Mom's a bully

I never wanted to fight my kids battles for them. It was one of those pre-parent promises we all make. Like, I will never put my kid into a Sesame Street coma just so I can have a personal phone call without screaming interruptions. riiiiight.

We went out a lot today. I had to get out of this house. Pre-nap time we went to Chick-fil-a, a cooler more Christian version of McDonalds (yes that was snide but come on, they blast Christian Rock and Christian easy listening in there. Plus the lady at the counter told me to have a blessed day). We ate our blessed chicken and I conquered a big fear of mine: a community restaurant playjunglegymthingy. I chose Tuesday because most Mothers Day Out programs are Tuesday and Thursday, therefore I knew there weren't going to be tons of hacking, snot nosed children around. To my luck, we were the only ones in there. My kids loved it and were having a grand ol' time until two older girls showed up. They were probably around 7 or 8.

At first they just tolerated my toddlers but then when Lily refused to get out of one of their way in a crawl tunnel, the one with longer hair shouted to her friend, "UGH, I can't get around this stupid baby! Move baby! Get out of my way now!!!!"

My mom-dar shot up and I quickly crawled straight up the jungle gym (thank God I'm a stick) and crawled through the connecting tunnel and stared that little brat straight in the face. She looked at me in horror.

I said, "I'm sorry little girl, I couldn't hear you all the way down there, what did you say again?" She looked at her feet and said, "nothing." I said, "no, I don't think so, you said something. What was it?" She said, "well this baby..." I interrupted and said, "MY baby." She said "um...is in the way and I can't get to the slide." I said, "perhaps my baby is going towards the slide herself and you'll just have to wait your turn." She said, "ok..."

I crawled back down the tubes and sat back onto the bench. I saw my daughter smiling all the way down the slide and then run back up to do it all over again. Then I saw the girl come down the slide and quickly leave out the door, waving to her friend to come on.

Post-nap we went to the park, which is walking distance from our house and such a wonderful park. I'm so thankful for it and can't wait for spring.

While up on one of the death drop jungle gyms (I HATE fireman poles), I was splitting my attention between my son who was on one side hanging out near the large opening for the climbing rock wall (it's about 3 feet above my head so that would make it at least a 8.5 foot drop to the ground). And my daughter who was on the other side heading towards the giant twist slide (but of course it also has a giant drop right behind the slide entrance).

I'm watching from the ground when I hear, "NO! This is my slide!! You're a baby, this isn't for babies, this is for big kids, go away!!" I look up to see this red haired boy with a popsicle stained mouth standing in front of the slide blocking it from my daughter.

My daughter has her mother's genes so she was grabbing his leg and trying to pry him out of the way. The second his hand reached down and grabbed her arm, I shouted my sharpest "HEY!!" He looked down (mind you he's 3 feet above my head), and I said in my meanest mom voice, "Do NOT touch her young man!" He was in shock. I calmed and said, "This slide belongs to everyone, including her, take your turn and move out of her way please."

He came quickly down the slide and ran off to the swing set. My daughter smiled and came zooming down the slide, hopefully thinking mom was her hero.

As the kids get older, of course I'm not going to fight their battles for them. I hope they get in a few and I hope they even lose a few. But at their age, my mom protect-or cape is still flying behind me and I can't stand little brats.