Non-Alcoholic Lemonade and a Side of Shattered Self-Esteem

I hear things when I eat.

At restaurants I eavesdrop study human nature by listening to the people around me.

At home, human nature is shoved in my face as Laylee talks and talks her way through each meal. I love it… most of the time.

A couple of days ago, we were eating lunch at Enchilada Town when I heard the teenaged girl in the next booth order her drink. “I’d like a pink lemonade please — non-alcoholic.” Wuss. She must not have had a fake ID. How embarrassing to have to order non-alcoholic lemonade.

Today at lunch, Laylee started the conversation by asking me, “Can you please be exactly like Isabellov’s mom?”
Me: What does she do that’s so special?
Laylee: I don’t know. You just do it, okay?

A couple of bites later, she asked me, “Why are you not as pretty as me?”

I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Isabellov’s mom?

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18 Responses to Non-Alcoholic Lemonade and a Side of Shattered Self-Esteem

  1. Stephanie says:

    Oh, sad.

    That’s funny about the lemonade.

  2. allysha says:

    My girl has taken to telling me that she’s smarter than I am and everyone else in the family. She says it with an air of grand superiority. It’s probably true, but I don’t let her know that. I mean, she’s only four, for heaven’s sake!

  3. KYouell says:

    Oh my. And I was kind of hoping for a girl this time. Maybe not. I have a feeling I was like Allysha’s 4-year-old and karma will bite my butt big time.

  4. Amy says:

    Hah! That’s great! Almost as good as my 3 year old daughter telling her Daddy “you’re so silly, Daddy” and then turning to me to say “And Mommy, you’re… just fine.”

  5. Kelly says:

    Ha! Laylee is great!!!
    But your commentary about it….
    Really made me laugh!
    It really did. (I’m not just saying that….)

  6. Shannon @ Rocks in my Dryer says:

    Great post, but what stands out to me is that somewhere in this great nation is a restaurant called Enchilada Town. Really?? Because I MUST EAT THERE.

  7. Kendra says:

    I love the non-alcoholic lemonade! It’s funny that she would say that when they know she’s too young. Kids can be brutal. Just take it with a grain of salt.

  8. Angela says:

    Very funny conversation. I was so anxious to become a mom and hear all the adoring things kids are supposed to say to their moms, about how beautiful you are and how they want to marry you and how there’s no greater mom in the world. But it isn’t coming. I’ve been waiting 3 and a half years. So, I gave up on waiting and I’m feeding it to him quietly as he falls asleep.

    I think it’s tender that Laylee has such a great self-perception. Clearly, even without being Isabellov’s mom, you are doing something right.

  9. TBG says:

    My neice told my sister in law she wasnt as pretty as her becuase apparently Abigail’s Hair was longer than her mom’s making her prettier!

  10. Sketchy says:

    Yeah, my son tells me all the time how I’m not as nice as his mom from China. …he’s neither Chinese, nor adopted… To which I remind him that she must have dumped him off on my doorstop without a note or anything, and at least I haven’t done that yet.

  11. jodijean says:

    hey at least she has some individual worth in there, too bad she hasn’t learned that you dont say things if they aren’t “kind” “necessary” and “truthful” by all accounts what she said doesn’t fall into ANY of those categories, DYM you are pretty… i mean with the floating head and all, how could you not be?

  12. I’m convinced little girls are born jealous of their mothers. It’s a competition from pretty much birth on, vying for Daddy’s affections. This has been especially true of my oldest daughter… she’s 10 and I just have begun to feel that she respects and responds to me as much as she does my hubby.

  13. Lauri Weeks says:

    I sympathize as I have a 7 year old going on 18 red head who almost makes her “stingers” a sport! I can finally react to them without tears or anger or a lecture about disrespect … and know she loves me! (at least I keep telling myself that!) Thanks for the giggle…

  14. Tressa says:

    and yet we love them anyway…

  15. jeans5kids says:

    Kids… they say the cutest things … that’s something I can picture my oldest asking me and about the lemonade, funny!

  16. EmLouisa says:

    I’m laughing at the non-alcoholic lemonade! And Laylee? Too cute.

  17. Margaret says:

    I feel that I will start ordering everything, everywhere, “non-alcoholic.”

    At Wendy’s: “I’d like a Frosty, please. Chocolate – non-alcoholic.”

    Also at Wendy’s: “Can I have a large order of French fries – non-alcoholic?”

    At someplace that serves these: “One Oriental salad to go – non-alcoholic.”

    At the copy center: “Five copies of this packet, front-and-back, collated, stapled, and non-alcoholic.”

    The possibilities are ENDLESS!

  18. Maria P. says:

    Do Not come to the Outback in Bellevue. When my husband and I go out to dinner all three times a year, we dish all the gossip from our daily lives. It is very interesting. Probably get us fired though. LOL

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