Childes at Heart: Stating the Obvious

Friday, September 17, 2010

Stating the Obvious

So Oliver continues to gain confidence in step-taking. It seems to be on everyone's mind.

Coworkers:

"Is Oliver walking yet?"

Church members:
"Is Oliver walking yet?"

Friends:

"Is Oliver walking yet?"

Neighbors:

"Is Oliver walking yet?"

The neighbor's dog:

"Woof Oliver Woofing Woof?"

And each time we answer, "yes, he's taking steps and getting better and better at it each day."

And each time they answer back, "oh, my, just you wait, life is going to get crazy once he really starts walking!"

Really.

One day at church, a guy watched as Oliver cruised along chairs and tables.

"He's going to be walking any day now, Mom," he said.

Really.

From the moment you announce a pregnancy, probably until the day your child has their own chilren, parenting includes the challenge of not publically rolling your eyes or giving a sarcastic reply with every obvious comment. Which occurs about 4.5 five times a day.

I'm just as guilty at stating the obvious as anyone else. One of my worst moments occurred at the State Fair a couple of years ago. I was in the DNR building trying to take interest in the difference between a Carp and a Muskie, when I saw a woman pushing a bus of a stroller housing her quadruplet infants.

"Wow, you've got your hands full!" I said cheerfully.

The woman gave me such a glare, a glare that I completely deserved. I was probably the 876th idot to state the obvious to her, just in that hour. That poor mother will have an exponential number of dumb observations and questions presented to her for the rest of her life.

While we're on the subject of the State Fair, which is long gone but still captured on my cell phone, here are some obvious observations about the Great Minnesota Get Together.