September 22 08

no one wants to be THAT mom. the mom of the kid who won’t go into gymnastics class because she won’t stop crying. the mom of the kid who bullies all the other kids on the ice. the mom of the kid who scores on the wrong net on the soccer field. or the mom of the kid who needs to be removed from the pool because he refuses to get his tiny little tushie in the water. the mom who turns red because all the other moms are looking at her with the i’m-so-glad-it’s-not-my-kid expression, which is sometimes a very nice “oh honey, i’ve been there” or sometimes very smug, Simpsons-esque “heh-heh”

guess who got to be THAT mom yesterday??

oh yes. that would be my Josh right there. the big ole’ baby. that’s the kid who i can’t REMOVE from Jack and Ilana’s pool in the summer. the kid who cries when we can’t go to the water park at Canada’s Wonderland. sure, he’s not the swim-like-a-fish type like both of his sisters, but he loves the water.

but still…he sceamed the pool down. and scared the pants off Bertina, the poor deck girl.

(also? i was the mom who got told she wasn’t allowed to use her camera. boo you, Bertina!)

(also? i was the mom who didn’t realize that the showers were motion-censored and walked right past an entire WALL of showers that all went on, one at a time, filling my purse with water, and soaking my ass)

(also? i was the mom taking pictures of herself in the change room making sure that her camera didn’t get soaked in Showergate ’08)

(it didn’t. camera = totally dry and fine. the contents of my purse = not so lucky)

(also? i realize i wear that Lucky hoodie/lululemon yoga pants combo every single day. exhibit A. exhibit B. exhibit C. i’m okay with this. you should be too)

anyway, turns out that the class was just too hard for him. so, we pulled some strings and moved him down a level (and by pulled some strings, i mean that the lovely lady – who will be getting herself a starbucks gift card – behind the counter kicked a kid off the waiting list to get Josh into the class), into the 9:30 class. and he was fine. 100% fine. he jumped in the water. he swam. he listened. i even think i may have seen him SMILE.

oh, parenting sure is fun, eh? 😉

(tomorrow you get to see how fun parenting is when your kids force you to use a hula hoop AND a skip-it.)

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  1. I saw your status on Fbook yesterday and laughed then…and I’m laughing now. Nice, Ali. LOL.

    Oliver had his first swimming class since the summer this past Saturday and he stood on the side of the deck with his hands down his pants and bawled. Good times.

    Comment by mamatulip on September 22, 2008
  2. First, I am off to lululemon to get that hoodie ASAP. WAY cute.

    I am THAT mom a lot with my oldest but thankfully automatic showers haven’t been involved…

    texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvanas last blog post..Apples?

    Comment by texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvana on September 22, 2008
  3. I’ve been THAT mom so many times, the moms with the “normal” kids have now become THAT mom in my mind.

    Comment by Heather on September 22, 2008
  4. OK, you must know I am a Lululemon junkie…I have found a new cute collection, Zella. Have you heard of it? I found the cutest jacket at Nordstrom (yeah, I needed that).

    Nap Wardens last blog post..Ghost Town

    Comment by Nap Warden on September 22, 2008
  5. I frequently wear my most favorite cropped jacket and have been spotted all over town in the same outfit. Yay. I am okay with it. But need to go Fall shopping badly.

    OHmommys last blog post..Just the two of us and a dozen great friends.

    Comment by OHmommy on September 22, 2008
  6. I will be THAT daddy for my oldest. I tried to put him on him bike yesterday but he told me he didn’t want to because he was tired. What do you mean tired? You’re five.

    Nice hoodie.

    Captain Dumbasss last blog post..I Had Something To Post This Morning, But After I Saw This…

    Comment by Captain Dumbass on September 22, 2008
  7. Sigh…I’ve been That Mom before, too. Luckily, I had That Dad along for the joy, too. Let’s just say the oldest boy’s screams were so loud and long, it’s amazing they haven’t yet reached the outer reaches of the solar system. Sadly (but yeah!), the staff felt so bad for us, they gave us a refund (which NEVER happens) on the swim lessons we had to pull him from. Yeah. Good times.

    differentkindofgirls last blog post..the curse of ‘the curse’

    Comment by differentkindofgirl on September 22, 2008
  8. Uhm hi. *That* Dad here.

    Well, until this past weekend. I guess I passed it off to you. Sorry.

    SciFi Dads last blog post..I’m Like The Matrix…

    Comment by SciFi Dad on September 22, 2008
  9. Aww, I’m glad it all worked out for him! And holy crap, motion sensored showers? That’s high tech!

    Katies last blog post..Here’s Looking at You, 27

    Comment by Katie on September 22, 2008
  10. motion sensor showers wow…glad you didn’t soak your camera….

    Comment by LAVENDULA on September 22, 2008
  11. right .. but, is YOUR son the one doing figure skating moves away from the team while the others are playing a game! can you say follow the puck please!

    btw .. you just can put picks of kids with beers without explaining lol

    Comment by Sarah on September 22, 2008
  12. right .. but, is YOUR son the one doing figure skating moves away from the team while the others are playing a game! can you say follow the puck please!

    btw .. you just can put pics of kids with beers without explaining lol

    Comment by Sarah on September 22, 2008
  13. But the hoodie is super cute. Don’t let the fashion patrol get you down! Oh and that is weird about pictures? I take pictures all the time at swimming! Glad ti all worked out!

    KD @ A Bit Squirrells last blog post..Because I am tired but promised to post something

    Comment by KD @ A Bit Squirrell on September 22, 2008
  14. I’m *THAT* mom at all the classes – gymnastic, karate, school, church…
    I’m happy to pass on the title anytime 🙂

    LDs last blog post..Time

    Comment by LD on September 22, 2008
  15. Glad to hear that he’s in the right class … he’ll be sooo much happier now.

