Wednesday, July 7, 2010

What a weird day...

It started out to be a seemingly innocent day fraught with lots of noise and chaos that can only be expected with a household of 7 children.

Did I mention my daughter is visiting with all my lovely grandchildren?  Ironically, they did not contribute the weirdacity of the day.  Oh yes!  I did make that word up and find I am rather attached to it and I might...use it several more times in this post, so there you have it.

We ate breakfast and lunch, then headed out to the pool to wear out all these bodies in hopes of an early night for all of them.....errrrr...us adults.  After 2-1/2 energy busting swimming, we were closing in on rounding up the kids and then off for dinner, baths and bed.  Sounds like a recipe for peace, doesn't it?

Never stay at the pool after 4 p.m.  Nothing good will ever come of it.  I promise you!

As I am sitting, chatting with a friend from church, Miss Boo comes up to me crying.  You know the kind of crying that comes from being truly hurt emotionally.  I couldn't understand her, but when I finally got it out of her, the story goes as follows:

That lady told me I can't swim... that I don't know how to so I can't go on the slide anymore.

What?  Who?  You know how to swim that's why I let you go down the slide by yourself.

She says I don't know how to swim and can't go to the deep end or the slide by myself.

Oh really.  Let's see about that.

That Lady was the life guard that just came on duty, maybe 16, 17 or so and full of attitude.  I usually don't get bent out of shape, but I got all of my buttons pushed.  As follows:

Can you explain to me what you said to my little girl?

She isn't a good enough swimmer to go down the slide?

What?

She shouldn't have a green band on?

How do you know if she should have a green band on?  She has been going down the slide for the past two hours all by herself and I haven't been catching her and she swims out of the way without problem?

She has to have a red band on.

WHY?

She doesn't know how to swim.

Are you kidding me?  What do you know about her swimming abilities?

Has she taken the swim test?

Have all these children taken a swim test in this pool?  How do you know that they have passed a test and can wear a green band?

Your daughter has to take the test or she can't wear the green band and go down the slide.

I know at least two other children (my granddaughters) that have green bands on that haven't taken a test.

Doesn't matter!  She can't go down the slide by herself.

FINE!  I will get in the pool and catch her.

You can't.  It's against the rules.  She has to have a red band on and can't be on the slide.

NOW you're lying to me!  She has been swimming for two hours by herself and I am going to let her go down the slide.

I am going to get my Manager.

I start clapping and say, "finally something that makes sense".

She doesn't like me much and I feel the same about her.

The manager comes and we go through the whole thing and she admits that the rule of not being able to go down the slide with a parent waiting to catch is bunk.  She says I can be in the pool with Miss Boo.  I then question her about the bands and what they heck is going on and why is she being singled out.  Come to find out it was because she wears the blue band around her waist because she is a little freaked out by the current when she comes off the slide and doesn't want to end up in the swim lanes.  They consider the blue band a non swimmer.

For pete's sake, give me a break.  We decided to just go home and come back with the lifeguards that know us around noon.

Just so you know.  I was hopped up on MAD.  Such an adrenaline rush.

Got the kids packed up and Nyoka heads out in front of me.  I am bending down to pick up a bag and when I stand up a lady is right by me.  She says, 'I hear you had a confrontation".  I figure she just wants to know about the thing with the lifeguard so I say yes.  She then launches into me about attacking her daughter.  I'm like, Who are you? And, what are you talking about?  Is your daughter the lifeguard?  She goes on saying I didn't have a right to yell at her daughter, who is 11.  Confused I ask if the lifeguard is 11.  What the heck?!?  I tell her I have no idea what she is talking about.  She says her daughter was accused of pushing my daughter down the pool and my daughter got her arm hurt.  I tell her I am pretty sure I would know if my little girl's arm got hurt, besides she was a blond six year old.  She then starts to lecture me on letting my daughter go down the slide.

I feel as if I am in some "gotcha" reality show at this point.  She won't stop ripping me for some supposed yelling at her child.  I would never yell at a child... that wasn't mine anyways.  I tell her I am sorry for her situation but it wasn't me.  She says if she finds out it was me...

What are you going to do I say?

Weirdacity.

Seriously!

The worst part is she was following me out.  I asked her if she was quite finished already because my children were already outside the building.

At least the chinese food I had with Nyoka was divine and we were able to "laugh" about the "fights" of Mom.  Love her.  I am now calm that I have gotten this off my chest.

Thank you for listening... reading.

4 comments:

Shannon said...

Poor Miss Boo... I had a similar experience with a mom running the elementary school talent show a few years ago. To quote the famous bumper sticker, "mean people suck!"
People are WEIRD. Chinese food and laughing with someone you love - AWESOME. :)

Anonymous said...

Hey you forgot the part where I had to come down and post a bond to get you released.
-Mr. Finn

Tamaratravel said...

Wow..it's going to take you a couple of days to calm down..I would be screaming by now..All I can say is "Vicodin".

Anonymous said...

OMGosh!!! What a bunch of freakin psycho's! At least you stood your ground and fought them!!! Way to go you AMAZING Mom you!!! :)