Today I was THAT MOM

I was That Mom at the park today. You know, the mom totally ignoring her child's tantrum.

I took the boys to the Queens zoo and fed the goats (briefly) and walked around (briefly). But the ice cream truck parked right outside the zoo with its tingle tingle tingle melody a siren call for all children.

It was cold enough that I didn't mind leaving sooner than expected, even though we saw maybe two animals. It was Ranger's trip really- he has been cooped up at home with a general strain of crud that resulted in an ear infection. So we grabbed ice cream from the truck. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised that Ranger ate something close to two bites; it was so cold his usual pick of ice creams (Sponge Bob) which usually starts to melt instantly was solid as a rock.

I certainly was not surprised, and had come prepared for Ranger wanting to ride the carousel and mini train. That was fun.

What I didn't count on was the in progress rollercoster. For what ever reason, Ranger refused to believe it wasn't ready.

I imagine the puny little heap of metal that was the rollercoster being built looked huge to his mind. It is either extremely small or still sitting in a pile of segments. Given the tiny track circle for the train (our apartment is bigger than that circuit is), I would bet it's the former. But Ranger's concept of a rollercoster comes from his current favorite tv show, Phineas and Ferb. In the very first episode they build a rollercoster, and in a later episode (season two episode 37 I think) they repeat the project as a musical. So even when they are done putting in the coster, I have a feeling he will be disappointed.

The walk to the car was excruciating. I have never see Ranger tantrum to this extent. I tried reason. I tried sitting and listening, holding him while he cried. I tried calling E so he could tell Ranger that I wasn't being mean- the ride wasn't ready. Finally I decided to continue walking.

First he tried screaming and crying so loudly I thought all of Queens could hear him.

Then he dashed in front of me to put the stroller breaks on and use his body weight to drag the stroller to a stop.

He tried hanging back on the ramp while I put his brother in the car. He was still crying and screaming; I got a few looks of "been there done that" from passers by. Ranger was pulling out his usual trump card by saying he had to pee. That almost always works!

Finally I picked him up and carried him the rest of the way to the car.

Putting him in the car seat was like trying to wrangle a tornado. My glasses got kicked off. He screamed and flailed and carried on.

Sometime on the way home (I turned the music up) he switched tactics by saying he forgot to say bye to all the animals.

He continued in this vein all the way to the building, where he tried to keep me from taking the stroller up the two steps.

And when we first got home his tirade continued until suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped, he was calm and wanted to play candy land.

I wasn't particularly angry at him. He is three. He has a cold and is not quite himself.
His brother LB slept through the while thing (city baby- could sleep through sirens).

I am a little annoyed that there is a rollercoster being put up out side the zoo. It's bad enough there is a carousel and mini train for him to beg to go on (and on and on and on). I am not sure I want to take him back without E being there to help.