Concord, North Carolina from you? I will very possibly be there in July!
No mucking around. Go the ninja! X
Sheesh! A lil too friendly, huh?
Way to go B for saying Mommy's the boss! :-)
Now that my 2 are older and have such a size difference between them, I don't get as many twin comments any more...especially if I have all 3 kids with me = I think people just assume that they are 'stair steps' and don't notice that J&S are twins. When I just have J&S with me though, I do sometimes but honestly, more often, someone will ask how old they each are and are surprised when I say they are twins.
Kind of a relief when I think back to some of those crazy questions!
I vote for a ninja outfit! Maybe even a ninja turtle! lol ;)
This sounds similar to my post below, I hate the people who see the double stroller and you struggling with a cart too and think it fun to stop and talk to you.
http://alextracieandtheweeones.blogspot.com/2011/07/life-with-twins-in-nut-shell.html
You make me giggle. I think you'd look super cute in a ninja outfit. I wonder if they make 'Bama ninja outfits??? :)
Oh I simply hate the twin comments - the worst one being " I always wanted twins, it must be so great to raise twins" What? You never had kids? Certainly other wise you have Alzheimer's and have forgotten how tough it is to raise one at a time not to mention two
I vote matching ninja outfits for all of you. Would you talk to a woman who dressed her kids as ninjas? I sure wouldn't!
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