    Teena in Torontos last blog post..Manic Monday

    Comment by Teena in Toronto on September 22, 2008
  16. No, we don’t like to be that parent but we get some sort of bizarre happiness when we read about it happening to others. Great post.

    Debbies last blog post..I promise he had never seen that done

    Comment by Debbie on September 22, 2008
  17. Man, I get so irritated when I’m told I can’t use my camera. What’s up with that?!

    Rheas last blog post..Side Effects

    Comment by Rhea on September 22, 2008
  18. My son is the one who wants to play soccer at home but when we get the game cries because PEOPLE ARE WATCHING HIM!! And then we look like the parents that are forcing our son to be the athlete he clearly doesn’t want to be when NO, actually, he begged us to play.

    Undomestic Divas last blog post..Photoshop Tutorial: Creating Spot Color

    Comment by Undomestic Diva on September 22, 2008
  19. Oooo a hula hoop AND a skip-it?? AWESOME.

    I’m glad your camera survived and I freakin’ love your purse.

    The Over-Thinkers last blog post..I’m officially old-looking and A Syllabus for the Week Ahead

    Comment by The Over-Thinker on September 22, 2008
  20. I’m THAT mom, too. You know, the one who has no friggin’ clue what lululemon is.

    It is cute, so I will be googling…

    lorens last blog post..I’m DOWN! Quit kicking me already!

    Comment by loren on September 22, 2008
  21. Good morning,

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    Comment by Chris Bui on September 22, 2008
  22. Poor sad Josh! My kids both failed Red Cross Level One swimming. I am very proud.

    Becks last blog post..The First Day of Autumn!

    Comment by Beck on September 22, 2008
  23. Nathan was THAT KID last fall…then finally took lessons when he was good and ready in the spring.

    You gotta do what they are comfortable with 🙂

    Angellas last blog post..Plum Chutney Recipe

    Comment by Angella on September 22, 2008
  24. I work for the Y. First, no cameras because we have to protect your kids from the pervs.

    Second, we all laugh about you during our break.

    Okay, maybe it’s only me that laughs.

    Comment by Matthew on September 22, 2008
  25. Am THAT mom on the soccer field. Biggest kid on the team, least enthusiastic. Yup.

    Misss last blog post..Ocean Sized Love

    Comment by Miss on September 22, 2008
  26. I always pray that I’m not that mom and it works approximately 50% of the time. The rest of the time I’m trying to surreptitiously snap pics of the parents who give me “the look”. Well done Ali, well done.

    katie ~ motherbumpers last blog post..from the vaseline lens

    Comment by katie ~ motherbumper on September 22, 2008
  27. There is nothing wrong with wearing Lulu pants all the time,
    I practically live in mine!

    and yes, I am still alive.
    I just had a financially pinchy summer,
    so I had to go without internet.

    Regularly scheduled programming with continue in October.

    Comment by Keri on September 22, 2008
  28. You know, I find myself wearing the same thing over and over. If looks clean, then, hey, who’s the wiser? Sorry about your purse. Yikes! It sounds like you had a moment that you only see in the movies!

    jenboglasss last blog post..It Took Ten Years, But I Finally Managed To Gross Out My Husband

    Comment by jenboglass on September 22, 2008
  29. Don’t worry about being THAT Mom…every kid has to be THAT kid every once in a while…but then they do something great and you get to be THAT Mom in a good way!

    Mike from the Newborn Identitys last blog post..CRY BABY!

    Comment by Mike from the Newborn Identity on September 22, 2008
  30. funny…i wear a billabong (or abercrombie)hoodie with my lulu’s everyday.
    everybody should.

    Christines last blog post..

    Comment by Christine on September 22, 2008
  31. Oh yeah, parenting is friggin’ roses and sunshine! Last week my son told his entire class that he had a sister who died, and that his grandpa was in jail for killing her! I got to the THAT Mom. The Mom of the creepy kid who lies about murder.

    Comment by Chantal on September 22, 2008
  32. I FEEL for you! Monkey SHRIEKS at swimming. We’re thinking of pulling her out….. It’s brutal. But, I’m not there. Josh takes her. So, I guess he’s THAT DAD! 😉

    Comment by Haley-O on September 22, 2008
  33. It does make you feel blessed to have those “one-off” type days. At least you figured out what he needed early on.

    My daughter started piano lessons a few weeks ago and clung to my leg crying for the first two lessons. She’s normally not like that at all- but by her 3rd lesson she was fine.

    I guess it’s like anything- sometimes it just takes time to get used to something new.

    Comment by 180/360 on September 22, 2008
  34. WAIT, there is still such a thing as a Skip It?

    I’m totally going to Toys R Us tomorrow to get one. For my niece of course.

    Comment by Rhi on September 23, 2008
  35. I’m having flashbacks, and I’m sweating… I hate the pool and glares. But we still do it… we do it for the children. yay for that waiting-list-bumper gal… keep her bribed-up!

    jennyonthespots last blog post..I am more confident in the kitchen than ever…

    Comment by jennyonthespot on September 23, 2008
  36. […] c. and so, maybe he’s not the world’s most amazing swimmer…but my son has cornered the market on first graders being able to draw […]

    Pingback by Cheaper Than Therapy » Blog Archive » clearly this post has not had enough coffee yet today… on September 24, 2008
  37. who’s even heard of motion-censored showers?? bazaar!

    Camels & Chocolates last blog post..Don’t Mess with Texas

    Comment by Camels & Chocolate on September 24, 2008
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