Mom Peeve #8: PS-The public pool is PUBLIC!

Mom Peeve #8: Puking at the pool is not ok. Getting back into the pool after puking, is a crime punishable by banishment from all community pools forever!

Floating bandaids, hair, and unidentified objects are a MUST in every public pool. I mean, what do you expect when you get a random assortment of members of a community, take off most of their clothes, revealing more skin than you ever desired to see on many individuals, and throw them in a big bowel of water together?

The public pool is a fascinating beast. Everyone knows kids pee in the public pool. You like to live in denial and tell yourself the chlorine automatically zaps pee and annihilates it. Let's just keep believing that. Occasionally you see a kid with nachos on his face come barreling into the pool. Gross. Or you witness the sweatiest, hairiest dad of the day lunge into the pool, thus rinsing off and feeling quite refreshed, while you are left feeling quite the opposite. I confess I rarely rinse off before I get in the pool. Even though everyone in the universe knows you are supposed to take a "full shower" before you immerse your body into the community summer sanctuary, I think approximately 1% of pool goers actually abide by this unenforced rule.

So here's the thing, I get that the public pool is the water "melting pot" of the town. The public pool takes "community" to the max. However, there are some limits you must acknowledge as a US citizen and community pool participant. Seriously, your citizenship and pool membership should be revoked if you do not abide by certain unspoken rules.

I did not envision myself "peeving" this particular post, but today's public pool experience presented a necessity for just this post. Today, at approximately 12:45 pm, a very large woman, threw up a very large quantity of puke, covering a very large quantity of space-including a patch of the cement roughly 15 ft from the pool's edge, a flower bush, my friend's foot, and part of her daughter's foot. Sick. Sadly, I did not actually witness this public etiquette violation, as it was relayed to me by my friend, the "puked on" victim. Disgusting? Yes. Unfortunate? Yes. An accident? Yes. While being grossed out, I sympathized for the unfortunate Puker. However, my sympathy immediately vanished as the Public Puker waded herself right back into the pool! This I witnessed, first hand. In disbelief and confusion I stared at this woman hoping she would receive my message via ESP requesting her to evacuate. She did not get the message.

I felt violated. I felt like screaming, "VIOLATION! VIOLATION!" This is NOT OK public pool etiquette. If you puke in public, at the pool, on people please refrain from resuming any and all pool activities. If you feel this request to be unreasonable you can take it up with me via email or we can take it outside.

Mom Peeve #7: Shut the F. up!

Mom Peeve #7: The mom that needs her mouth washed out with soap...

Shut the f*&% up! Harsh? Yes. I would never shout that at you let alone my kid. Admittedly, I have never actually heard a mother spout that exact phrase. However, "You're ass is grass!!!" does ring a bell. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was laying out by the pool while mullet mom shouted those beautiful rhyming words across the pool at her son. Not only was his ass about to be grass-quite a puzzling process-but his mother also instructed him to "shut [his] pie hole!" Classy and sassy.

I thought I'd bring things down a notch to a peeve I feel we can all-well at least 90% of us-agree upon: Cussing at kids. Some people do, in fact, cuss, swear, whatever you want to call it, AT their kids. These kids in turn go to school and teach your kids new and exciting words and phrases to expand vocabularies. Thanks Sailor mouth mom for that contribution to my kids education. Maybe you can teach my kids about sex in a crass and crude way as well.

Now I don't cuss at my kids in public or private because I am better than these people. Just kidding! Well, not really, but I don't cuss at my kids, because I find it rude, mean, inappropriate, harmful, and ignorant. I am betting that you agree with me, and also feel like you are better than sailor mouth mom-you are probably right. Just kidding, we are all moms rowing this mother f-ing boat together, or whatever...

Seriously, the public cussing needs to stop. The private cussing at your kids should probably stop too, but lets tackle one swear word at a time. I have a love-hate relationship with Walmart. Actually, its more like a mostly hate relationship due to its "black hole-like" qualities. There seems to be an above average amount of parental cussing that occurs in "Wally World," otherwise known as "What the F World," for some kids. "Get your ass back over here!"appears to be the most popular phrase, followed by some God Ds," "S*%$ bombs," and "What the hells." There's nothing like seeing a mom yelling at AND cussing out her 5 year old. Special, dysfunctional, and memorable.

