The Outing

Well, today was the type of day that leaves me scratching my head, wondering where things went wrong.  Looking back with the clarity that only hindsight can give, there are always signs - someone is in a bad mood, being testy, not listening, or crying at the drop of a hat - a subtle (or not so subtle) hint of what's to come!
I should have known.  I've worked with these kids for a while now, and I just should have known. 

Our attempt at a quick Target run this morning should have been the indication.  When the first meltdown hit, that should have caused the little light bulb over my head to go off, or the warning light that reads "danger, do not proceed" to start flashing.  But, as is often the case, they didn't.  Anyone who has or works with kids will tell you, there are often times when you just have to get through whatever you're doing, because you know what you're doing next will be so much better.  Today, that was me!

Jack is on Spring Break this week, and one of his requests was to go bowling (an activity he only does with me and Ben on special occasions).  So, Ben, being the good sport that he is, took half a day off, to meet us for lunch and then hit the lanes!  Jack was, understandably, excited, so our entire morning consisted of me fielding endless questions of "Is it time to go bowling yet?"  Once we were on our way, stopping at Target seemed like a decent way to pass the extra time we had before we were to meet Ben.  That's where it all began.  Details aren't important, but suffice it to say that today in Target, I was "that woman".  You know the one - you sympathetically roll your eyes at her, pretend you don't hear the commotion coming from the general area of her shopping cart, and silently thank your lucky stars that your kids are actually behaving themselves.  Meanwhile, you secretly hope that you don't bump into her somewhere else in the store. 

So, we got through lunch, which was a tad rocky, but again, it was all about just getting to the bowling.  Fortunately, bowling was the hit that I had hoped it would be!  All the tantrums and tears were soon forgotten as we tried on our rented shoes, chose our balls, cheered for each other, and each eagerly waited for our next turn. 

Molly, who had never bowled before today, took to it like a fish to water.  Her attempts to roll the ball herself were admirable, though I fear we all lost some of our enthusiasm while waiting for the ball to streak it's way to the pins at a blistering 1.32 miles per hour.  But, each time she knocked over a few pins, she'd turn to look at us with a bright smile, throw her arms up in the air and yell "Touchdown!"

Jack loved showing off for his sister, by not so much rolling the ball, as throwing it into the ground and watching it bounce its way towards the pins.  He kept himself busy monitoring our scores and providing us with occasional updates as to who was winning.  He was also more than happy to announce "Gutter Ball" whenever one of us missed a pin. 

Both kids were having such fun, that when they begged to play another game, we agreed.  Big mistake!  About 3 frames into game 2 they both began to lose interest.  As boredom set in, they began to whine, fidget, and occasionally roam into the other one's personal space.  It's hard to say who really started it, and I'm sure if I ask the kids, they'll each blame the other one.  But, long story short, he was bugging her, she was bugging him, there were tears, threats of consequences, more tears, and finally, a hasty exit from the somewhat crowded bowling alley! 

The car ride home was a little better, both kids strapped into their car seats with a nice buffer zone between them, and relative silence as they began to wind down.  Then, I mentioned that when we got home it would be nap time.  Thankfully it's not a long drive, because there's only so much negotiating and tears one can take! 

Now, of course, they are both sound asleep in their rooms, and will likely wake up bright eyed and ready to play.  They'll both be sweet, we'll recount what fun bowling was, and the frustration of the afternoon will soon be forgotten.  Yes, it was somewhat painful lesson in patience, but we did have some good laughs, so I can't count the day as a total loss.  One thing I know for sure, the next time we go bowling, we are outta there after the first game!