Mama Bear is Born

Tuesday I had planned to take the kids back to the MOST but then remembered that it is closed Monday and Tuesday. Since it was cold and rainy and we'd be trapped indoors again all day I loaded the kids up in the car and headed back out to Great Northern Mall toddler play area.

I guess in the back of my mind I knew this day would come. I hadn't anticipated that it would arrive in this type of setting, or so early, though probably I should have. Mama (Bryn)Bear has emerged.

There were about four moms and one dad at the play area, with about 10 kids running around. While Theo and Beckett were running around I noticed one kid, a little ginger about 4 years old, hanging out at the top of the slide, curled up in a fetal position. It looked like he was trying to hide from his dad, or try to see how long it would take for his dad to notice that he was not visible from where his dad was sitting. (Unrelated tangent: dad did NOT notice that his son was missing because he was flirting it up with a mom on the other side of the play area.) I tried to model good communication by asking the little boy to move over ("Excuse me! Would you please move over so we can get by?") but he ignored me and made himself larger so there was no way for the boys to move around him. I asked again, to no avail. I started feeling angry as the kid obviously did what he could to obstruct the babies' path and openly disobey me. The next time I told him to move over, then physically moved him to one side of the slide by sliding him across the surface. He spread out again. By this time I was pretty mad. Theo just watched, looking at me and looking at the boy. I finally picked up the kid and stood him up by the side of the slide. That's when his dad finally came over to do something, and scolded the kid. He continued to be obnoxious by hanging out at the bottom of the slide so my boys couldn't go down without hitting him, and then he would make it difficult for them to stand up and move away. I was really impressed that both Theo and Beckett were watchful of him and patient as they tried to figure out what was going on. Later the boy pushed both boys and, while I stayed nearby wanting to go in and kick this kid in the face, Theo looked at him very puzzled, for a while, and then sighed and walked away. I was very impressed with my little guys and their walking away from a jerk. Not crying or asking for my help, just walking away. And for showing me the patience not to kick the kid in the head.