There's really not much more to say besides shut the hell up Sailor mouth mom. Stop cussing at your kid! Its rude to your kids, its rude to me and my kids, and its rude to the English language. I am serious when I say, WTF. Give it a rest.

Mom Peeve #6: STOP asking.

Mom Peeve #6: The epidemic that has spread throughout the country where every person and his or her mother (literally) think it is their right as a humans and US citizens to inappropriately ask if you are PREGNANT.

Apparently pregnancy is the answer, reason, excuse, and explanation for everything. If you eat an interesting food combination that others completely find repulsing you hear it, "Are you PREGNANT?" If you feel bitchy or emotional or tired you hear it, "Are YOU pregnant?" If you scratch your belly or cough funny you hear it, "ARE YOU PREGNANT!" You greet your friend with "Hi," instead of your usual, "hello," and you must be pregnant. Seriously, what other explanation could there be for liking chocolate covered bacon? You MUST be pregnant! There is nothing more annoying than being asked this question when you are NOT pregnant. And there is also nothing more annoying, than being asked this question when you ARE pregnant!

The, "ARE YOU PREGNANT?" epidemic crosses conversational boundaries and shows poor Q and A etiquette. It might actually be on the "top 10" list of most inappropriate questions asked by human beings. Now I know some people might be thinking, "What is wrong with that question? Its harmless?" You're right, asking about someone's possible procreation is probably not harmful-just a headache, a pain in the ass, annoying, frustrating and stupid.

Harsh? NO. You see, that litte "+" sign on the prego test, evokes a realm of emotions, mostly good, manic, happy, crazy emotions; but sometimes not such enthusiastic emotions. Regardless of the evoked emotions, the new Prego will make her grand announcement to the world when she so chooses. She may announce it to every single person she meets, literally 5 mins after that little "+" sign appears. She may use a blow horn, or bounce into every room she enters announcing the news in a song. Or, she may choose to wait a bit. She may feel cautious and want to take time. She may decide she wants to chill and let it all sink in. She might just want to wait before she makes her grand proclamation for a wide range or reasons (use your imagination).

So back off! If you didn't hear it through the grapevine or see "baby on board" on her t shirt, or hear the words come out of her mouth, then she's probably NOT pregnant-or she does not really want you to know. Either way, don't ask.

Now if we are talking your BFF, or your sister, or whoever that you have VIP status with, these rules do not apply to you. Of course VIP status provides an exception to the rule because VIPS have no rules! However, lowly acquaintances, surface level friends, mid level friends, mere citizens, illegal aliens, co-workers, and strangers must abide by the rules.

And NO, I am NOT pregnant.

Mom Peeve #5: What happened to the bad and the ugly?

When fellow moms only talk about the good. Can we get a little more bad and ugly please?

As you know by now, I like to reference my time spent in "Pregnancy I and II." I entered the hospital two separate times as a prego and walked out a new mommy. I took two tiny bundles of cuteness home, with perfectly shaped heads, wearing adorable "going home" outfits. But before leaving the hospital, I learned new and exciting things. I learned about disposable underwear. I used the largest maxi pads ever created. I put ice packs in places I never knew icepacks could go. I developed a new definition for "frontal flashing" while nurses checked out the "situation" down below. I learned that when your "milk comes in," it does not do so calmly and quietly. It breaks down the door of those milk ducts and says, "Here I am bitches!" I got a glimpse at a life with breast implants the size of regulation size footballs. All these delightful lessons made up my initiation into "motherhood" and saluted me in my first 48 hours as a new mom. I don't recall any of those delightful lessons being referenced before I entered the hospital by the seasoned mom community. Instead it was something like, "Just wait until you see your baby's face for the first time!" Yea, that was great and all...it was amazing to see my baby's face for the first time...but could I have gotten a little more heads up on the rest ladies?


