Trouble at the Adventure Park

 At this point of life, I should really not leave the house.  It's been long enough since the pandemic that I could probably be clinically labeled feral.  Or incorrigible.  Definitely a hermit.

So of course we went to youngest nephew's birthday party on Sunday.  At a trampoline park.  With the whole family. And people.

I don't see a single thing that could go wrong.

Kevin and I hung out with the grownups at the tables for a bit then ventured into the park part of the place.  Absolute chaos as children from toddlers to teens are bouncing, flipping, running, jumping, falling, and gymnasticing.  

We found our "kids", a group of grade-school boys, a few teens, and grown Nephew in the mix.  They were playing tag and showing off and having a great time.  We found a place to stand where we could see most of the place and not get knocked over by flying bodies.

The big guys were playing on a rope swing with a one story drop.  In the middle of this, there was a little girl - maybe about 8 yrs. old.  We cautioned her to watch for the big boys and she complied.  Then the boys ran off to something else and I wasn't turned that way anymore.

Something caught my attention and I watched as this other girl, about the same age but taller, marches over and gets right in the face of the tiny girl.  My senses heightened so I tuned into what was happening.  I saw/heard the little one say "No, I didn't." and the new girl - who now has animated gestures - claimed that she did something.  

The mean girl continued and the little one hesitantly but bravely stuck out her tongue to her.   Inwardly I giggled and thought "Well, that's still a thing, after all these years."  "And that's not going to end it."

Then the mean girl gets really close to her face and says "I will beat you up. You don't mess with my brother. I will find you and..."

My inner teacher came out in a loud "HEY!"  Kevin startled and turned, thinking something was wrong with our kids.  There were two girls with the mean girl and I peripherally noticed they had stepped aside. The mean girl continued so I stepped around Kevin and stood in their proximity.  "Walk Away" I said in my stern teacher voice, while making direct eye contact with the mean girl.  She kind of sized me up and I cocked my head at her.  "WALK. AWAY."   Her eyes widened and she scrambled down and ran off somewhere.  I nodded at the little one and returned next to Kevin.

The little girl sat for a minute and one of the other two girls  had remained.  It sounded like there was an attempt at reconciliation - as we girls tend to do - but the little one shrugged and continued to play.  I was actually kind of proud of her, she didn't waver. She didn't cry or run away.  She stood her ground, even after an adult intervened.

Then Kevin wanted to know what happened and I explained.  He was surprised because he  thinks of little girls as little princesses and I just can't with that.  A few minutes later, a woman approached the little girl and they were talking.  It didn't feel punitive and she clearly knew who it was; but I stayed where I was.  Then one of our kids wanted our attention so we moved.  As we did so,  the woman turned away, helped the little girl down and then looked at me in my eyes. And smiled.  I just smiled back and nodded at her then we both  continued onto the next thing.  

Ten minutes later maybe, Kevin pointed out that the mean girl was now playing by herself.  AND giving me the stink eye.  I just laughed because that just underscored what kind of kiddo this was.  I looked around for her friends and they had returned to where the little girl had been playing.  Clearly, there had been an issue amongst them now, as well.

I told Kevin that we  should move to a different spot so the girl could save face and return to playing with her friends.  Kevin said something like "She doesn't deserve friends..." and I laughed then moved away anyway.  "She just got embarrassed by a grown up for acting a fool.  Let her try playing with her friends again."

Now Kevin is invested so he's subtly watching.  At one point, he says "Uh oh, I think she's telling her dad on you." because now we were where her grown-up could see us.  Kevin was a little concerned about a confrontation but I wasn't.  "I would invite the mean girl to explain to her grown-up how she was in a smaller child's physical space and threatened violence. I'm certain that would probably end it."  

We watched as the mean girl is animatedly telling the grown-up something and gesturing in our general direction.  The grown up was unconcerned.  I mentioned to Kevin that I imagine the grown up either said "You deserve having a stranger tell you to walk away if you were being inappropriate" or they knew they were raising a mean girl and were unsurprised.  I really didn't have a read on it, either way.

Then Kevin was hit in the back with a ball pit ball.  He turned around like what the hell in a puzzled way and it appeared to be a tiny one had thrown it.  He laughed and said to me "I thought it was the mean girl trying to hit you."

Minutes later, we decided that we had met our fun limit and headed back to the tables.  There was a ball in the pathway and I stopped to get it.  Kevin was faster than me and gently kicked it into the ball pit.

AND HITS A TINY LITTLE GIRL IN THE NOSE.

I admit, I'm going to hell because I just started laughing.  Kevin was HORRIFIED and I really thought he was going to crawl his six-foot body into the ball pit to apologize.  The baby was unconcerned and the mama laughed it off.  Then Kevin realized it was the tiny little human who had thrown the ball at him earlier and we all had a good laugh.

We returned to the family at the table after buying ice cream.  Kevin's brother asked if we had a good time and I said "Kevin kicked a ball at a baby's face..."  So of course, he had to explain what happened. Then he follows up with "Surely yelled at a child."

I think we should just stay home for a while. We clearly should not be around people.