The Park... NOT WORTH IT!

Yesterday was "MOPS At The Park." Since MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) is over for the year, we have monthly gatherings scheduled like going to the park and the pool. Yesterday was the park.

(sigh)

I got Chloe out of bed at 9am, and it wasn't 9:30 before I decided we were going to try to go to the park. She woke up on the wrong side of her crib and was taking her anger out on Cooper and me; she needed to get out.

We get to the park a little before 11:00am. The turn out is fantastic. A friend greets me at the car. She grabs Chloe and I get Cooper. As I am approaching the park I am already wanting to go home b/c I know how this adventure is going to end...

"wing, wing, wing." says Chloe in a dead sprint towards the "swings." I follow behind carrying Cooper in his car seat as he begins to cry b/c he HATES his car seat.

I lift Chloe into the swing. My friend and her son is still hanging out with us. Then both kids dart to a toddler friendly slide, I sit down and watch hoping she doesn't fall, but knowing if she does it isn't that far down and will only hurt for a brief moment.

The kids separate and Chloe decides she wants to act like a crazy person. She runs to Cooper and pulls his blanket off, pulls his pacifier out, shakes the car seat and heads for the swings. (I had just gotten him back to sleep) I grab her by the back of the shirt, she lets out the highest pitched scream that only little girls can do, especially when they are acting like brats/terds. She decides to flop around. I am trying to get Cooper to stop screaming and I can't let her go to the swings alone b/c they are all occupied w/ nice boys and girls and Chloe doesn't understand when the swings are moving, it hurts to get hit by one.

Once I am ready to go to the swings, she doesn't want to do that anymore. She starts playing on the 'not toddler friendly' part of the park. It's a cool toy, but has a lot of gaps and areas Chloe could fall through, she doesn't understand the gap thing yet.

Picture this. I am running around like a crazy person, carrying a car seat, yelling at Chloe to not step off the edge, Cooper is crying and I'm on the verge of a breakdown and slightly resenting Matt that he has never done this (taken both kids to the park). While attending to Cooper, Chloe falls off the toy, thankfully it wasn't from too high.

After 40 minutes (pat on my back) of enduring the elements, I decide to try and go home. Now this is where Chloe's true colors shine. She hates leaving the park and frankly so do I. I wanted to be able to stay and let her go crazy. I grab her up under my right arm, carry Cooper on my left and head for the truck. Chloe is kicking and screaming and I am thinking "my child really is a good girl people, please don't think she's awful."

Someone kindly asks, "Do you need help?"
"No, it's pointless now. I am almost there." I say while fighting back the tears.

I get Chloe into her car seat and she goes 'fish out of water' on me and I can't get her buckled in. I offer to go get fries b/c Lord knows I needed a pop and kiddie cheeseburger to help get me through; she calms down. I go to put Cooper's seat on the base and he is still screaming and I realize I can't find his pacifier, "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10"

I call my friend as I am pulling away from the gates of hell and ask her to grab it if she sees it.

I fight back more tears and call Matt and tell him about my morning. He says sorry, but that's all, I wanted a medal or something.

I have since decided, I will never do that again. Matt and I have to go 'man on man' defense when it comes to the park, zone is for idiots, it never works, usually not in basketball either.

I was recently introduced to the golden arches; McDonald's. I had never in the past thought about taking her there to play. From now on, it's McDonald's.