A vacation story: how ridiculously stupid other parents are.

I have a few blogs I hope to post about our trip last week to the beach. I took some great pictures and I am hoping to make a vacation movie of sorts- but all in due time. Life is back to its original busy state- even one day after vacation ended.

The story I want to tell you is a short one... and as you can see by the title- it's all about stupid parents. I am truly convinced that you should have to apply to become a parent. The application process should be so difficult and exhausting that only people who really want and love children would go through with it. I am a people-watcher so I enjoy watching others interact. Unfortunately there is no filter on this "hobby" so I have to take in all the crap as well the interesting stuff... Enter my story...

I think that every kid loves tickets: winning them at an arcade or a carnival or having to give one to someone at a fair to go on a ride. I found a great site online that makes up printable tickets- movie tickets, carnival tickets, prize tickets, and I printed them out and set up little games around the living room and each one the kids win they get a certain amount of tickets. They trade them in for snacks or toys I've put away for a while. It's alot of fun. Hunter will even set up the games for me and let me win tickets. OHH YEAH!!! GAME ON!!! As I whip the ball at a stack of cups....

SO, Landon had taken the children to Alligator Adventure for a little boys afternoon out. I met them at the park and waited outside the gift shop for them. As I waited I watched a whole parade of parents, dragging their children into the park, 92% of them chain smoking and yelling at the kids to watch out for the turtles. (Umm, first of all, why in the name of all that is fresh air would you smoke in your kids face? And second of all, turtles? TURTLES??? You are entering a place called Alligator Adventure and you're worried about your kids walking around turtles?? I think you need to visit a different place, maybe someplace without animals, like McDonalds, or Mattress Discounters.) So, this disturbing parent/child parade clears and out comes a Grandma and her 2 grandchildren. I thought to myself- "How nice! She took her grandkids out in this heat to see the animals. Good for her!" So her little granddaughter runs ahead of her, laughing and skipping- she was adorable- and she runs to the end of the bridge and blocks the way. When her Grandma and brother made it to the end of the bridge she holds out her hand and says: Two Ticket Please!!!! The Grandma smiles and says- Okay sweetie! Reaches into her pocket and.....





Wait for it......







.................






Pulls out a pack of cigarettes and puts them in the little girls hand. Here you go kiddo! 2 tickets!



I.am.not.joking.



My mouth dropped open so fast I looked like one of those fake singing fish. The little girl handed her Grandma the cigarettes back and they got in their car and went home. Wow. Just wow.

I guess when you don't have any real tickets, cigarettes are the next best thing. I'll have to remember that next time we set up a carnival in the living room.... Sorry kids! No tickets this time... but if you knock down all the bowling pins I'll give you each 5 cigarettes!!! HOORAY! I'm only kidding of course.

*Fun fact: Hunter thinks 'cigarettes' are actually called 'ciggaroos'. I don't correct him. It's too funny.*

So yeah, I got to witness some real gem stories this past week. You gotta love vacation!! It's good to be back though... till next time...


Seashells and cigaroos,

Lauren