So, I took Ethan to the brand new LaGrange Public Library today. It's right on LaGrange road in downtown. Yesterday, we were going to walk there, but he got really sleepy and we aborted the mission. So anyway, I threw him in the car seat (gently) today, and we drove. I put him in his umbrella stroller and we walked into the beautiful new building. Everything is so nice and pristine still, and I was so excited to finally have a library in our town again.
First, we went to the children's section. We walked around it and then I realized that Ethan has a ton of books on his shelf we haven't even read, and, who am I kidding, he's not old enough to pick new ones out. So we left and headed for the elevators to go to the adult section. There are two books I wanted to check out, and I was going to see about renting a DVD or two.
No sooner had the elevator door opened to the second floor when Ethan started SCREAMING. Not crying. Not whimpering. Not moaning. SCREAMING. High pitched, fast, scary, get-me-the-hell-out-of-here kind of screaming. This is a scream that I hear maybe once a week. It means, "I'm in pain" or "I'm really pissed" or "I'm so overtired it hurts!" Immediately, every person in sight turned to look at the abusive mother with the psychotic child.
I bent down to him and shushed in his ear, trying to calm him down.
I made a fruitless effort to insert his pacifier.
After what seemed like an hour but was more like 30 seconds, he calmed down.
I did a quick look around, said out loud to nobody in particular, "I don't know what happened. He never cries like that" and pretended to be very interested in the random shelf of books I was next to at the moment.
Then, WHAM, Ethan was screaming again.
I beelined it for the elevators as quickly as I could and started frantically pushing the button while trying to calm him down and doing my best to look inconspicuous. (Pay no attention to the frantic first time mom attempting to look calm in the face of a crisis.) Thankfully, this grandmothery woman walked over and suggested I pick him out out of the stroller. I will forever be indebted to this woman, who, so eloquently, gave me the number one piece of baby advice I have ever received, hands down: when babies cry, pick them up. Genius! Thanks, lady. I know, I know, she didn't mean any harm, and she was sweet in an unsolicited, annoying, and obvious advice sort of way. I did pick him up, which did, after a moment, calm him down, eliciting a "See, he just needed some loving" comment from Well-meaning Grandma Character.
At last, the elevator opened, and we rode it down to the first floor, where we gingerly danced out the door.
Now, there are two conclusions one might draw from this situation:
1. Ethan hates books. His parents are teachers and voracious readers, but he is asserting his need to be different early.
or
2. Ethan hates elevators. Something about the feel of the elevator spooked him, and he freaked out accordingly.
Let's hope for number two.
3 comments:
Wow, you are such a voracious blogger. I can hardly keep up.
Love your stories, as always.
It is always difficult to be in public with a screaming child.
I coulnd't really tell if you were annoyed by the old grandmotherly lady or not, but I for one have decided I don't like people I don't know giving me advice. For instance, yesterday Nathan left his toy at the arboretum. Not just any toy, but his "Mr incredible ski lift" as he calls it, which is a bath tub fishing pole that has about 10 random objects tied into it, such as: Mr Incredible, two necklaces of mine, an airplane, a car, and '03 graduation tassel, and probably some dental floss too since he likes that. Anyway, he's been working on it for about two weeks and it is his pride and joy. So when I went to get it at the lost and found desk, I didn't welcome the advice: "be careful with the string, he could choke himself on it". They should be praising me for my child's creativity in creating such a weird contraption!
My child is almost four, and even though I am young mom so I guess people think they can give me advice (I can't picture them telling that to an older mom), I am a paranoid mom and I read every safety update and take it seroiusly. However, I am not worried about this toy and I didn't want some lady butting in.
Okay, that was way too long, esp. considering I never post on my blog. I think I will copy and paste to my blog.
Love you bud!
Sarah
I bet it is #2...the story is just as funny here as it was when you told it on Friday! You'll have to take him somewhere else where there is an elevator and see if that is the case (because now he screams walking into the library--you'll have to show him elevators are everywhere!) :)
good luck girl...
Michelle, I believe your day at the library indicates that Ethan is reacting to living with two teachers. And I think it shows his remarkable intelligence to establish his independence so quickly and effectively. (Thanks for yet another good laugh. You are a maniac - and I mean this in the nicest way.)
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