Chocolate for Breakfast

I don't know why, but this kind of thing happens to me a lot.

Ever since chemo I never really regained my weight and so today I'm a petite, thin person. I wouldn't say I look emaciated, or even skinny, I like the term thin. I hardly think I'm TOO thin, but then again, there are some strange people out there.

I'll give you the most recent occurence:

I was dropping JB off at the babysitter's on the way to work and on the way out, bumped into a little old bubby walking down the block. She called out for me to stop and I waited with ants in my pants until she finally got to where I was standing. I was in a huge rush, with four other teachers waiting for me to drive them to school, and this bubby was taking her time...and mine.

She came over to me and asked me "Bubbale, did you eat breakfast this morning?

I thought I was going to lose my eyebrows in my hairline.

Bubby asked me how it was possible to stay so thin. She wanted to know if I ate.

I told her I had a chocolate bar for breakfast and was in the middle of eating a melting ice cream bar in the car. It was true. I was late and my ice cream was melting. I was getting nervous.

I could tell she wasnt' convinced my metabolism was that good, so she asked me again how I was so skinny.

I hate telling people who ask innocent (albeit nosy) questions that I had cancer, but some random stranger asking me about breakfast sort of asked for it. So I told her.

As if I weren't late enough, the lady started to give me brachos. Wishing me a helthy life and for me to gain weight and for all to be good.

At least some of the brachos worked, the healthy life part was where I got to work a minute late and no one said anything! She must have been really special because her second bracha cause me to gained four pounds over Rosh Hashana. Now lets hope all will be well. :)

Lotsa Hair, No Brains

Over Shabbos I had the privelege of meeting some really stupid and insensitive people.

I was at a kiddush in shul where I met up with quite a few women who were lugging babies like I was.

I never believe it when someone tells me that JB is cute. He's cute by my standards but that doesn't mean that everyone finds him adorable and that doesn't mean that anyone has to go out of their way to say something they don't really believe.

I have seen many ugly babies and have had to say my share of tactful comments, but if I'm not asked, I don't comment on kids I don't find cute.

I thought my theory was something most people understood for themselves and generally, people try to avoid saying things to protective mothers that will get them in trouble.

But this Shabbos I met someone who took the cake. She didn't go out of her way to say my kid was the CUTEST thing since peanut butter and jelly; instead, she made sure to tell me how uattractive she found his fuzzy-almost-bald head.

This was a mother who really had a gorgeous baby. Her kid was the perfect Gerber baby with blue eyes and blonde hair and the sailor outfit with the matching socks and booties and hat and Bugaboo carriage.

She was running around the place asking everyone if her baby wasn't the sweetest thing around.

When I spoke to her she took a look at my baby and said she just couldn't help but stare because she thought his bald head was so odd looking.

I thought she was insane and told her so. Most of the babies in my family are born baldish and to me a baby with a ton of hair is soooo weird.

She said she never saw such a thing and wanted to know if my husband or I had ever been bald. I told her that I had been bald up until I got married.

As soon as she realized I meant my stint with cancer, she told me that despite his bald head JB was MUCH cuter and way more advanced than her child.

I should have JB wear a sticker that says "Be nice to me, my mom had cancer!"

Is it just me or are people really that stupid when it comes to their kids?