What are people thinking about your kids?

Just this past weekend, I took my mom shopping for some of her favorite books followed by a little trip to the bookstore coffee shop. We were there with all three of my girls. It was a special outing because we only get to see her a few times a year.

Bookstore coffee shops are quiet, quaint and quite devoid of children. I started getting that feeling that people were looking at us. No matter how well behaved children are, they're still at least ten decibels louder than most adults even when they whisper. And in my case, you then multiply that number by three.

I crossed my fingers hoping no one would ruin this moment. I got up and took a few pictures of my mom and the girls inside the coffee shop. Then I noticed one woman in particular staring at us. I smiled at her and crossed my fingers even tighter.

The moment was about to come. The woman looked at me and started to speak. With what I thought was a stern look on her face, she said softly, "Would you like me to take a picture of all of you?" Whew! Not what I expected. At that moment, I was reminded never to assume what people are thinking.

The woman explained how she missed "those days" with little ones running around. Then she told my four-year old how pretty her skirt was. My daughter unknowingly responded with a just a hint of sass, "Do you mean my dress?"

I wondered if the woman missed being corrected as well.