I'm Officially an Adult.

I finally feel like an adult. Well, for at least 20 minutes today, I did.

When  we were at the park today,  there were a few young girls {9ish year old} running and playing. Reese was excited to have some 'friends' and started following them. After a while,  they all sat down underneath a tree and started playing with something. From what I could tell, it was a lighter. NOT COOL. Especially since Reese was sitting with them.

So, I did the adult thing and walked on over to them. When I got into ear-shot I heard them all go "QUICK! MOM COMING! PUT IT AWAY!!"....{very "slick".... and NOT COOL AGAIN!!!}. I walked up to Reese and told her that we needed to go home.

And then I turned to the girls and asked:

"What are you guys playing with?"

"Nothing"

"It's not anything dangerous, is it?"

"NO...."

"Alright.. Be careful girls"

"OK"

I picked Reese up,  with Everett in the other arm, and felt the need to talk to her about nice and naughty girls. And how the 'toy' those girls were playing with was VERY OWIE - and how good girls don't play with lighters, and tell lies to Mommy. I told Reesie that she was a very good girl and we play with friends who have dollies and bouncy balls. { I tried..}  She was upset that we had to leave her 'friends' but as I was talking to her she seemed to understand, and just wanted to go home.

As I was walking and talking  to Reese, the other girls decided that they were leaving too. Their shoes just so happened to be next to ours, and as they were putting on their shoes, I debated whether or not to talk to them  about the lighter. As I went back and forth in my head .. this was my final conclusion before opening my mouth...  "ALEX- you are a mother of TWO children.. who CARES if these 9 year old girls think you are LAME. You are a MOTHER.. AN ADULT... you're just looking out for their good..JUST GET THE LIGHTER!"


this picture popped in my head... 

"Do you girls still have that lighter you were playing with?"

"No. "

(WRONG ANSWER and YES, I DO SEE YOU HIDING IT IN YOUR HAND) "Oh really, well, you need to throw that away. It's not safe, and very dirty"

"Well, we would, but, we don't know where to put it"

"There's a trash can right over there. Go throw it away"

"Ok. I'll throw it away".... they run over to the trash  

I just sat back and watched them to make sure they got rid of it.

Then the oldest girl- I call her the Ringleader- pretends to throw it away.. then I see her sneak it in her pocket...


When I saw that I immediately thought "DEVIL CHILD!!!!" but then I calmed down to see the rest of what she would do.

Her younger sister then checks her pockets and makes her throw it away. I now have Reese on my shoulders and Everett in his stroller. I stand about 50 feet away staring at the oldest girl to see what she was going to do. And she stood there WAITING for me to leave.. so she could get it from the trash and put it back in her pocket.

I felt like I was in a showdown.

Finally, I could see her give up as I continued to give her a Mom look {I learned from the best}. All the girls then ran out of the park, and as they passed me I asked them if they threw it away. They all screamed "YES" and the ringleader yelled "MY SISTER MADE ME THROW IT AWAY" 

She then went around the corner and hid.

That's when I went to the trash. Picked up the lighter {very lightly placed on a "hidden bottle"}, and put it in a different trash can.

I left and yelled "BYE GIRLS" and sniffed, "Good Luck." 
{ok, ok i'm not COMPLETELY mature...}

Walking back home, I kept an eye on the street, just to make sure they didn't go back.

As I walked up to the house I had a epiphany: I have turned into my mother.

And I'm OK with that.