I apologize --I didn't proofread before publishing! So, please forgive any mistakes...thanks...
*Hubby left by 6:15AM. The London people are here (his clients) and so he'll be working crazy hours all week. That's okay with me! At least he isn't actually IN England.
*I was so tired, I slept until almost 8AM. Luckily, my daughters always get themselves ready for school anyway.
*After sending the girls off to school, I finished getting the boys ready for the day, showered, and remembered to wear green.
*I dropped off #3 at preschool, returned home, finished the make-up, hair, etc. and #4 and I headed to my midwife appointment.
And that's where something happened (and I need your opinion):
The waiting room just has some of those shape-bead-slider-wood things. You know what I mean? I can't remember what they're called. Anyway, #4 found a tiny little plastic dinosaur on the ground. He continued to love it and want it as the appointment went on. When the appt. was over, I asked the receptionist lady if they had dinosaur toys in the office and she said "No, it was probably dropped here by another child --but nobody has asked or called about it" and then I said "Well, if we take it home, someone will probably call about it, right?" hoping for a chuckle. I got nothin'.
Then I noticed a couple in the waiting area looking at me like I was INSANE.
Whatever.
So, I let #4 take it. I didn't make him leave it. As we walked to the car, I realized the crusty stare from the couple in the waiting area had continued as I left the office, and I thought "Should I have left the dinosaur on the floor?" I mean, if my kid lost his tiny plastic dinosaur on the ground between HERE and THERE and I didn't know where it was, you'd better believe I wouldn't be calling around looking for it.
It's like 10 cm or something.
So, dear reader, was I wrong? Should I have left the toy? Or does it fall into that gray area of "whatever"? Did I miss out on an opportunity to teach my 2 year old on returning things to...the floor? Was the crusty-looks by the on-lookers justified? Because as much as I'm trying to not worry about it, I am worrying about it.
*After getting home from the midwife appt, I proceeded to weed for 30 minutes. On Saturday, during my clean-the-yard-like-crazy, I discovered that in one of our flower beds in our front yard, my bulbs are coming up! I planted these tulip bulbs almost 5 years ago. Whoo-hoo! But the grass has grown like crazy over them, and they are getting choked out. So, I weeded a lot, but it takes time. Today, I think I might have hit the half-way mark...
*Then #4 and I went to pick up #3 and I ended up finding him throwing a royal fit --sobbing, really --at his teacher's house (she teaches out of her home). Here's the story:
He found some silver key on Saturday in our yard that we didn't recognize, so he claimed it. He has taken it EVERYWHERE and lost it twice already. This morning, I told him he could NOT take it to preschool because he might lose it.
The punk took it anyway.
He was sobbing because during outside playtime, he had lost it and it was now time to go home. So, upset with him (so disappointed he would lie to me and take it with him all secretly), we went back to the yard and searched for it. Luckily, I found it fairly quickly. But I put it in my back pocket and told him he couldn't play with it for the rest of the day.
The sobbing intensified.
We then talked about WHY I told him not to take the key --because I knew he would lose it. And he did.
Sigh...
*We came home and I started laundry (well, the laundry I didn't finish yesterday).
*Now I have to pick up the Kindergarten carpool in about 5 minutes.
*The bright side? My sister is coming for lunch and should be here soon.
But HOLY COW! It's not even Noon! And I still have some housework (daily stuff) and piano lessons. And dinner. And my Neighborhood Newsletter to finish and get sent out to my publisher.
How's your day goin'? Oh, and would you have given me the Crusty Looks?
22 comments:
I wouldn't worry about the crusty stares. You sound crazy busy -- I hope you get to relax during lunch with your sister! Enjoy!
I'm probably going to have the unpopular opinion, but I would have made my daughter put it back.
I really don't mean this in the preachy way, but you asked for opinions...and I always have one ;)
Whether or not someone was looking for it, it didn't belong to your son and therefore wasn't his to take. The size of the item doesn't matter...if it would have been a nice big toy would you have done the same thing? I think the principle is the same...
Sorry...:(
I say this falls under whatever...in the doctors office, child loves said toy, please don't throw a fit. take the stinkin' dinosaur!
my day is good, but my baby took a 30 minute nap in the car and thinks she is done...I DON'T!
i'm with desi. :\
my day sucks. but thanks for asking! :D
no crusty stares from me - i would have taken it right along with you!
I say "crusty stares...whatev's!"
Personally, I'm with Desi & Siobhan...but I'm incapable of crusty stares, so no worries here! :)
I probably wouldn't have let him take it because we need another throwaway toy like we need a hole in our heads at our house, but you wouldn't be getting crusty stares from me.
Here's another question, if your kid finds a penny on the floor, do you let him keep it or make him turn it in to the receptionist? If the penny were outside of the office, would that make a difference?
I would lean on the side of the Desi crowd.
