Last Saturday was the annual Tumwater Family Practice summer party. This year they decided to do a camp out at Millersylvania. I was excited because the parties are always pretty fun and I get to hang out and chat with people. The only downside to these parties is that a few of the mothers always expect Ali and/or me to babysit their kids while we are their. I'm not a fan of babysitting especially when you're not paying me and I'm trying to talk with my friends. The moms always run up to me, ask me to watch their kids for "a few minutes," shove them at me, then run away before I can say no. So then the people I'm chatting with move away because they don't want to be stuck watching a bunch of 5 and unders either. They want to have a good time. Even last year at my graduation party the kids got pawned off on us for a while. It irritates me because it makes me feel like they don't respect me as an adult. They don't realize that I might actually like to have a conversation with someone at least my own age and not have to explain why I don't have my fins on today. I also don't enjoy people being incredibly close to my face and if you've ever been around a child you know that they like to be half an inch from your face while they are talking to you. Not pleasant.
So, as my mom and I were driving up to the party I said "Jennifer and Bridget better not make me babysit." Then Mom said they probably wouldn't because there would be plenty of other kids there to play with them. We got there and said hi to a few people then got some food and sat down to eat and chat. I was starving because I hadn't eaten yet that day and it was like 3 o'clock. And wouldn't ya know it, I hadn't taken two bites when I hear "Ariel!" I looked around and saw the moms coming at be saying "can you watch the girls for a bit?" I turned to my mom and sighed. She mouthed "sorry baby." I looked back at the moms and nodded. Why couldn't I have said "no, I'd like to eat first." But I assumed that they would say in the bouncy house they were playing in (I know right, who brings a giant blow up bouncy house camping?). I went to take another bite when suddenly I heard one of the moms say "Go to Ariel" then three little voices yelling "MERMAID! ARIEL! ARIEL! MERMAID!" Then they were all over me.
I tried to continue eating my burger, but gave up after a few minutes because one of the three little girls was convinced I was the little mermaid and wouldn't stop asking me questions about mermaid life and the other two were basically sitting on top of my food. I stupidly answered her questions like I actually was mermaid Ariel instead of almost mermaid Ariel. Here are some of the questions:
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Where are your fins?"
~"I only have them when I'm in the water."
"Ariel?
~"Yes Gracie."
"Where is Eric?"
~"He's at the castle."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Are you wearing a purple bra?"
~"I only wear that one when I'm in the water." The guy next to me loved that one.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"How come your hair isn't red?"
~"It turns red when I'm in the water."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you have a mean daddy?"
~"No. I have a nice daddy."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you have a mean mommy?"
~I looked at mom, then looked back at Gracie and said "Only right now." Of course Gracie didn't get it, so I had to tell her that I had a nice mommy just like her.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you know any sea witches?"
~"Only Ursula, but she's gone now remember?"
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Can we go swimming?"
~"Not right now." The three girls started whining and begging for me to go swim with then, but I turned on my mommy voice and said no again. They quit.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Why do you collect things?"
~I couldn't come up with anything. My brain was shutting down from exhaustion. I looked at Mom who said "because she likes to learn," and I nodded in agreement. Good one Mom.
Then Gracie ran off and I thought I was free. So naive. A couple minutes later she came back with her mom who said "Yes I know Ariel." Then Gracie ran off and got her dad who said "Yes Gracie. I've known Ariel for a long time." Then Gracie sat back down and continued to ask me more mermaid questions. One of the moms came back and took two of the girls to the bathroom. Mom and I were cold so we decided to go to the van and get our sweatshirts. Gracie didn't want me to go, but I had to leave. I was just getting more and more frustrated with each question. We walked to the van and mom was trying to convince me that they make me babysit their kids because they "trust me." We both knew that was bull, nice try Mom.
When we started to walk back to the camp site I started to get nauseous. I was already feeling a little car sick from the drive, but my anxiety about going back to face the mini-interrogator was making it worse. Mom said we would walk back and get some dessert because I still hadn't eaten much and just try to avoid the little girls. By the time we had gotten up to where the food was I had made myself so nervous and nauseous that I couldn't even look at the food. I told Mom that was going back to the car to read the Celestine Prophecy. As I turned to go one of my friends who I hadn't seen in a while started talking to me. I wanted to stay and talk because that was the whole point of my coming, but I was so nervous that I would suddenly feel one of the girls tugging at my pants that I told him I wasn't feeling well and had to leave.
I told Mom to stay as long as she wanted because my book was getting really good and I wanted to read it anyway. As I walked back to the van I felt like I was on the brink of tears. I couldn't believe how sick I felt and how frustrated I'd become. It was silly. As I sat in the back of the van I saw more people pull in that I wanted to talk to, but I stayed in my place and tried to grasp the various insights in my book.
About an hour or so later Mom came back to the van and said we could go. Then I felt worse because I wanted her to have a good time and I felt like I was ruining it for her. I told her I was fine and she could go back, but she said she was bored anyway and wanted to go home and read her book. She informed me that 10 minutes after I had left, Gracie and her parents went home and the other two girls went to sleep. I was upset, but I let it go because I really had enjoyed my book, so I guess it didn't really matter.