During time spent in the "Pregnancy I," I heard over and over again, "You are going to just LOVE being a mom!" I don't recall hearing, "You are just going to LOVE the ice packs they give you in the hospital for your crotch!" In all seriousness, I did love the crotch packs.


Of course I love being a mom. But can we get real for a second here ladies? I love talking about the real deal of pregnancy, motherhood, and kids. I love talking about the insanity of childbirth-particularly my insanity, the things that suck, annoying stuff, the crazy, messy, chaos of being a mom.


I am intrigued that every woman who is the proud owner of children has most likely birthed some babies, experienced actual childbirth, and spent many nights entirely sleep deprived and crazy. Yet there are moms walking amongst other moms feeling alone, guilty, beat up, like they are the only ones who aren't thrilled about sleeping in 3 hour segments with a newborn, like they are the only ones with a newborn that's pissed to be out of the womb, like they are the only one with a house that gets trashed, or the only ones wearing yoga pants all day, everyday. I am here to tell you that I love being a mom. But I HATED waking up every three hours to feed my adorable baby. My baby number 2 was pissed at the world for a good 4.5 months and that sucked. My children have the ability to trash the living room faster than an actual tornado. And I proudly wear a large collection of yoga pants most days.


Bottom line: Let's get a little more real here. Everybody knows that babies are cute, there's no love like the love you feel for your children, childbirth is a miracle, and that you are going to just LOVE being a mom. Not everyone knows about the disposable panties, what happens when a baby goes #2 for the first time in the hospital, how insane you will be feeling during the sleep deprivation months, and how nursing takes some practice.

For real.

Mom Peeve #4: Touching bellies that don't belong to you.

Mom Peeve #4: People that forget their kindergarten manners.

Pregnant ladies, puppies, and babies-what do these three have in common? People lose all common sense when in the company of one or more of the above.

Everyday you engage with strangers at the grocery store, walking to work, running errands, eating in restaurants, etc. Everyday you keep your hands to yourself. Everyday that is, until a prego walks into the room. Everyone wants to rub her belly like a lucky charm. People reach out as they boldly, and inappropriately ask, "When are you due?" Or better yet sometimes they preface this question with, "Wow! You're huge!" Do NOT do this. Rubbing prego bellies, and touching tiny baby hands that inevitably will be going into tiny baby mouths with your germy stranger hands is not ok! VIP belly touchers do exist, but chances are, you are not on the VIP list of the pregnant lady you small talked with in line at Target. Belly touching etiquette 101 states that "it is inappropriate to touch pregnant bellies, unless the Prego herself invites you to feel the bump, the baby kicking, or rub her belly for good luck."

In a previous life I taught small children. One of our class rules included, "keep your hands in your own space." Violators often partook in tapping, pinching, tickling, pushing, or a plain lack of spacial boundaries. It would not surprise me to learn that these early childhood spacial violators grew up to be prego/baby space violators.

Bottom line: Kindergarten rules still apply, they do not expire: Do not interrupt, respect others, treat others like you would like to be treated, and please keep your hands in your own space.

Mom Peeve #3: Half naked pregnant lady.

Mom Peeve #3: The prego who likes the bump flash a little too much...

First, let me say, I LOVE pregos. I am a veteran of "The Pregnancy I and II." I adore pregos with their cute little baby bumps. I empathize with the slow, sweaty, swollen waddling women, and I feel the pain of the ready to burst "to be mommies."And I REALLY feel the pain of the birthing mamas!

I love a good "look at me grow" flip book via facebook or whatever as much as the next lover of babies and moms. I myself, have created such a facebook album. Its all fine and dandy when you give us the profile shot, but when you hike that shirt up to your boobs to expose the largest belly most people will ever see shooting straight out over the top of the maternity jeans, its just too much. Too much naked, too much belly, too much! And when your belly button is doing freaky things, now you're just scaring people. Its not your fault, but all your facebook friends might like to see that massive bump inside your cutest motherhood top instead. All that naked is a little much at 20 weeks, a little more at 30, but 40 weeks + 2 days, and that's a LOT of skin. I remember scaring myself in the mirror when I was 40 weeks.

