Wednesday, September 24, 2008


I’m sorry, I’m dumb.

To the poor woman at the park the other day, I must apologize for making you so insecure about your 3 ½ year old. She is lovely and she is right on track and you shouldn’t be comparing her to my brilliant Edie.

The background….

I was at the park the other day with Grace and Edie and they were talking away, climbing the play structure, and just being lovely. Another mom happened upon us who had her daughter with her, and, as park parents do, we got to talking. I asked her how old her little girl was and she said 3 ½. She then asked me how old mine are and I told her 6/12 and……2 ½. . She expressed shock at Edie’s development. Edie was bigger than her daughter, more articulate, and more agile on the play structure. She simply could not believe that Edie was a full year younger than her daughter, and kept telling me so I said something lame like all kids develop differently bleah bleah bleah, (but off course was BEAMING inside that someone acknowledged Edie’s exceptional-ness). The poor woman actually sort of looked she might book an appointment with her daughter’s pediatrician to see why the hell she was so delayed….in everything.

It wasn’t until bed time that night when I was rethinking the encounter with this woman that I realized I had told her a lie. Edie is not 2 ½, she is 3 ½. I lost a whole year somewhere. How pathetic is that?

So I’m sorry nice lady, maybe Edie and your daughter could play one day. I promise to encourage age-appropriate activities.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Har har har. So, will you do or say anything if you ever see this woman in the park again??

Chantal said...

As I read that I thought to myself "Wait. Is Edie really only 2.5? I thought she was 3?"

I've been saying my oldest is in Grade 6 for weeks. She's in Grade 7 and NOT impressed!

~*Jobthingy*~ said...

LOL its going to be fun trying to tell her that you lost a year if you do see her again

Meanie said...

xup - yes, i mean, you should have seen her face, she looked seriously disturbed, i have to set her straight, even though it will make me look like the flakiest person alive!

jobthingey - yeah, should stir up some good park gossip about what an absent-minded mother i am!

chantal - ha! i knew i wasn't the only one who loses track of her kids....however, you have an excuse, you have four to keep in line :)

Mar said...

Hi! Found you off Bread Crumbs in the butter and stopped by. I totally know how you feel about the park encounter.

We were at the experimental farm the other day and this kid sneezes while up on the play structure and the mom is all "honey do you have a tissue," and he didn't so I offered her one of mine. She gladly took it and commented on how "prepared" I am. I said, "well when you have two kids you have no choice but to be prepared!" Right after i said that I noticed the small baby she was holding on her hip, and the one on the structure. I felt so bad. Like a snooty mom.

So, sorry to the lady at the experimental farm :)

I will check bad to read again!

mamatulip said...

LMAO!! I did something similar recently...I'm so glad to know there's someone else out there who, as my mother calls it, "skips chapters" once and a while.

alison said...

I've been known to count on my fingers when someone asks how old Leah is. And I gave my dad an extra decade the other day when I told someone about visiting him for his 80th birthday when it was his 70th birthday, so don't feel bad.

And if I can share a friend's story, the first time she took her older son and newborn to the park after the baby's birth, all the other moms in the park crowded around to see the newcomer. My friend was tired and hormonal from looking after a toddler and a newborn. One of the mommies asked her what the baby's name was, and all my friend could think inside her head was 'something that begins with C, something that begins with C, what was it again?'. She did remember, but it took a minute.

Anonymous said...

new here & loving it. so glad i'm not the only one. my daughter once said, "mom, you don't even know how old i am!" *pout*

Meg said...

Oh to be a fly on the wall when you run into her at the park again.

I've lost years off my kids ages before. Shame I cant shave a couple years off MY age.