Tattooed Grandma

So I'm at the Imagination Station last week and I notice that the moms there fall into one of two categories: moms who are really young and moms who seem to be more mature.


Now the moms who were young stuck out because I really thought several of them were 16-year-old babysitters until their kids called them mom. These 20-somethings looked SOOOOO young. And slim. And energetic. And trendy. And for a slight moment I wanted Junior to puke all over their Nike sandals. (Wow, did I just say that out loud?)


The "mature" moms were looking a bit more weathered. They carried the wear and tear of several children and preferred to watch the action from the sidelines. They weren't looking young. Or slim. Or energetic. Or trendy. And for a slight moment, I was pretty sure they wouldn't mind seeing Junior puke all over those other pesky moms' trendy sandals or bedazzled cell phones.


And then there was a grandma and grandpa there with their granddaughter. Now that's nothing new but the grandma kind of stuck out from the crowd. First, I noticed that she had platinum blond hair that needed its roots touched up. Then I was struck by how she had on grape purple shorts and shirt that made her look like she had just stepped out of a Fruit of the Loom commercial.


But what really sealed her place in the grandma hall of fame was the line of tattoos that ran up and down her arms, around her ankles, and on her neck---animals, hearts, faces, Chinese characters, symbols and a recipe for a Lemon Bundt Cake. Oh, the questions that came to mind: were these tattoos from her youth or did she get a little crazy while playing Bingo one night? And, why did she choose Lemon Bundt Cake and not Key Lime Pie?


If the tattoos weren't enough, she wanted to seal her image in my mind for all eternity when she plopped herself in the tire swing and proceeded to sway back and forth for, well, EVER while kids lined up crying and whining and pointing at the tattooed grandma because she was hogging the coveted tire swing. And, well, because it's not often you see a grandma clothed head to toe in grape purple, covered in permanent ink and swinging in a tire swing. For.EVER.


So this experience makes me wonder---do we all start out as young, energetic, slim moms and then with the addition of more children and more time we morph into mature moms who have decided to trade impractical Nike sandals for sensible shoes and a seat on the sidelines? And then after we've "done our time" as parents do we move up to the coveted grandparent spot where we wear monochromatic clothing accessorized with ink drawings of our favorite recipes and spend our afternoons lallygagging in tire swings?


I know....the depth and importance of this post is just overwhelming.

Tattooed Grandma

http://momnaction.blogspot.com/2007/06/tattooed-grandma.html