"Can We Go to the Park?"

This is my kids with three of their cousins at a park last spring. A whole year ago. 

The other day, I was driving home from my workout and made a detour so I could stop by the cleaners. We passed a park before I realized I didn't have my wallet, so I couldn't pick up the dry cleaning anyway. But, little did I know, the damage was done. Max saw the park and quickly exclaimed, "Can we go to the park?"

Before thinking it through, I said, "When George gets home from school."

So George got home, we fed him, I collected a few snacks, some water and a book. I was looking forward to a little reading time.

We got to the park and Max and George hopped out. As we walked towards the playground, I realized that I was the only Mom who had come without a friend. I felt a little weird. Kind of like I was at a high school lunch eating by myself. Not exactly the feeling I was going for. 

But I persevered. I quickly found a bench and pulled out my book. Then I glanced around and realized that all the kids were cute and well dressed. Some were even there for a birthday party. I looked at my own kids. George was decent because I had picked out his clothes for school, but Max had dressed himself. Bright red polar fleece pants that match with nothing and an orange short-sleeved shirt with a rhino on it. Not only the colors, but the seasons of clothing did not match. Oh well.

I returned to my book. Max started yelling for me to watch him. It was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell him to leave me alone because I was reading and to entertain himself, but then I realized that all the other Moms would think I was horrible. I had to hold it in and feign interest in his ladder-climbing skills.

He and George kept coming over for snacks. Max kept begging me to push him on the swing. And I kept wishing for some peaceful reading time. 

Mercifully, after an hour, George had to go to the bathroom. After taking a peek at the public restrooms, he informed that they, "were sick and he needed to go home."  Thus, the mad dash to gather everything up and hurry home.

This is why I gave up taking the kids to the park when number four came along. It's much easier to send them in the backyard.