We were fortunate enough to head south to Florida for a couple of days in February. We spent a few days in Ft. Myers with the Adams family and then headed North to Tampa for a couple of days to check out Busch Gardens. We arrived in Tampa and checked into the hotel just before 5pm. We knew the kids were antsy from being in the car for a couple of hours and all of us were hungry. Mike and I immediately did some research based on the brochures and maps we had picked up along the way and decided to check out the waterfront in downtown Tampa. We talked to the lady at the front desk and she gave us a couple of recommendations for restaurants down at the Channelside Plaza. We got there and were pleasantly surprised! Everything was outdoors and there was lots of live music and space for the kids to run around! We stumbled upon a girl that was making balloons for the kids. Braden said he wanted a red (his new fav color) sword and Jackson decided he wanted a blue and green Stegasaurus. Both kids were happy as could be until Jackson's balloon broke and Braden still had his left. Braden, being the wonderful big brother that he is found this to be great opportunity for him wave his sword obnoxiously in front of Jackson all the while asking Jackson what happened to his balloon?! Naturally, Jackson started tugging and pulling for the balloon because he wanted it!
Imagine this...Mike pushing two boys in a double stroller across the street with a lot of pedestrians. Two boys sitting, tugging back and forth for the red sword balloon (while I stand across the street watching the madness and secretly praying they POP the damn thing) and whack...I see Jackson on his face in the middle of the street! He and Braden were tugging so hard that Braden finally let go of the balloon leaving Jackson to lose his balance and go forward towards the ground! EMBARRASSING! First of all, because they should have been strapped in, but who wants to fight that battle when they refuse to be? Secondly, because there were so many people walking by us and watching the whole spectacle that you couldn't do anything but smile through my teeth and assume they had been "there" before and understood the situation.
It gets better...Mike is paying for parking at the kiosk and the boys go at it again. I am so furious at their behavior by this point that I walk right over to them, grab the red balloon and POP, POP, POP it (not one of my best mom moments)!!! Braden went BALLISTIC on me! Picture someone that is so mad they just rant and rave about nothing for a while using lots of obscene words...that was Braden, only G rated. He is now starting to learn about his feelings and emotions so this is what came out of my little three year olds mouth, all together, no breath taken:
"Mommy, why did you do that? I am UPSET with you! I'm going to throw you in the garbage, you NAUGHTY guuuuurl, that was NOT NICE, I don't like you, naughty girl, I want another one!"
That was repeated over and over and over again until he basically fell asleep that night. Once again, not one of my greatest mommy moments, but it took the object out of the picture and at that point in time, that was all I was yearning for!
Braden will forever remember the state of Florida as the place where Mommy popped his red balloon! Sigh...we'll all get over it.
To see it through their eyes...
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