Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I left the Park and no one called social services on me!

Today I had a playdate. Two of my beloved friends, witty, intelligent, and all good things were meeting us at the child friendly park...sounded like a promising day. Near the picnic tables were a series of jungle gyms and climbers. Over the knoll - about a 5 minute stroll was the wading pool. It is overcast and cool. Not good wading pool weather. It is just out of sight.

So, I am sitting at the table, eating my sauteed portobello mushroom and mozza sandwich (low in points of course) watching Aidan like a hawk. He was playing on the jungle gym in front of me. The conversation became ever so engrossing and Aidan became bored. He toddled to another play gym just out of sight. Just as the conversation became all about ME. Thats what I wait for...when I can discuss my favorite topic - ME. Anyway, so I go to the gym to see Aidan and he is playing with a little girl and her dolls. I bring him closer to us, and he takes off to his point of origin. Then there is issues with Harry. I attend to his stubbed toe and then went to fetch Aidan. No Aidan. I scan the park. No Aidan. Now this has happened to me so frequently with Aidan, in fact I am so used to his antics that I no longer panic. I just wonder what the hell he is up to. And if someone were to take him, I would not really panic, since Aidan would end up escaping anyway. He's like that.

So I saw a woman running over the knoll. Intuition told me that she was looking for me.

"Are you looking for a little blonde boy?"
"yes" I try and sound desperate, even though I am not. Exasperated is more like it.
"He's in the wading pool naked. I saw him there all by himself and I stopped my car"
Great.

I dash down to the pool. This is an ankle high pool. I was not all that worried that he would be belly up. But I at the same time I was mortified. And there he was. Splashing around, happy as a lark and having a grand time. And naked. I suppose if I were not so enraged, it would look kind of cute.

How does one get a small child out of the wading pool when you are wearing trousers? Very carefully. He insisted on running away from me. In the pool. I get him out and dress him. Catastrophe averted. Again. Aidan is making me reap karma...I just know it. It feels like a life lesson.

You know what this means of course? Socializing with friends while on a playdate is strictly out of the question.

Well that sucks.

Or all future playdates will have to be hosted in a walled compound. The Forbidden City? Alcatraz? Buckingham Palace? The White House lawn? I suppose. The secret service dudes might come in handy too...

2 comments:

Susan said...

You have just described virtually every play date I have had in the last three years. At least the no-conversation-is-safe part.

And oh how I wish there were pictures of Aidan in the wading pool!

MC Etcher said...

So cute!

Perhaps you could have enticed him to shore with a cookie.

Even an imaginary one.