Before you get worked up, I truly believe a growing baby inside a mom to be amazing. But when your belly expands to the size of half your body, that's a whole lotta naked you're throwing out there!

So take your glowing, growing mama shots all you like, but keep your shirts on please, at least in public. If you need that naked belly shot with your husband's arms wrapped around you making a heart shape with his hands over your belly, fine. But after that, let's keep the shirts on. Actually this proves a great life lesson for all women pregnant and not. Let's keep the public nudity to a minimum.

Mom Peeve #2: The kid that's a little bitch.

Mom Peeve #2: The kid that needs a good punch in the face, because he/she rubs your nerves raw.

Harsh? Not really. Every mom knows a kid that is a little bitch-boy or girl. 

You know, the kid that pushes your kid down when the moms are chatting it up.

The kid that sits at the top of the slide and blocks the other kids, but refuses to go down and yells when other kids try to go down ahead of him. 

The kid that trips over a twig and bursts into the most obnoxious wimp cry. 

The kid that steals the dolly out of your child’s arms. 

The kid that’s a brat, hoards toys, picks on other kids, and cries bloody murder when someone barely brushes up against him or her. 

The kid that’s loud with a grating voice that makes you want to shout, “Will someone shut that damn kid up!” 

He is the kid that you actually want to punch in the face-you actually enjoy pushing him away from your child. She is the kid you hope will not be at the gathering you are attending, and when she is there, you cuss in your head-or out loud. And when she magically does not appear to be at your shin-dig, you celebrate. Lastly, this kid comes with an annoying name most of the time. Do you know the kid I am talking about? If you can’t think of one, you might just be the proud owner of that kid. 

In that case, keep your kid away from my kid.

Peeve #1 Public Sicko

Mom Peeve #1: Bringing your sicko, snotty nosed coughing kids to optional mingling mom/child activities to cough on other children and rub snot all over well children, particularly my well children.

Fact: Kids get sick.
Fact: It sucks when your kids get sick.
Fact: It sucks when someone's EXTREMELY visible sicko kid gives your kid a headlock bear hug and coughs in your kid's face.

I KNOW kids get sick, believe me I KNOW. Mine were recently sick for what felt like an eternity with what felt like a month long pig flu, bird flu, and duck flu all combined. Sometimes you can't help it when your kids get sick. Snot, coughs, and fevers do not stop life. You can't help it when you absolutely have to run to Target for toilette paper, deodorant, and milk and you HAVE to bring along your snotty entourage.

Here's what you CAN help-bringing your snotty, nasty, dirty, coughing sicko kids to playdates. Recently I attended an informal, very optional, gathering of moms, children, and babies. On arriving I was greeted by the rattling cough of a smoker-oh wait, it just sounded like a smoker, it was actually a sick 3 year old girl with a runny nose, and an intense cough. "What the HELL?!" I thought. I steered by 3 year old away from the sick child her own age, and eyed the germ culprit. After a little chit chat, I glanced down to see my whimpering 1.5 year old in a headlock hug. The headlock hug was extra special because it came complete with germs, a dirty child her same age, a green snotty nose, and special love cough right in my once well child's face. I wanted to toss this sweet little sicko child to the side and announce that her mother officially sucked and should get ready to get her ass kicked if my kid got sick after that little display. Instead I gently nudged little Nasty away, and scooped up my baby for detox. What was Sicko Mom's response, "Oh, she just loves babies." "Yeah she must also love WWF based on that headlock, what the hell lady!" is what I really wanted to shout in place of my fake half ass smile. After 2 more attempted hulk hugs by the sickest child I have seen in public in a while, I was ready to bolt. Thankfully, Sicko Mom read my mind-well, not really-and headed out with her peeps.

And so I say this lovingly as one mom to another...seriously, get you shit together moms. Do not unnecessarily expose the entire well population of your town to your child's germs. And if you do need to make that emergency store run in the midst of hacking and snotty children; at least try to disguise them as healthy, give them candy so they won't cough, keep your distance, your eyes down, and bust your ass to get in and out of that Target.