We were at the park last week. We decided to take the kids there.. it's in a residential area (kind of a hoity toity area, but it's the kids' favourite park, so we decided to pick up a pizza for dinner and go). Within about 20 minutes of getting there, I noticed 2 obnoxious, loud boys, about 9 & 10 years old, that wouldn't let Blake and Cole.. or ANY other kids on some of the playground equipment. I let it go for about 4 or 5 minutes, see if Blake could handle it.. but these kids were just getting even worse.
So, I truck my big ol' butt over there and just say to them (highly unlike me) "Hey, you know what, this playground is kinda meant for everyone, and so maybe you should let everyone have a turn. There's lots of room for all the kids to have a turn".
Kids stares at me.
I stare at kid.
30 seconds or more pass. He looks away.
I walk back to the picnic table where my husband sits a bit shocked. Blake and Cole move onto the swings about 20 feet away... the annoying boys move over to another area... continue to be obnoxious.. just a teensy bit less.
MEANWHILE, all the while I notice these two women on the opposite side of the playground, sitting on a bench, never looked over once, deeply engrossed in conversation. 30 minutes pass... 30 minutes of hearing these kids and their ever-growing ignorance. 3 gorgeous pre-teen or young teen asian girls show up and take seat on some swings. They are talking amongst themselves and giggling, telling stories and basically having fun. The aforementioned boys are joined by two other boys, probably aged 11 and 12, and a young girl of about 7 years old who remain ont he playground equipment 20 feet away. I am pushing my boys on the tire swings 10 feet from that.
What happens next makes my blood boil. The older boys begin to talk across the playground, quite loudly, to these girls on the swings. When I say "talk".. I mean, through racial slurs at, call wh*res, laugh at, make fun of their culture, their 'mamas' and anything else they could possibly think of. In shock... I make sure my children are distracted and not paying attention. After 5 minutes and scraping my chin up off the ground (and giving these boys the glare of doom).. I walked over to these girls and asked if I knew if the ladies sitting on the other side of the playground were these boys' parents.
They didn't know, but went with me to find out. We walked over, and I asked
"The boys over there, *pointing*, are they yours?"
Lady #1 (in thick accent): "Which ones?"
Lady #2 (perfect English): "Ummm, Huh? I don't know"
Me: "The one in the blue shirt, the one in the orange shirt, and the two bigger boys... aka: the only 4 boys on the playground right now"
Lady #1: "WHY?"
Me: "Because they are being slanderous, ignorant, rude and using racial slurs against these girls, and other parents in this park, don't want their children hearing these things, nor should these girls have to put up with that kind of stuff"
Lady #1: "I don't know, I don't come from this country"
Me: "Then you would think you might be extra-sensitive to this type of racial/cultural slandering"
Lady #2 proceeds to call 2 of the kids over who start making up sorry excuses. NONE of the kids get reprimanded for their behaviour... the girl who came with me (and her two friends) certainly put their two cents in and are hurt by the degredation by these people to their culture... the girls leave and I am shocked by these people who, instead of disciplining their children.. continue to let them play another 45 minutes before WE leave. Who knows how much longer after that.
If my kids EVER said what these kids said... they would have been in that car and out of that park SO quickly their heads would spin.
I'm also shocked I had the gaul to say anything... but my kids are getting to the age they are really picking up on things and need to know what I stand and don't stand for... and that's one of them.
So, onto some photos.... last Thursday Eric and I celebrated our TEN year anniversary! I still can't believe it.. wow. We went to Dante's Bistro for the last time...
Credits HERE
They boys are wrapping up their summer... hard to believe in a week and a half they'll be in school IN A DIFFERENT province! We have the move coming up this Sunday... I am so stressed.. lol. I went and had some Crystal Light.. it has Aspartame.. so now my dang joints are all swollen up and sore (stupid me).. and I am really hoping that goes away by Sunday!
Here is a picture of Blake enjoying the last lazy days of summer.... (recognize the lyrics?)
HERE
Trying to say goodbye to everyone here is really really hard. I have made some wonderful friends. Yes, while there are so many ways to keep in touch, it is still not the same. I went out with some girlfriends the other night for dinner..
Credits HERE
And one more from my ongoing "Trip to Newfoundland" series... my Dad and the boys...
Credits HERE
Well, this will probably be my lsat post from Alberta... next time, will probably be from British Columbia.... as for things from the digital front..........
So until then.... ciao! Wish us safety and luck on our trip... I wish I could wave a magic wand and have us all magically, safely (and cheaply!) moved there!!!
See you in about a week!!!
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