Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I love the airport

When we were on our way back from Easter in North Carolina, our flight was delayed for five hours. Normally this would cause me to become hysterical, but I was experiencing a natural high. Because at the airport, there was a mother traveling with two children and the boy was throwing a very respectable tantrum. The mother did everything right, she remained calm and firm, really she was a model of good parenting, but he was just too far gone. I was sitting there, trying not to look, because I've so been where she was at that time (minus the remaining calm and firm, a model of good parenting part) and I didn't want to stare but at the same time I certainly did not want to miss the part where his head was going to spin completely around and he was going to start spewing pea soup. Because I knew that we were minutes away from having to stage an exorcism on this fallen angel and I was sure that it would further delay our flight.

But my favorite part of the whole thing was that my son, MY SON, who is on standby at Central Casting for when they need "tantrum child", looked up from his book (Sponge Bob Square Pants, but it had, you know, pages) and said "can we move to a different seat? That misbehaving child is really distracting me."  


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43 Comments:

Anonymous LadyFi said...

Hahahaha! The irony of your tantrum master wanting to move seats...

It is blissful to see that other kids tantrum too and there is nothing you can do about it when they are that far gone... I sympathize with the other parent, of course, yet a part of me rejoices in relief that I am not the only parent in the entire world - or even universe - to have kids that act out like that...

April 14, 2009 at 5:46 AM  
Blogger Vodka Mom said...

classic........

April 14, 2009 at 6:32 AM  
Blogger The Panic Room said...

you've done it. You can sit back and let him parent himself at this point. Have some drinks. congrats. your job is done :)

April 14, 2009 at 6:37 AM  
Blogger That Janie Girl said...

Ha! That's hilarious!

April 14, 2009 at 7:03 AM  
Blogger Liz Wilkey (a.k.a. A Mom on Spin) said...

Yup! Thos gays and misbehaving children are taking over the world!!!

April 14, 2009 at 7:10 AM  
Blogger Coma Girl said...

My daughter will do the same thing. It's like they can't throw a tantrum if another kid is because then they seem like they're stealing the other kid's thunder.

April 14, 2009 at 7:30 AM  
Blogger Beth said...

Whilst teaching my boys to chew with their mouth closed (they always looked like they were raised in a barn), they'd happily point out this fault in others when we were eating out. And did I mention they learned to whisper in a Def Leppard concert?

Love that boy of yours!

April 14, 2009 at 7:35 AM  
Blogger mo.stoneskin said...

Pea soup? Mmm.

I'd like to use the word "munus" more in conversation.

April 14, 2009 at 7:43 AM  
Anonymous Dejoni said...

When my daughter is in the throws of a major tantrum in public, we announce to everyone watching her full name and for them to be on the look out for the future Oscar winner.
The little heathen better thank me when she wins. LOL!

April 14, 2009 at 8:09 AM  
Blogger Formerly known as Frau said...

That is classic!

April 14, 2009 at 8:22 AM  
Blogger OHmommy said...

i cant wait for my kids to grow up a little. i have not been able to people watch at the airport in years. sadly, i am the one that people watch at the airport. heh.

April 14, 2009 at 8:34 AM  
Blogger Belle said...

You are so godamn polite. I stare openly and shake my head disapprovingly.

April 14, 2009 at 8:39 AM  
Blogger Green said...

It's wonderful to watch when they're not yours :)

April 14, 2009 at 8:49 AM  
Anonymous Kristine said...

I have learned not to judge those women, because my son's tantrum is generally about 15 minutes later.

April 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM  
Anonymous Coco said...

That was the perfect time to drive home how annoying his trantrums are...

April 14, 2009 at 9:11 AM  
Blogger blognut said...

That's fabulous!

April 14, 2009 at 9:18 AM  
Blogger Scary Mommy said...

Ha! I love it. And I love rolling my eyes at annoying children when they aren't made of my flesh and blood.

April 14, 2009 at 9:39 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Oh God, I'm headed there in a few minutes on my way to Florida..I'm already cringing. I was at a play with my 3 year old last night and we were in the rest room at intermission and this lady was telling her companion that she was going to move up a seat because the girl behind her was HORRIBLE..kept talking and kicking her seat..I gave her a good once over to see if it was the lady in front of US when we got back..thank God it wasn't!! PS. The Wizard of Oz was AWESOME (even if we were 40 minutes late....I'll get to posting about it eventually) PSS. Today's my 100th post..I would be honored if you (1 of my 2 favorite bloggers in the universe) stopped by.

April 14, 2009 at 9:50 AM  
Anonymous kia (good enough mama) said...

There must be something soothing to our temper-tantrum'ing boys at airports. My boy can meltdown with the best, but he's always SO good at airports. Weird...

April 14, 2009 at 10:36 AM  
Blogger Lynn C Mama to 3 said...

That is hilarious! My stepdaughter (aka Satan's Spawn) often comments on the behavior of kids on Super Nanny... but I think its more of an "I am your leader" kind of way.

