Mama Bear

Today, I wonder if I did the right thing. The mama bear came out in me, and it wasn't pretty. Our family went to Kaden's baptism, but decided not to go to the BBQ so Jay wouldn't be in the heat and wind. Hope was nice enough to take Kiley and Ryan to the BBQ, and told me to pick them up later. That's where this begins.

As I'm leaving I get this funny feeling (a.k.a. the Spirit) inside to stay near my kids. I look around, get out of the car, check on them one more time, and finally decide to quit being paranoid and go. I get a block away and the prompting to go back worsens. I tell Chris and my mom, I'm going back to the house we'll switch cars, and I'm going to stay with the older kids. I tell them about my feeling, and as I'm heading up the street to our house, Chris suggests I go back now they'll come back and get me. I flip a U and head back to the park. I'm convinced by now something is wrong when I get a phone call from Hope. She tells me that some kid punched Ki in the face and her lip is busted!

Well, to say the least, I freak out. I get to the park, jump out of the car, see the blood and over react. Yeah, I said blood. Kiley lip is bleeding and fat! I ask Kiley why she hit her and question if Ki did anything to provoke it. She says no, and I believe her (she's just not a fighter). I go looking for the girl get in a HUGE run in with her mother. We stand face to face; I was sure I was getting hit, but she didn't. She acts like it's no big deal "their just seven year olds", is she kidding? I yell at her that she needs to watcher kid a little better (who by the way has the punishment of sitting on a blanket drinking her soda - Yeah, I'm sure that'll fix the problem). I immediately understand why the daughter is this way judging from the mother's reaction. She yells at me and asks what I'm teaching my kid by confronting the mother, and I say I'm teaching her to stand up to bullies and not just get hit in the face. It finally gets over. The adrenaline rush is making me shake. Then I'm left to question my reaction.

On one hand I firmly believe in teaching your kids to stand up for themselves. Which Kiley isn't great at especially considering this is the second time this year she's been hit by someone and just taken it. But, then I think, did I teach her a lesson in standing up for herself or a lesson in anger? I'm still not sure. I know I would have been much calmer if the mother had even seemed concerned about the situation, but her lack of reaction, immediate anger, and invasion of space left me defensive. I don't know what came over me, but I lost it. Now, I'm sorry in one way and not in another. I don't know.

Then, I became so proud of Kiley. As we get the whole story, it turns out the girls threatened to beat up Ryan, and Kiley, Kamri, and Kenzi came to the rescue. Kiley told the girl she was not hitting her little brother, and Kiley took it instead. I asked if she felt okay about her decision, and she said, "Well, I my lip hurts and I was a little scared, but I would've felt worse if she would've hurt Ryan." Chris told a story of his sister, TJ, standing up for him when he was a kid, and watching his face I could tell that still meant a lot to him. Ryan told Ki that she rocks, and I am so proud of the way she took it for him. It was one of those times I wished for a sibling. I'm also proud of Kaden, Kamri, and Kenzi for standing up to the girl.

I wish I would've reacted a little better, and looking back, I can think of much better ways to teach the lesson I wanted to teach, but what's done is done, and the moral of the story is - Don't mess with mama bear's cub!