*Grace's P.O.V*
"Let's see...first off, I removed it so of course I knew where it was. I didn't think you wanted it and I didn't want sunscreen on it. Second, she just wanted to make sure you and daddy were here and that I was in the proper line. They don't let just anyone sit in these special seats, sweetie. Lastly, I'll fix it later. It's too much of a hassle with this wind blowing. We will have time while we wait for our tickets so I'll do it then." Mommy tells me, helping me to get comfortable on her lap.
"Mmm, don't lose it then mommy. I really like my paci and I don't wanna...wanna lose it," I tell her, stumbling over my words as I put my paci back in my mouth. I was still confused about what her and the zookeeper lady were talking about though. How were these seats special? They didn't seem that special to me.
"Daddy's not ever allowed to touch my hair again, he messes it up and I like what you do too much to let him do that," I huff, resting my head on her shoulder as I decide to finally look around.
"Sure honey. Whatever you say..." mommy says with a laugh, bouncing me on her knee lightly.
"I'm sorry, is she in a diaper by chance?" I hear from who I assume is the lady in front of us. I freeze up from her words though so can't check, as mommy holds me very protectively.
"Yes...Why?" Mommy asks very directly and sounding exactly how she does right before I get my bottom in trouble.
"Sorry...context would be important here, huh? I have a son. He is currently potty training and still has a lot of accidents. I tried to get him to make our lives easier by just wearing a diaper but he refused. He cried about being my big boy and not my baby boy all morning so I let him have his pullups. My reward? I got to change him after we arrived because he already wet himself and now I get to spend the entire time here worrying if I packed enough pullups for him." The lady says, sounding quite exasperated.
"Sorry...he is in the back with his father so had to rant while I could. Love him to death but he drives me crazy in that special way only kids can. My point is to ask...how? How did you get her in a diaper for this?" The lady asks, sounding very perplexed now. Hearing the question, mommy relaxs but actually answers her truthfully!
"Oh...yeah. She definitely put up a fight. She still is putting up a fight. The difference between you and I though, is simply I didn't give her a choice." Mommy says, repositioning me so I can more easily do the only logical thing left and hide my face against her.
"You didn't...give her a choice? So you forced her into the diaper?" The lady asks, sounding hesitant to continue this conversation and a bit confused. I'm glad she sounds hesitant though because maybe now she will stop asking mommy such embarrassing questions!
"Yes and no. Yes, I didn't really give her an option. If she had it her way, she would be in a pullup right now or even regular underwear. No though, it wasn't her only option. She had the option of a pullup but I made it clear I would make sure she was constantly on the potty if she picked that, which isn't any fun for either of us. So she reluctantly let me have my way and let me diaper her." Mommy says and that's so not how it went! She practically demanded I wear a diaper!
"I'm not sure I...I can do that..."The lady says, sounding nervous and I hope she doesn't! Mommy is a meanie for making me wear a diaper and I'm going to so prove I can be like the lady's son and wear a pullup! What...didn't he already have an accident? Better than her son!
"First child?" Mommy asks with a slight chuckle and I have no idea why that matters...
"That obvious?" She asks in reply, with an awkward chuckle in return. Again, why does this matter? And how did mommy know?
"Just a guess. She's my third, by the way, and the baby of the family. Isn't that right, my wittle Gracie?" Mommy says, of course teasing me and making me try to hide even further into her!
"Are the others in school then? Daycare?" The lady asks, making me freeze up! What if mommy tells her they are adults? What if she tells her I'm an adult!?
"Something like that. We are about to arrive and separate though so all I can tell you is this...At the end of the day, it's your child and your choice. A diaper works best for our situation. You decided a pullup works best for yours. If you are regretting that choice, change it. Convince them it's the best choice by offering them something they want. For her, it was more time seeing the animals and having fun, and less time on the potty. Well, no time...But again, it's up to you to decide. And your husband...he obviously gets a say too. Have a good day now and hope you figure it out!" I hear Mommy say as I feel her scoot to the side before standing and holding me tight so I can stay hidden. Wrapping my arms and legs around her quickly, she supports me by allowing me to practically sit on her arms, and I stay like that until I feel mommy sit back down again.
"She's gone now Grace...you don't need to continue hiding like this..." mommy says, patting my back to comfort me.
"If you still want me to fix your hair, you will have to release me from your death grip..." mommy says, playing with my hair by undoing it fully and combing her fingers through it.
I reluctantly pull my face out of my hiding spot, glaring at mommy with a frown. I couldn't believe she would embarrass me in such a way. She had talked about something that was so so embarrassing to a complete stranger!
"Don't want you touching my hair, or talking to me. You're mean. Super duper mean," I say as I jerk away from her, wanting to get down from her lap now.
"Because I had a chat with another mommy?" Mommy asks after a moment, making me shake my head with a small frown.
"'s personal! No like when talk private stuff with people. My stuff, not yours. No tell mean stuff 'bout you, like mean punishments, but you tell people stuff about me and I don't like it mommy," I say frustratedly...
"And what exactly did you expect me to say? Did you want me to lie to her? She saw you using a pacifier, on my lap, sitting in the toddler section, with a stroller, and probably recognized or at least assumed she recognized the particular bulge around your waist. It's hard to hide a wet diaper from a mother that's spent the last 2-3 years staring at one, dear. Let alone you're in nothing but a thin romper. It doesn't exactly hide it..."mommy says, giving me no sympathy at all!
"Whatever, doesn't matter! You still told," I say, tears of frustration burning my eyes. I wipe them away angrily, not wanting to deal with her words. I take my paci out, shoving it into her hand angrily. I didn't want to be a baby, it was embarrassing and I hated it. I wasn't going to do anything to make anyone else think that I was a baby. I'm a big girl and that's that!