I just had a fabulous BLT and salad at Bodos all by my lonesome before my vertical team meeting. This alone time allowed me to fully take in all of what was going on around me. At first there was nothing too exciting; a couple of teachers (i think...maybe they'll be at this meeting!) talking about our coaching model (which stinks!), a JMU grad talking about how old she is now that she is married and four years out of college (I wanted to say, try 8!), and then two FedEx ladies that sat at the same split four-top table with me.
I was halfway through my salad, when a woman who looked like she just stepped out of a J. Crew catalogue, walked in searching for a table. She had on riding boots, a long black jacket, pulled back blond hair with a cute herringbone headband (that i could never pull off), and little to no make up. I instantly pegged her as being in her late 40's because of her aged hands and wrinkles around her eyes. That's when I saw her brood of children, approximately 4, 3, and 8 months old, in tote behind her. They were definitely hers, all with the same white blond hair and big blue eyes. I was thinking to myself, where is her huge rock? where is her nanny? where is her husband? None of the above were in the picture.
This woman sat the older two kids (we'll call them Curious George-3 year old and Dennis the Menace- 4 year old) at the table, pulled up a highchair, dumped some puffs out and off she went to get in line. I couldn't believe my eyes, and neither could the other three to four groups of eyes that I saw darting around from mom back to the table. From that point on, Mom was fixated on the menu, the Curious George was dumping salt on the table having a good ole time, Dennis the Menace was hugging or shall I say smothering the little one and about to knock the entire highchair over, then that little turkey grabbed the pepper shaker and with a grin that could rival Jack Nicholson, proceeded to sprinkle pepper on the little one's head!! Just as I was about to get up because I thought the little one might seriously get pepper in his eyes Curious George was off and running around the restaurant. Geez, I felt like I was babysitting I was so on edge by what was going on.
A few minutes later, Mom came back with Curious George and a tray full of food. At this point, I knew the show was only going to get better:) She quickly fixed a bottle for the little one, held it to his face with one hand, cut bagels and spread cream cheese for the other two, and got their drinks ready. All the while Curious George dumped out Mom's wallet and spread money all over the table, threw the side of cream cheese on the floor and then shrieked when her Mom said it was dirty. Dennis the Menace ended up with cream cheese spread from ear to ear, seriously in his ears, and a disaster on the table. When I was ready to leave I took one last look at the little one who was full of milk and drifting off to sleep, the floor that desperately needed Stanley Steamer, and the full Caesar salad that hadn't been touched by Mom, and thought to myself is this woman truly in her late 40's or is she so worn out by these children that she has aged beyond her years? My conclusion is that yes, she's in her late 40's and yes, she is worn out, and no, I do not want to have children at her age. So, if the good Lord does not provide us with a baby in the next five years, then you can bet your money I will be adopting or fostering children before it is too late!
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