Robby a.k.a The Enforcer

I have been nervously awaiting the results from my latest MRI. If the pituitary tumors have remained stable, I am a candidate for a relatively "simple" laser surgery. If they have grown, the surgery will be more invasive with a significant recovery period.

I have been irritable as I anxiously wait to hear. I jump every time I hear the phone ring. I decided that Robby needed to have fun, and I needed an outlet for my growing anxiety. I packed him up and we went to House of Bounce.

House of Bounce is a toddler's version of utopia. It is a warehouse filled with giant inflatable structures, ready for climbing, bouncing, and sliding. The imposing size of the bouncers does not seem to faze my little daredevil.

We kicked off our shoes and started jumping. There were several other children running and playing with us. I have become accustomed to being the only parent actually playing with the kids. The majority of the time the parents are sitting in the lounge area, sipping coffee, and talking on their cell phones.

A little girl happened to be in the moon bounce when Robby and I were playing another rousing version of "Chase Momom." It was obvious that the girl had Cerebral Palsy and was having a difficult time with balance. Her Mom was in the lounge.

I quietly told Robby that we needed to jump softly because the little girl was having trouble walking. Being no stranger to orthopedic limitations, Robby immediately began to comply with my request. All three of us started "baby bunny" jumping, and we were having a good time. That is, we were having a good time until Nicholas climbed into the jumper.

Nicholas is one of those little boys who just looks like destruction in motion. He climbed into the bouncer and started rough housing with Robby. He tried to push me out of the way and seemed unaware or unconcerned about the little girl's limitations.

Talking to another child about his/her behavior is always an awkward situation, especially when the parents are close. Nicholas's mother was sitting in the lounge, but was within earshot. I tried to encourage him to play our soft jumping game, explaining that the little kids were having trouble with balance.

Nicholas smiled and ran over to the little girl. He started violently jumping, causing her to lose her balance and fall. As she was on the bouncer floor, he began jumping over top of her, threatening to stomp on her. She began to cry as her attempts to stand were thwarted.

I looked to the parents, who remained unaware of the situation. Robby decided to intervene before I had the opportunity. He walked up to Nicholas, held out his hand and said, "Red Stop. Be nice." He then reached down to try to help up the little girl.

Nicholas pushed Robby, causing him to fall into the little girl who was still stuck on the bouncer floor, crying. Before I could reach Robby, he stood up. He then hit Nicholas on the side of the head. Nicholas went flying backwards and landed against the back wall of the bouncer. I know that I shouldn't be impressed, but Robby whaled him good!

I don't condone violence. Nicholas began to cry, which finally caused his mother to pay attention. Both parents retrieved their crying children from the bouncer. I packed up Robby and told him that we were leaving.

We don't want Robby to settle his problems through violence. On the other hand, we are proud of him for both defending himself and another child. He recognized that another child needed assistance, and Robby was not afraid to help. He showed himself to be both sensitive and brave. I could not be prouder. We left House of Bounce early because of his actions. I drove directly to the ice cream parlor for a special treat.