It doesn't happen a lot, but I've been known to go out in public with all 4 of my kids. I've even taken them shopping, if you can believe it. Over time, I've noticed that they've developed a certain respect for the lady.
Who is the lady, you might ask? Well, sometimes it's the woman who lets you into the dressing room; sometimes it's the voice that comes on over the speaker at stores like Ross or TJ Maxx, reminding parents to keep track of their children. Most of all, it's that someone-scarier-than-Mom that might come if the kids aren't staying with me, minding me, doing what they are supposed to do, until we can finish our errand and safely leave the store.
RVC and TLC don't buy it, but most of the time they understand that they need to start behaving. For some reason, though, somewhere along the way the lady has really started to mean something for SCC. In fact, I've heard her carry the warning a bit further. "Is the mean old lady going to be there this time, mom?" she has asked. She's even claimed to have seen her on a shopping trip or two.
I guess I've encouraged the same fear(?) of other authoritative figures as well. There's the policeman (as if the lady weren't bad enough): "Hurry and get buckled or else the policeman will see you."
I didn't realize the impact this last one had had until one moment on our camping trip. The campground host couple had just driven by checking the sites to make sure visitors had paid. SCC must have seen them. As we entered our tent to get something, she reminded me to take off my shoes before entering, not because it was the rule, rather or else "the policeman and the lady" might see me.
1 comment:
I saw the Lady, too. It was when we were shopping at Macy's with Sarah, in fact. I think I spotted the lady first and she seems much more ominous than the policeman.
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