Now the whole clinic knows what happened. Yesterday and the day before I had to wait there for my mom after work because we had carpooled and several people came up to me and asked me where my fins were. It was funny, but then they wanted me to talk about it and had heard from other sources that it pissed me off. I didn't want to admit that it really had made me mad because all three of the moms were in the clinic somewhere and I learned earlier that week that I shouldn't talk about people if there is any chance in the world that they could hear me and I didn't want to hurt any one's feelings. So, I just laughed and said it was kinda cute.
So, as my mom and I were driving up to the party I said "Jennifer and Bridget better not make me babysit." Then Mom said they probably wouldn't because there would be plenty of other kids there to play with them. We got there and said hi to a few people then got some food and sat down to eat and chat. I was starving because I hadn't eaten yet that day and it was like 3 o'clock. And wouldn't ya know it, I hadn't taken two bites when I hear "Ariel!" I looked around and saw the moms coming at be saying "can you watch the girls for a bit?" I turned to my mom and sighed. She mouthed "sorry baby." I looked back at the moms and nodded. Why couldn't I have said "no, I'd like to eat first." But I assumed that they would say in the bouncy house they were playing in (I know right, who brings a giant blow up bouncy house camping?). I went to take another bite when suddenly I heard one of the moms say "Go to Ariel" then three little voices yelling "MERMAID! ARIEL! ARIEL! MERMAID!" Then they were all over me.
I tried to continue eating my burger, but gave up after a few minutes because one of the three little girls was convinced I was the little mermaid and wouldn't stop asking me questions about mermaid life and the other two were basically sitting on top of my food. I stupidly answered her questions like I actually was mermaid Ariel instead of almost mermaid Ariel. Here are some of the questions:
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Where are your fins?"
~"I only have them when I'm in the water."
"Ariel?
~"Yes Gracie."
"Where is Eric?"
~"He's at the castle."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Are you wearing a purple bra?"
~"I only wear that one when I'm in the water." The guy next to me loved that one.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"How come your hair isn't red?"
~"It turns red when I'm in the water."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you have a mean daddy?"
~"No. I have a nice daddy."
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you have a mean mommy?"
~I looked at mom, then looked back at Gracie and said "Only right now." Of course Gracie didn't get it, so I had to tell her that I had a nice mommy just like her.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Do you know any sea witches?"
~"Only Ursula, but she's gone now remember?"
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Can we go swimming?"
~"Not right now." The three girls started whining and begging for me to go swim with then, but I turned on my mommy voice and said no again. They quit.
"Ariel?"
~"Yes Gracie?"
"Why do you collect things?"
~I couldn't come up with anything. My brain was shutting down from exhaustion. I looked at Mom who said "because she likes to learn," and I nodded in agreement. Good one Mom.
Then Gracie ran off and I thought I was free. So naive. A couple minutes later she came back with her mom who said "Yes I know Ariel." Then Gracie ran off and got her dad who said "Yes Gracie. I've known Ariel for a long time." Then Gracie sat back down and continued to ask me more mermaid questions. One of the moms came back and took two of the girls to the bathroom. Mom and I were cold so we decided to go to the van and get our sweatshirts. Gracie didn't want me to go, but I had to leave. I was just getting more and more frustrated with each question. We walked to the van and mom was trying to convince me that they make me babysit their kids because they "trust me." We both knew that was bull, nice try Mom.
When we started to walk back to the camp site I started to get nauseous. I was already feeling a little car sick from the drive, but my anxiety about going back to face the mini-interrogator was making it worse. Mom said we would walk back and get some dessert because I still hadn't eaten much and just try to avoid the little girls. By the time we had gotten up to where the food was I had made myself so nervous and nauseous that I couldn't even look at the food. I told Mom that was going back to the car to read the Celestine Prophecy. As I turned to go one of my friends who I hadn't seen in a while started talking to me. I wanted to stay and talk because that was the whole point of my coming, but I was so nervous that I would suddenly feel one of the girls tugging at my pants that I told him I wasn't feeling well and had to leave.
I told Mom to stay as long as she wanted because my book was getting really good and I wanted to read it anyway. As I walked back to the van I felt like I was on the brink of tears. I couldn't believe how sick I felt and how frustrated I'd become. It was silly. As I sat in the back of the van I saw more people pull in that I wanted to talk to, but I stayed in my place and tried to grasp the various insights in my book.
About an hour or so later Mom came back to the van and said we could go. Then I felt worse because I wanted her to have a good time and I felt like I was ruining it for her. I told her I was fine and she could go back, but she said she was bored anyway and wanted to go home and read her book. She informed me that 10 minutes after I had left, Gracie and her parents went home and the other two girls went to sleep. I was upset, but I let it go because I really had enjoyed my book, so I guess it didn't really matter.
Now the whole clinic knows what happened. Yesterday and the day before I had to wait there for my mom after work because we had carpooled and several people came up to me and asked me where my fins were. It was funny, but then they wanted me to talk about it and had heard from other sources that it pissed me off. I didn't want to admit that it really had made me mad because all three of the moms were in the clinic somewhere and I learned earlier that week that I shouldn't talk about people if there is any chance in the world that they could hear me and I didn't want to hurt any one's feelings. So, I just laughed and said it was kinda cute.
1 comment:
That mermaid is bustier than I remember.
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