Goose Egg

Maybe it just comes with the "first child" territory, or maybe it's lazy mother syndrome... but I feel like Brinlee doesn't get much time with other kids.  She does some at church, and she plays with cousins fairly often, but for the most part she spends her time with us at our own house with her own stuff all to herself.  Bad thing? Maybe not.  But lately I have felt a little bad for her.  She is fascinated with other kids and loves to watch them run around.  A lot of the kids in our neighborhood are a little older, but there are a few little ones I've seen toddling along out there with siblings, and the other day I told myself we should let her out anyway.  Well, yesterday I made good on my promise to myself... and it did not go well.

Scene:  We are pulling into the parking lot from the grocery store.  Several young kids are running around.  Two of the kids are playing with one of those Flinstone-type push-with-your-feet cars, and Brinlee is mesmerized.  I think, oh fun, we should let her stay out for a while and watch.  I say "Tim, why don't you put her down and keep an eye on her while I run some groceries up."  Tim sets her down.  Brin takes a few steps away from the car to get a better view then stops, picks up a couple rocks, and stands there with her prizes, happily watching the kids.  Tim is close by, so I grab a few groceries and run up the stairs.

Enter Stage Left:  Kids in (correction: one kid on top of and one kid pushing from the back of) the little push-along-car, without their "watch for small child" glasses on, getting a little too brave.  They're moving fast.

Scene:  Child on top of car yells "watch out for the baby!" just in time for Tim (who had been replacing the registration stickers on our license plate) to look up and see them barreling out of control toward poor oblivious Brin, rocks still in hand, smile on face.  Tim is moving toward Brin now, but he of course is in slow motion and before he can reach her, she is completely mowed over by the car and the kids.

I return on the scene just in time to see the tears, I missed all the real action.

Needless to say it didn't turn out to be the exciting social experience I had pictured.  She actually handled it really well.  She recovered quickly and came up decently unscathed.  She went down hard though and did end up with a good sized scratch on her leg.  Oh, and a nasty goose egg right on the back of her head.  Real nice.  Poor baby.  We felt terrible.  I suppose those kids weren't the best option.  We'll have to wait for the next time the other little toddlers are out and see if that goes better.  But for now, we are back to just us in our own living room with Brin's own toys, all to herself.

Maybe next time.