I had an interesting experience yesterday at the community pool.
I took Ana and Zoe to the pool. We were there pretty much on our own. The cousins weren't there. None of Zoe's school friends were there. We saw a couple of people we knew from a coupld various Y classes. But otherwise... Ana and Zoe were just enjoying the pool... talking and playing with random kids here and there. Zoe spent some time in the big pool while Ana and I were stuck over in the "baby pool".
Zoe had to go to the bathroom at one point so all 3 of us took a walk to the locker room. We came back to the "baby pool" and both girls jumped right back in the water. I was standing at the side watching... about to step in to sit down... when a woman started walking towards me. She walked with purpose with a smile on her face. I smiled back and immediately started scanning my brain asking myself "oh gosh, where do I know her from? where where where?" I was sure I didn't know her, but she walked right up to me and started talking.
Her - Hi! I'm Kelly! (shook my hand)
Me - Hi. I'm Colleen (oh phew... she doesn't actually know me)
Her - Nice to meet you. LOVE your bathing suit!
Me - Oh, thanks.
Her - Good, um... could you watch my daughter for a minute while I go park my car?
Me - Um, oh, ah... ok?
Her- Oh great, thanks! This is Maya! (pointing to a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old, right at my feet) I'll be right back!!
Me - Um... ok.
And off she went to the parking lot.
Where I couldn't see her.
While I wondered how long I should wait before I assumed she'd just abandoned her daughter at the pool with a stranger.
I quickly introduced Zoe to Maya and just about begged her to play with the girl. They did pretty much stay together. I had to keep my main focus on Ana while I worried that Maya would somehow drown while her mom was hopefully going to be quick... and was actually just parking the car.
Kelly did come back. It seemed like it took a lot longer to park the car than it should have... but she came back. Why she didn't park and THEN come into the pool like everyone else I just don't know.
I can tell you this... I will have a very very very hard time not running away quickly the next time I see Kelly and Maya at the pool.
Please tell me I'm not the only one that finds this VERY odd.
14 comments:
Dude. That's the weirdest thing I've heard all day. And its been a weird day! That just seems...dangerous. And almost rude.
I see you'll be at BlogHer! Looking forward to meeting you!
The nerve and stupidity of this Mom?? Odd doesn't begin to describe it!
It's really weird but something similar happened to me at a park last summer. I'll never understand some people.
That is CRAZY!!!
Odd and irresponsible. Like you said, why did she not park her car and then come in the pool. I would have thought the same thing..."is she coming back?"
I have a hard time even asking my neighbors to keep and eye on my kids for a outside, let alone a stranger. (That's not because I don't trust them but because she has three of her own to mind, and it not her responsibility to watch my kids)
Who DOES that?!?!?! I would never! And seriously...park your car and THEN come to the pool!! WTH?!!?!?
I guess there are just weird people everywhere. I suppose she felt safe since she saw me with Ana and Zoe? Still weird.
It kept bugging me for the rest of the day. Wacky mother.
The whole thing bothered me for the rest of the day. Wacky people.
I really feel like I need to start making a list of people I MUST meet at BlogHer... and start getting contact info or something.
I just truly didn't know what to make out of the whole thing. Except... CRAZY!!!
I can't imagine doing what she did. When she came back from the car she lugged all kinds of stuff with her too. (bag, beach chair) It's not even like she unloaded and then parked. She just brought the girl in. Crazy people.
I know! Right? Totally crazy.
This leads me to believe this woman has no strong "mom" ideals. What if you spanked her kid while she was gone? What if you gave the little girl a Reese's and she's deathly allergic to peanut butter or her mom had raised her vegan? There's so many things I feel I need to know before I watch a child, even when it's someone's that I know... Bizarre. Just be glad and proud you aren't that person.
That's crazy! I wonder what she would have done if she hadn't found someone to leave her daughter with while she parked the car.
Then again, when the boys were little we would always tell them that if they couldn't find me or a worker that they were to find a mommy with her kids and tell her that they needed help. Not that everyone out there with kids is good, but it gives a sense of safety that isn't necessarily there otherwise.
I certainly would have expected her to come right back in, but then again time sometimes goes REALLY slowly when you're waiting on something...
Post a Comment