I took the kids to the Please Touch Museum yesterday. Andrew didn't want to go to camp and I didn't want to sit at home and listen to the kids beg me for food (they have inherited my boredom=hunger gene)...so off to the museum we went. We got there as it opened...I wanted to have our fun before all the camp groups descended. We had a blast...all 3 kids were really good and cooperative...and I dare to say it was a very very successful outing.
But there was this one funny thing I noticed. I get very tired when I go somewhere like this by myself with the 3 kids, because I don't really keep them tethered to me...I like to let them roam (in the same area as myself...but still). So it is a constant counting/checking/rearing in/moving on kind of a thing. You know, like a sheepdog. I am always humbled, however, but the mothers in attendance who have MORE kids than me and still brave the outing. I "only" have 3, after all.
Yesterday I got in line to check in. There were 3 other families also in line. We were as follows:
1) A mother and a father and one toddler that looked to be about 2. The father has his camcorder out (in line to get tickets?) and is filming. The child has a kid leash on (I know, I know...it is a backpack...whatev). The mother looks nervous already.
2) A mother alone with her 2 boys that looked to be about 2 and 4. She has a double stroller, the children have temporary tattoos with ID info on it, and they both have a sticky name tag on the back of their shirts with additional ID info. Mother looked nearly frantic with worry.
3) Me...with a double stroller. No identifying info. I don't know if I looked nervous or not...I couldn't see me ;)
4) A very pregnant woman alone with her 4 (four!) little boys...they were moving around too fast for me to accurately assess their ages. Mother looks alert but not concerned. She also had a single stroller...no kids in it. No identifying info.
What does this mean?
a)Once you have more than 2, you kind of let loose. I mean, you've got spares, right?
b) Cautious mothers with more than 2 kids just don't go out to places like this.
c) It means nothing...just a random sampling of mothers can't tell you anything.
I would just once love to see a mother of 4+ kids with them all on "backpacks"...you know, like a dog walker in New York City.
4 comments:
A dog walker of children. hehehehe
That's hilarious. I think some moms are the nervous type and some aren't - but the nervous type are at the height of nervousness with #1, then it gradually decreases from there. Funny about the ID info.
I also think that if you do the museum type stuff alot (which I do and I think you do), it just isn't as big of a deal. We have memberships to the zoo and COSI, and it's just a normal occurrence to be checking in. But put me in line at Disney and I'd be a TOTAL SPAZ.
So if we were going to do one thing in Philly, should we do Please Touch, Sesame Place, Tyler Arboretum, Crayola Factory or NJ aquarium? Sersiously, if you have an opinion would you send me a message on FB?
Heehee. So true...you can totally tell the first time parents from the second timers, etc. Tattoos with ID info....seriously?
I like to check out how the kids are dressed too. If their outfit is cute, clean and hair is combed, they've gotta be first, maybe second, children. The cuteness and neatness goes steadily downhill as you add more kids. Take my kids for example, I'm just happy they're clean. Matching clothes, combed hair? Who has the energy to care about that? I should probably start shopping at WalMart and Big Lots. We're not decent enough for Target.
I'm already there with letting my 2 roam, so I'm sure I will only get more lax when this third kiddo arrives. It is actually kind of liberating to not stress over every little thing the way you do with #1.
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