But giving crusties isn't nice. No, not nice at all.
I would not have taken the dino. But I would not have asked either. You asked, no one specifically said no. So....
Are you sure the dino did not belong to the crusty crowd?
Janelle -
Good question. No, the crusty crowd had to take the dino away from their own son who had swiped it out of my son's hand. They apologized, and that's when I admitted it wasn't technically ours, and then had the conversation with the receptionist.
Who knows.
Here's my question, though, for those who think I should have left it (and I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you about what I did, just fyi):
Do I return it? Either tomorrow (special trip) or at the next appt?
Would you? Return it to the floor of the place? Because I know the receptionist couldn't care less if I turned it in, so I would assume the place it belongs is the floor, right? I mean, what if the mother/father/son/daughter or whoever comes looking for it? Shouldn't it be in the same place? Assuming my son was the first to pick it up?
I'm not trying to sound ridiculous, but the more I type, the more I realize the whole thing is just stupid.
I had a great day today and am just opening the computer for the first time, so I'm late weighing in.
I would not have given you crusty stares, but I would have made my kids put it back. Seriously, though, I would never have given you crusty stares or anyone else who made the choice you did -- it's a personal thing.
And I'd probably take it back and just give it to the receptionist -- even if she couldn't care less. Again, though, TOTALLY a personal choice and you do whatever you think is doable and good.
Cheryl, Cheryl, Cheryl. He's 2. You're pregnant with #5. I have news, your 2 year old didn't learn ANYTHING from what happened--good bad or otherwise. I think had he been a little older, naturally it would've been a good teaching opportunity to go back and leave the dinosaur. I think it's a true showing of how good-hearted you are to even worry about this. You didn't have any older children with you either {which would have made it a good teaching opportunity to leave the dinosaur}.
You need to cut yourself a little slack. Don't worry about people's crusty looks. #4 is surely not destined to a life of solitary confinement due to armed dinosaur robbery.
Just for the record I wouldn't have given you crusty stares either :)
I would probably take it back, but I have had two experiences with my daughter and little items that probably had no significance to anyone else but had huge significance with her so we did go back...
One time the item was turned in to a McDonalds (where the clerks could have cared less) and the other the waitress watched another little girl walk out with the item and my daughter cried about it for days...
I don't know that it matters where you return it to, although if it did matter to someone the receptionist would be the one they would ask...
I hope you know I wasn't trying to make you feel bad...just sharing my opinion.
I get the crusty looks. I don't give 'em.
I would NEVER give you crusty looks. I think the dino falls squarely in the whatever catagory and don't sweat the haters, yo. (I wan't sure about the yo but I have to say it felt right.)
Have a better day.
I would have left it. It wasn't ours to keep so I would have just put it on the floor or the chair where we found it. But I wouldn't take it back. Chances are the kid whose it was was in with his mom and now they're gone and not going to come looking for it.
I have no strong opinion in this (hence why I didn't comment when you first posted it--shocker, I know--me, not have an opinion?).
I actually found the whole thing funny--but now it's sad that it's got you so stressed out that you're dreaming about it and getting cold sweats!
Cheryl! What a fantastic lesson to learn. Aren't you so glad it was over a tiny piece of broken plastic that no one cares about and not someone's feelings? Hooray!
If you need a friend to call about broken dinos or any other distressing topic..... Call!
It is always open season on open people Cheryl. No reason to close your heart or lips over a stupid Dino. And none of your friends were judging you, just saying what they would have done. Just because what they chose would have been different doesn't mean your choice was wrong.
I think this was an excellent lesson for all of us.
But as the saying goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Please take that literally today.
Cheryl, I love you. Please don't ever feel that I'm judging you, 'cuz I most definitely am not. I'm so sorry you ended up stressed out over this. :(
Remember, the past is the past, live in the now!
a crappy little dinosaur? that mom was probably GLAD the little kid lost it. My kids lose toys ALL the time and don't remember. And if they do remember, they certainly forget about it after an hour or two.
Don't worry about it! Obviously if it were money or a bigger toy or whatever, you would have made a different choice.
no biggie, in my book!
I just wanted you to know I would've done the exact same thing as you, only I probably would've glared back at the people in the waiting room (either that or shot them a snotty smile) and I wouldn't have thought twice about it after leaving the office.
Yes, had it been something bigger or money, that's a different story. I'm sure plenty of our little toys have ended up in some other child's hands (and therefore some other mother's playroom). That's just the way it goes. ;)
BTW, we found your boys' socks. Should we keep them? Or will that make your children cry for days and days? Will it make me a sinner?
Hey, I just reread this post and guess what -- I neglected to totally mention what an incredible morning you had! You were the woman -- I could hardly believe how much you accomplished and then got all caught up in the dino-drama.
You go girl, you deserve a pat on the back for everything you accomplished.
PS, it was so nice to talk to you this morning.
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