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I Need to Rant About My Mad Week

7 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 26/08/2006 03:18

I've spent the last five days in a resort in rural Ontario, with the two kids, no real net access, no real mobile access and went a bit mad.

First of all, (some of) the other parents there were completely bonkers. And DS1 is now engaged to the daughter from a bonkers family.

Secondly, mad old people hated me, and I hate them too, now.

Thirdly, I survived a five-hour train trip on my own with the two kids today. But I think DH has to do all the childcare for the next week.

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Californifrau · 26/08/2006 04:24

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/08/2006 13:24

It should be, we're in Montreal, where none of my family is. And DH is here, and will take most of the childcare for the next few days.

Are you still living in a hotel? Or have you got a proper place now?

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NotQuiteCockney · 26/08/2006 17:37

And damnit, I'm loving Montreal and wanting to move back here, as of this morning. Despite noisy neighbours etc.

Some of our Montreal friends are spending 3 months in the Bahamas this winter, and asking us to come join them for a bit, too, which is shaking my planned moratorium on travel ...

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KBear · 26/08/2006 17:58

ooh tell us about the bonkers parents and the mad old people.....

congrats to your DS on his engagement - will you buying a frock and a fascinator? PMSL

NotQuiteCockney · 26/08/2006 18:05

Oh, it's his fourth engagement, and the one I've liked least ... well, the girl is nice enough, and it was sweet seeing her trail around after him all googly-eyed (she's nearly 7, he's nearly 5!) about his accent.

The annoying people ... there was a group of absolutely horrid parents with their kids (all Canadian or American, so unlikely they come on here) who only seemed to ever say negative things, to each other, and to their kids. Constant criticism and bickering. Really unpleasant to be around. Quite embarassing. And DS1 is engaged to a daughter from this group, hurrah!

At one point, I was having a conversation with DS1's future FIL, and he said, "my kids are pretty well-behaved". And I so wanted to say, "you're right, so why are you always on their case?". He was forever telling them off for, say, putting air bubbles in a swimsuit so it looked like they had boobs. That kind of trivial crap, and he was shouting at them, really loud. He wasn't verbally abusive, exactly, just tiresome and really really really loud.

The old people were worse. At dinner one night, I noticed this old lady was staring at us. The kids were behaving well, and I thought she was enjoying them, or something. Whatever. But the service was a bit slow, and the bread took forever to come, so the kids got a bit fractious. Not shouting or screaming, but playing a bit loudly. The waiter brought some pages from a comic book and some crayons, which I thought was nice.

Then I realise the man with the old lady is complaining to the waiter about slow service, and "screaming kids". And I can overhear the old lady saying "they've got pizza, but they're eating the bread!" like it was any of her business.

I wanted to sink into the floor. I wish old people realised that just because they're hard of hearing doesn't mean the rest of us are! We hadn't chosen to sit next to them, we'd been put there.

The waiter apologised to me on the way out, and pointed out that it's a family resort, and the kids were behaving fine, but in a week where I ate out for every meal, sometimes with my dad, but mostly on my own with two kids, the whole thing increased my stress level exponentially.

At least now we're in Montreal where we can eat out somewhere different every day, so we don't get on everyone's nerves. And one of the nearest places is a lovely Iranian restaurant that have a big bucket of toys at the back, that the kids can play with.

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KBear · 26/08/2006 20:08

The other parents sound hellish and the mad old people just mad old people... I agree about the loud comments people make to each other thinking that you can't hear them grrr. Fifteen or so minutes waiting for food is a lifetime for kids isn't it and lots of people forget that or just don't realise it in the first place.

I look forward to further instalments of the NQC Trail!

NotQuiteCockney · 31/08/2006 22:32

Montreal is lovely. But DS1's just got an email from his new fiancee! We'll see how long that lasts for! Gah.

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