I'm A Mean Old Witch (Hat Optional)

Wednesday night my little sister told me that her, my mom and our sister in law were going to head to Gardner Village the next day. She said they had to go around noon/1:00 because that's what worked best for their schedule. I was a little bummed because I knew that meant I couldn't take the older kids and they always enjoy going to Gardner Village.

In my head I went back and forth over my choices...

#1 - I could just stay home and not go at all
#2 - I could go with just the 2 little kids and let the older kids be upset with me
#3 - I could take all the kids with me and just check the older ones out of school for a day

I just couldn't make a decision. So, I asked Eric for his honest opinion. I didn't bring up choice #3 cause I knew he would tell me it was a silly idea and they needed to stay in school. But he did tell me that I should just go and that the kids need to learn that life is full of disappointments!

So Thursday afternoon the little kids and I headed to Gardner Village to see the Witches! We met up with my mom and little sister by the pony rides (my sister in law got sick during the night - dangit!). Only the ponies weren't there - neither was the petting zoo. Apparently they've decided to only have those on certain days, we didn't choose on of those days. I relaxed a little knowing that the big reason my older kids like to go to Gardner Village is for the ponies and petting zoo.

We had lots of fun looking for the witches and I've never seen a kid more excited than my nephew to see them. He made it all the more enjoyable.

When we walked by the candy store - we had to go in! We left my mom outside with the strollers, cameras, diaper bags and phones while my little sister and I took the kids inside. Here's where the story gets interesting....(If you saw this on Facebook - feel free to skip over this part)

My sister and I have our 1 year old girls in our arms and our 5 & 3 year old boys are wandering around but staying right next to us.

While waiting in line, the little boys start touching some stuff on a table. My sister raises her voice and tells the boys not to touch. (Remember she had a baby in her arms)...

Some lady walks by and says, "Excuse me, let me walk by as you yell at your children."

Now I thought she was being funny, but apparently she wasn't and my sister wasn't going to leave it alone. My sister said something to the effect of "If you've got something to say about my parenting, say it."

The lady then says, "I don't know you. I'm not saying anything else."

Then she says to her kids, "Let's stand behind these girls, I want to see how they parent."

I wanted to ease some of the tension my sister and I were feeling, so I turned around and was like (Politely, mind you), "What?" "My sister was just trying to keep her kid from getting into things he shouldn't have gotten into."

The lady says to me, "I don't want my kids hearing the way you are talking. Please turn around cause I don't want to look at you."

She was all concerned about what her children were hearing (Elementary aged btw), yet she was being even more unkind than we were. I won't even mention the fact that her children were heavier set and she was buying them CANDY! Oops, I did mention it!

Now I know that there are two sides to every story and she may tell a totally different tale, but seriously - where do you come off telling a stranger what you feel about their parenting? The nerve of some people!

Both my sister and I were pretty shaken up after this whole incident. We got outside and told our mom about it and she was not happy. She was sure she would've had some words for the lady as well.

We tried to go about our business but we were all still pretty frustrated and it put a bit of a damper on the rest of the day. We stopped inside one shop and I found a part for Ailey's Halloween Costume (Have to put hers together because the ones I can buy look stupid and I won't pay money for it - I may not make it look any better, but I'm trying) and then we finished finding the witches so the kids could get their cookie!

We sat down and the kids ate their cookies. Ailey LOVED hers, Nate also enjoyed his and best of all they were FREE! WOOT!

We had a fun day and the older kids weren't very upset with me when they found out where I had gone without them. I did bring home a carmel apple and some Root Beer Jelly Bellys for them, so maybe that lessened the blow! I'm so not above bribing my children - judge me how you will!

Here's pics from our fun day (even without pony rides)....