Just a little off the top?

Today we went to the local Great Clips to get the boys a haircut. The owner of the store was going to be our hairdresser for the day. She put L up in the seat and asked him how old he was. He answered and then proudly said, "So is my brother and sister. We're triplets!"

The hairdresser stopped, looked at me and said, "Oh, my, I feel so sorry for you. You have my sympathies."

I was shocked and I couldn't find any words. She said it right in front of them as if they were a burden to be consoled over!

She then looked at N with his blonde hair and blue eyes and said, "Well, how come you look so different from your brother and sister?"

At that point I was seriously considering grabbing my kids and leaving. However, she had just lopped off the back portion of L's overgrown locks and there was no turning back.

I smiled at her and put my arm around N as I said, "Well, he takes after his Uncle Bernie. He also had blonde hair and blue eyes."

She looked at N and said, "So you're Oddball, you know, like that puppy in 102 Dalmations."

I looked at N and could see an alarm bell going off in the far reaches of his mind. He knew something was strange but he just couldn't pin-point it.

Then she said, "So you all must homeschool."

I said, "Yes."

She said, "Yeah, I could tell since you weren't in school."

I then braced myself for some wildly rude remark about homeschooling and was shocked when she had nothing to say about it. Maybe her internal editor had finally kick started into gear and she was able to refrain from saying anything else idiotic.

I'm still reeling from this encounter. I used to encounter rudeness whenever I ventured out with my children when they were babies. But it hasn't happened in so long that I'd forgotten how much it stings. I think the difference is that I'm not the one getting stung. It's my kids.