When Kids Don't Want to Play

Today, when my husband and oldest son came home from school I was ready to go on a bike ride or something.

"I want to stay home," says Vinny. "Will someone pleeeeeeeeeease stay home with me. I'm tired."

And that's what happens to a seven year old who has to rise at 6:30 AM because his lazy, should be a gen Y slacker Mom, won't drive the hour commute to his school. Not that he wants to drive with me, because he doesn't.

"I don't want Mommy to drive me to school!" Vinny protests. "I want to go to River Rec."

Don't worry, I don't take it personally. I love sleeping in, and missing out on the stress of commuting in traffic.

Besides, Vinny hates the traffic more than I do. Then, there's also the added bonus of play time before school starts. So it really isn't me being lazy. Not totally, anyways.

"I'll stay home with Vinny," offers my husband.

"I want to go to the park," says Gio.

"Are you sure?" I ask suspiciously. "When we get to the park you have to ride your bike around the track. You can't play on the jungle gym because I'm going to ride my skateboard."

"Okay," Gio says.

Now, I know it may sound mean, not to let him play, but we had already been to My Museum and Dennis the Menace Park, that same day.

Anyways, all I can say is he is such a liar, and I was ticked. We did two quick laps around the track, all with everyone staring at the Mom on her skateboard, when Gio says, "I want to go home!"

Normally, I would have ignored him and kept skating, but he was in one of those I'm gonna throw a tantrum the whole time and if you think people are staring now you ain't seen nothing yet moods.

"Okay, let's go home," I say.

I started loading up the car to his chirping, "I waaaaant toooooooo gooooooo hoooooome!"

An elderly lady who was also doing laps with her cane tells me, "Aw, he isn't ready to go."

Yes, she had a cane and apparently a hearing problem too, which is why people probably shouldn't give parents advice or commentary, unless we ask for it. And I didn't.

Did I mention I was already feeling grumpy about leaving because my three old wanted, "toooooooooo gooooooooooo hooooooooome?"

Without yelling, on the outside, I informed the nice, Hard of Hearing Cane Lady, "he's the one that wants to go home, not me."

"Oh," she says shocked. Sometimes, the truth is surprising.

I guess I can't expect my little baby bird's tiny wings to keep pace with me.
After dropping my little bird off in his nest, I went for a bike ride.

The park I rode my bike to is next to the skate park. Before heading home I stopped to watch the skaters. After five minutes of watching a little girl skate with her Dad, I rode home inspired, grabbed my skateboard, and headed back to the skate park for a few sunset runs.