Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Don't Bring Me Down

So in addition to being the song of the week, this song by E.L.O. also happens to be today's title.


I don't know if it's all the hurricanes/tornados/tropical storms or WHAT... but people have been really expressive towards me. could it be that the weather's pressure systems have a direct effect on the population of Charlotte and beyond????


For example... the other day... I was in the pool with Rhena.. doing our happy-happy-squeal-holy-shit-mom-this-is-the-best-thing-EVER thing... really just minding our own business. We were good community people and said hello to folks and made some idle chit-chat. we splashed, we kicked, we floated.... all the stuff we used to do in swim class.

one of the things we also did in swim class was dunk Rhena under the water. it's harmless, and the teacher says it helps the children learn from the beginning that going under really quick doesn't have to be a scary thing.

so... not one to break tradition... I popped the pooper under a few times. One of the times I dunked her, a mom was very near by. we had been talking about the weather.. I had been admiring her 3 year old's awesome jumping ability (HOORAY FOR SO-AND-SO!!) well, while she was doting on her two children, I did the deed. it had been about a half hour since the last dunking, and her head was hot, so.. eh... why not.


The other mom turned white. for the first minute, she was speechless, grasping her chest and mouth all agape. Mind you... Rhena was FINE (F-I-N-E .....FIIIIIIIIINE... not crying.... FINE!!!!) I, of course, said hooray for my pooper, and clapped and told her how proud I was of her and hugged her and told her she did GREAT! but when I was done congratulating Rhena... I see this mom just shaking her head; starting to stutter.


Assuming she was needing some response from me... I told her that Rhena goes under the water all the time, because it was something she learned in swim class, and my husband and I want to keep reinforcing those lessons.


Concerned Mom kept shaking her head (still fucking clasping her chest, would you just knock it off already, lady???) and said... "Well, I... I... I just TURNED around, and then.. you... you... well, it was just this big SHOCK!!! .... I mean... there she was,... all happy, and then... well, then... you.... PUT HER UNDER!!!!"


While I was wiping some excess water from Rhena's face, silently counting to ten as my brain screamed "really?? no shit?? I mean, is... is.... is THAT WHAT HAPPENED????"... anyways, when I looked up, Concerned Mom had taken her two children and went to the other side of the pool.

Like I was going to make her children go under the water or something.


I dunno.... I mean... I agree that WATER should be respected. I myself don't particularly care for going in the ocean, and personally HATE lakes that have plants and dead bodies and things that grab your ankles and pull you under and stuff. Ok... so maybe I'm a *teeny* bit irrational when it comes to the ocean and the whole dead-bodies in the lake thing... but I can swim, and I don't become paralyzed with fear if I find myself in either one of them. Granted... the mental anguish BEFORE going in to either body of water is unspeakable... but this is about Rhena.. not me.


my point. Water should be respected.... not feared, though. I say respected, because one should always be cognizant of safety in the water... after all.. we're humans... we breathe AIR... not water.


I don't want Rhena thinking she can just jump in a pool without anyone around, but I certainly don't want her fearing the water, either.

But to gasp and stutter and then leave without saying another word???? I mean, c'mon... she was barely under for a full second. Where's all those nature-loving-gonna-have-my-baby-in-a-tub-cause-it's-less-traumatic-moms when I need them???

Anyways... I guess it just pisses me off that Troy and I decided several months ago the approach to water that we were going to take, and we're doing it. While this lady may not have agree with the methods of our practice... who is she to question... ESPECIALLY when my child wasn't even CRYING?????? Sure, the pooper had her usual shocked-what-the-who-the-why-the-heck look on her face... but once she got her hoorays from her momma, she was all smiles again.


oh well... I guess it's good that she showed concern. it's nice to know that I live in a community that has people that are against torturing children. But when all is said and done... she picked the wrong time, and the wrong momma to freak out with.

11 comments:

The Life of Bill said...

How DARE you cool off your own child by putting her head underwater? And to make her think that she should enjoy such a horrible-HORRIBLE experience-I cannot believe that you would do such a thing! What's next...quenching her thirst with a cool frosty glass of the stuff???

Porq said...

Give that other Mom a finger!!

Case closed!!

Good job Kid, and yer mama is looking forward to the trip towards the end of the month!!

OINK

Susie said...

Ah. The drive-by mom. Hits you and leaves. Bizatch. Can't these women get it that we are in this together? Friggin critical asswipe. One of the blogs I read has a good post about going off on the Playground Moms. http://65.254.88.134/archives/000261.html
You've got a happy baby! Tell that Other Mom to bite it next time.

Nick said...

You can go under the water and live? Really? And here I thought all those Olympic Divers were just masochists looking for cheap thrills.
What kind of world do we live in when you can't be paralyzed with fear when interacting with the most abundant natural resource on the planet.

Book Bums said...

You're a very good Mom! I don't even "know" you and I know THAT much about you...

Teaching a child to swim and not to be afraid of water (but still be SAFE) can save their life in the future...you did the right thing!

Melissa said...

Damn! It's not like you threw her and made her dog-paddle back. What a bitch. Who needs her.
And I agree...give her the finger.

Marie said...

Oh, some people just need to get a GRIP (and mind their own business sometimes)! You and your little one are happily and safely going about your business having a perfectly enjoyable time. Rhena was fine. I like what you wrote about wanting Rhena to respect water but not fear it.

Unknown said...

I'd go with the finger. It's short and sweet, and if you're lucky, her kids will pick it up from you and she'll have to spend the next three weeks trying to get them to stop doing it. Sweet revenge.

Marianna said...

What the EFF! Can you say IRRATIONAL?!

I say we vote next week for giving or not giving her the finger. I vote yes, give her the finger.

Ignorance... people just have no common sense.

M~

CheekyMoo said...

I dunno, I put Max under all the time and he loved it. Wait...Max may not be a good example.

When Max was one he'd kick his little one year old legs that couldn't walk yet but could swim about 5 feet under the water. He started lessons at 8 weeks and swam like a fish by 1.

That mom was crazy. I'd have dunked her kids on principle. Ok maybe not.

My song of the day is KISS but I like yours better. :-) Kiss Rhena that has skills for me. She rocks!

Me said...

I say what the f***ever. Since when is your parenting anyone else's business. I hate it when people think that their opinions matter to you. Screw 'em...and her.

You just go about doing what you're doing. Rhena's happy, you're happy, forget the rest. You're a great mom!!