~ SPA KIDS SMACK-DOWN AT THE DOLLAR STORE: Springer Style - Film at 11 ~
You read that correctly. MY girls- at The Dollar Store - for an uber quick errand. There was a crowd in line and they all watched and commented.
We stopped for a total of 20 minutes. I didn't find all that I needed and was prepping to pay. I told the girls to "put the toy cameras down - I told you we weren't buying them today and you've known that the whole time." They did know. They DID understand. Mommy wasn't going to add to the heaps of misc. and useless junk in our home buy buying small, talking toy candy cameras. One of Disney Princesses that told the shooter she was 'as pretty as a princess'. . . and the one Rosebud liked which was one of the generic and obnoxious Power Rangers repeating " Power Up " every time the button was pressed. Apparently they will filled some saccharin-filled candy that would make them see a conga line of care bears.
They understood. They asked if they could carry them and just play with them until we checked out. This tactic has worked in the past - and well - so I agreed.
All was fine until I was paying the clerk - a mesmerizingly handsome mountain of a black man who I swear was that guy from The Green Mile. His personality was as sparkling as his smile. The girls were off to the right behind the long line of other customers - about 7 in all and two other WELL BEHAVED children. Seriously - one little girl not only had her own purse, but was carrying stuff for her mother! ! *pauses and day dreams of her daughters behaving well together just once.*
What began as "I don't want to put the toy camera down and go home" evolved into big sister putting hers down and getting angry when little sister did not. That evolved into pushing. Which evolved into "full body shoving" and angry words.
The line of people between me and my girls was full of older and middle aged women of color, a few men and some teens. ALL of those in line had colorful things to say. . . ranging from "Oh no she didn't!" to "Oh-my-G*d - did you see that ?" The rest were chuckling as these two little white girls start throwing down in front of a the cellophane packages of cookies.
The final smackdown was when Sweetpea shoved Rosebud and little Rosebud shoved back so hard that Sweetpea fell into the display of cellophaned cookies and packages went flying. That's when I was done and made the crowd part so I could retrieve my children from the killing circle. It was like walking a gauntlet of protestors just to get out the door to the parking lot. Lots of chuckles, comments and thoughts muttered under the breath.
As we made it to the door - my Sweetpea - my SHY and RESERVED one now well aware of the attention they were getting, slightly turned to look at the crowd we were passing through and CHOSE to say in her loudest indoor voice: " You never buy me anything! You're boring!" I was flabbergasted! Not because she said what she did - she says things like that whenever she gets angry with me. I was because I saw on her face - the awareness of the crowd of people and then MADE THE CHOICE to make a scene with her words. This, from the child who won't speak when put on the spot or will even be shy w/members of the family she knows well.
I heard the crowd giggle when she "insulted" me with that comment and as I grabbed her arm and directed through the crowd and out the door - I responded with my stock reply to that stock insult: "Yes, that's right - I never do - that's my job - I'm your Mother."
In the end, I was not upstaged by my daughter completely. The crowd chuckled again and I heard an elderly black woman say "Mm hmm. . . . I heard that . . . . !"
The show was over and by the time we got to the van I was in shock at what happened.
I was half amused and half angered. But at least they didn't go total Springer. . . no chairs were thrown and no clothing was removed. Thank G*D for small things. . . .
We stopped for a total of 20 minutes. I didn't find all that I needed and was prepping to pay. I told the girls to "put the toy cameras down - I told you we weren't buying them today and you've known that the whole time." They did know. They DID understand. Mommy wasn't going to add to the heaps of misc. and useless junk in our home buy buying small, talking toy candy cameras. One of Disney Princesses that told the shooter she was 'as pretty as a princess'. . . and the one Rosebud liked which was one of the generic and obnoxious Power Rangers repeating " Power Up " every time the button was pressed. Apparently they will filled some saccharin-filled candy that would make them see a conga line of care bears.
They understood. They asked if they could carry them and just play with them until we checked out. This tactic has worked in the past - and well - so I agreed.
All was fine until I was paying the clerk - a mesmerizingly handsome mountain of a black man who I swear was that guy from The Green Mile. His personality was as sparkling as his smile. The girls were off to the right behind the long line of other customers - about 7 in all and two other WELL BEHAVED children. Seriously - one little girl not only had her own purse, but was carrying stuff for her mother! ! *pauses and day dreams of her daughters behaving well together just once.*
What began as "I don't want to put the toy camera down and go home" evolved into big sister putting hers down and getting angry when little sister did not. That evolved into pushing. Which evolved into "full body shoving" and angry words.
The line of people between me and my girls was full of older and middle aged women of color, a few men and some teens. ALL of those in line had colorful things to say. . . ranging from "Oh no she didn't!" to "Oh-my-G*d - did you see that ?" The rest were chuckling as these two little white girls start throwing down in front of a the cellophane packages of cookies.
The final smackdown was when Sweetpea shoved Rosebud and little Rosebud shoved back so hard that Sweetpea fell into the display of cellophaned cookies and packages went flying. That's when I was done and made the crowd part so I could retrieve my children from the killing circle. It was like walking a gauntlet of protestors just to get out the door to the parking lot. Lots of chuckles, comments and thoughts muttered under the breath.
As we made it to the door - my Sweetpea - my SHY and RESERVED one now well aware of the attention they were getting, slightly turned to look at the crowd we were passing through and CHOSE to say in her loudest indoor voice: " You never buy me anything! You're boring!" I was flabbergasted! Not because she said what she did - she says things like that whenever she gets angry with me. I was because I saw on her face - the awareness of the crowd of people and then MADE THE CHOICE to make a scene with her words. This, from the child who won't speak when put on the spot or will even be shy w/members of the family she knows well.
I heard the crowd giggle when she "insulted" me with that comment and as I grabbed her arm and directed through the crowd and out the door - I responded with my stock reply to that stock insult: "Yes, that's right - I never do - that's my job - I'm your Mother."
In the end, I was not upstaged by my daughter completely. The crowd chuckled again and I heard an elderly black woman say "Mm hmm. . . . I heard that . . . . !"
The show was over and by the time we got to the van I was in shock at what happened.
I was half amused and half angered. But at least they didn't go total Springer. . . no chairs were thrown and no clothing was removed. Thank G*D for small things. . . .