Walk of Shame (again)

My schedule was wonky on Tuesday. Typically I drop off Robby at school and then I drive to work with Abby. Timmy is accustomed to coming with me to work and is comfortable with our schedule. Because Abby's Mom had an appointment, our session was rescheduled for later in the afternoon. I found myself with a few hours on my hands and decided to make the best of it. 

We headed to Toddler Time at SkyZone, which is one of his favorite activities. Timmy loved bouncing and playing on the trampolines. After two hours we were both sweaty and hungry. With another hour to kill before it was time to see Abby, we headed to Chick Fil A. 

Timmy didn't miss a beat and immediately took off his shoes and headed into the playground while I ordered our food. I chose a booth next to the playground and settled in until it was time to go. Every once in awhile Timmy emerged, just long enough to grab a fry or a sip of water, before heading back into the plastic tubes and slides. He was having a blast climbing and playing with new "buddies." 

After 45 minutes it was time to go work with Abby. I provided him a warning five minutes beforehand with the hopes that our departure would be expected and easier to handle. Unfortunately my good intentions only served to provide him with advanced notice and an opportunity to hatch an escape plan. He dove deeper into the tube maze, positioning himself out of reach.

When I told him that it was time he leave, he gleefully replied, “No.” I repeated my instruction with a firmer voice only to receive squeals of laughter in response. I was not amused by his refusal!

I surveyed the situation, hoping to locate a way to grab him so that we could leave. He had chosen his location wisely and was completely out of my reach. It was going to take a herculean effort for me to climb through the structure to retrieve him, and I worried about both the weight limit of the tubes and the width of their openings. Visions of my bum becoming wedged in the tubes came flashing through my mind as I weighed my options. Imagining the headlines "One Legged Plump Woman Stuck at Chick Fil A" was enough to keep me from climbing after him.

Timmy wasn't listening and was settled into an unreachable section of the structure. A little playmate heard me demanding that Timmy come down and, unbeknownst to me, decided to bring help. Before I knew it, two police officers were standing next to me as I was yelling at plastic tubes in a Chick Fil A playground. (Apparently they were eating lunch at the same restaurant.)  

Unfortunately Timmy has limited exposure to police officers (something that we plan to remedy after this enlightening situation) and refused to listen to their directives as well. I was humiliated by his behavior!  One officer began to climb the structure when Timmy scurried to the other side of the play structure. The other officer began to climb up the slide, essentially flanking him from both sides. Realizing that he was caught, Timmy finally slid down the slide.

I was mortified by his behavior. I thanked the officers for their assistance, grabbed Timmy and headed out on the "walk of shame" through the restaurant. So much for having a fun day. My efforts resulted in my public humiliation necessitating law enforcement, and we were still late for Abby.  It is going to be a long time before we go back to any playgrounds!