April 14, 2009 at 10:40 AM  
Blogger Liza said...

Don't you love those moments? They act like they are such angel's and are so appalled by another child’s behavior. I just think my daughter is thinking - please, I can do SO much better than that :)

April 14, 2009 at 11:01 AM  
Anonymous peajaye said...

OR...like damien in 'the omen,' your son was controlling that other child while pretending to be an examplary innocent. so you might have some bigger problems down the line. just something to consider.

April 14, 2009 at 11:02 AM  
Blogger JoeinVegas said...

Does he really talk like that - "misbehaving child" ? Good training.

April 14, 2009 at 11:43 AM  
Anonymous Kate @ http://lipstickdaily.com said...

classic..........
put that down in the books next to juxtaposition.

April 14, 2009 at 12:47 PM  
Blogger *Akilah Sakai* said...

Ha! That sounds like something my son would say, too!

No one, and I mean no one, interrupts Spongebob!

April 14, 2009 at 12:48 PM  
Blogger CSY said...

HA! I LOVE this! I was walking around in a store once an we saw this child throwing one and my youngest says, "Man, I'm glad I'm not THAT much of a baby!" To which the rest of us replied, "Yeah, RIGHT!"

Watching others peoples kids misbehave is AWESOME!

April 14, 2009 at 1:36 PM  
Blogger Petra a.k.a The Wise (*Young*) Mommy said...

I love it! Thank God every now and again I get to watch someone else lose control of their child(ren) because it makes me feel soooo much better!

April 14, 2009 at 2:55 PM  
Blogger Roshni said...

mmmphhh! Did he have his angel wings on?

April 14, 2009 at 3:14 PM  
Blogger Artist Victoria O'Neill said...

enjoying reading your blog, and this post decribes the ultimate takes the cake comment of all times.

April 14, 2009 at 4:18 PM  
Blogger Sue Wilkey said...

You know what blows? When you're all basking in the glow of someone else's child's meltdown, then they call your flight and that same family stands up.

Wah-Wah-Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh..............

April 14, 2009 at 5:14 PM  
Blogger Lyndsay said...

I'm just so damn happy at being able to expand the definition of "book" that I can't get beyond that ...

April 14, 2009 at 9:47 PM  
Blogger jmt said...

Respectable model for parenting? I know I'll never receive that title. I'll be the one who snatches her kid up and gets called out by the "love is not hitting" crowd. And then I'll stare them in the eye and spank that kid. And then I might spank them twice just for good measure.

April 14, 2009 at 10:04 PM  
Blogger michelle said...

Mine usualy says something like, "mommy, if I behaved like tht, wht would you do?" like she is testing me. The only acceptable answer? "I would kill you and stuff your body in the trash can in the bathroom. Then I would go in the gift shop and buy the largest doll they have to fill your seat on the plane so no one would know you were missing until after we got home. Don't try it."

Kids.

April 14, 2009 at 10:55 PM  
Blogger Jill said...

I SO look forward to the day when my daughters noticed another child throwing a tantrum and puts two and two together...

Who am I kidding? I'm so frickin' far away! So far...

April 15, 2009 at 12:13 AM  
Blogger Pamela said...

I love it when they get all high and mighty when they recognize their faults in others---it's progress!

April 15, 2009 at 12:59 AM  
Blogger ♥ Braja said...

just to let you know i voted for you on blogger awards. my icon is on my site. feel free. either that or i think i'll do something unique and pull out entirely. i mean jesus...

April 15, 2009 at 2:22 AM  
Blogger Jeanne Estridge said...

So did you make him stay and endure it?

April 15, 2009 at 8:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Similar story:
next to us on a flight, 17 year old drops her wrapper*s* from throat lozenges on the ground, and I suppose since my ears hadn't popped I didn't know how loud I was saying to Isabelle, 'Look at that rude girl!' and Isabelle hid her face in her pillow as the family looked at ME disapprovingly.

April 15, 2009 at 10:13 AM  
Blogger 2 Brits, 2 Yanks, 2 Dogs said...

Was that me and my son at the airport? Oh no it couldn't have been definitely not a model parent!!!

April 15, 2009 at 10:44 AM  
Blogger Stimey said...

I had an airplane trip where one of my children threw up at the gate waiting area. It was awesome. I caught it in my hands.

April 15, 2009 at 7:08 PM  
Blogger the mama bird diaries said...

That's hilarious. When my daughter was a baby, she threw up all over the man sitting next to me on the plane. Not a drop on me. She's always been a good kid like that.

It was sort of gross to sit next to a guy who smelled like throw-up.

April 15, 2009 at 11:20 PM  
Blogger PMKU said...

oh the irony...that's a great story.

April 16, 2009 at 1:48 AM  
Blogger bernthis said...

I can't believe you and I both got stuck and merciful God, our kids were the "good ones".

April 17, 2009 at 3:59 AM  

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