He's not with me....

I remember when my eldest niece (who is now 11) was 2 and she slapped a lady in the face in Debenhams who had pinched her cheek.  Personally I didn't have too much sympathy for the lady, if someone pinched my cheek I think I would have slapped them too!  My sister in law was mortified however.

One of the things I was always slightly worried about when we decided to have children (alongside the multitude of 'normal' worries you have about parenthood) was how I would feel if any of my kids were to do or say something embarrassing to a stranger when we were out and about.  We have all heard stories about some innocent child loudly asking 'Why is that man so fat?' or 'Why does that lady have a beard?'.  Hilarious when it happens to someone else, not so much when its you!

Charlie has been pretty kind to me on this front and apart from one incident where he called a giant scary looking man a pig at the local park, I thought I had gotten off pretty lightly.  However yesterday in the Post Office he decided to make up for it. We were being served at the counter when an elderly gentleman came up to the counter next to us.  I could see Charlie staring at him and a little alarm bell started ringing in my head....

Charlie (quite loudly) - Mum look at that old granddad
Me (quietly) Charlie that is rude, help me with the post
Charlie (louder) - No but Mum look how old he is
Me  - Charlie it is rude to call someone old
Charlie (in a voice to raise the dead) - But mum he is really really old, he has old hair and an old face..
Me -  Charlie stop being rude and help me with the post!
Charlie - But mum!!
Me - Charlie!
Charlie then grabs my face turns it towards the man and in a voice that could be heard in space yells - LOOK AT THE OLD GRANDDAD, HE IS REALLY REALLY REALLY OLD

I exited red faced leaving a baffled old man, a cashier in stitches and Charlie utterly confused as to why I was in such a rush.