P.W.E.'s Big Adventures: The Dallas Arboretum

So we went to the Arboretum on Oct. 8 with the thought that we would enjoy some beautiful fall weather while getting to take advantage of "Mommy and Me Monday," meaning there was a petting zoo and a kid's concert for P. My hope was that during all of this fun, I might be able to, heaven-forbid, snap a couple of pictures of P in the incredible pumpkin displays that are there for just such purposes.

Let me paint the picture for you:

Oct. 8 was...
1) Columbus Day - a lot people are off from work.
2) Fair Day - thousands of children didn't have school.
3) Gorgeous. - you could not have ordered better weather.
4) Free Kid's Concert Day sponsored by Parents magazine - translates into more wagons, strollers, sippy cups, and tiny people than you would think could possibly be in one place at one time.

I should have known things were not going to go well when my car came to a screeching halt over a mile away from the Arboretum entrance. By the time we made our way to the front of the line, the parking lot was closed, and we had to drive several blocks down to catch a shuttle. In my mind, the shuttle was going to be a nightmare. Turns out that it was the BEST part of the day...seriously. It was. See for yourself.

Is this not JOY plastered on my child's face??

I believe this one is "jubilation."

Calming down momentarily as we approach the gate.

Mommy snapping the first of what she assumes will be many pictures.

We finally get in, only to become one in a swarm of other strollers and kids and moms and wagons and grandparents and a few unsuspecting bystanders who just got caught up in the madness. We made our way to the concert, which P really enjoyed.

However, as is demonstrated in the video, there was lots and lots of falling (don't worry, there was also lots and lots of dancing). We were on a hill, which is hard for most people to stand on - let alone wobbley toddlers. And it had rained the day before so it was also muddy. Just picture my child traipsing through the mud to then walk onto the picnic blanket I have laid out so we don't have to sit in the mud. Oh the irony.

Of course, there was no eating the lunch that I had so lovingly packed for my child, as there was too much to do. Too many other peoples' blankets to go and step on, too many hills to run down, too many opportunities to run away from mom. In the end, we had a Category 5 meltdown. A "superstorm" if you will. One for the record books. There was screaming and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And all because I wouldn't let P run down the sidewalk (with no intention of turning around, mind you, as this is what our child does - runs...in one direction... until he's exhausted and then assumes that the adult with him will carry him back to point A, which, go figure, they always do) because we couldn't leave our stroller parked on the hillside filled with our stuff - including our nice camera that I wanted to take pictures of the child with.

So I have to carry my child back across the hill kicking and screaming and strap him back into the stroller while he is STILL screaming at the top of his lungs and I'm saying things like, "I am sorry that you're so sad. It's hard when you really want to run and you're not able to," while I'm thinking things like, "PLEASE, I am BEGGING you...stop screaming!!! The other moms with clean blankets and calm, happy children are looking at me and judging me as a parent!" I then packed up our muddy blanket and our uneaten lunch and said goodbye to my friends who I came with WITHOUT SNAPPING EVEN ONE PICTURE IN THE PUMPKINS. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. There were too many people, and P and I had both had all the fun we could handle.

Thankfully, we had to take the shuttle back to the car, and guess what, my child's attitude did a 180!