Sprinklers sound like fun…Right?!
We’ve started a new evening routine of going to the park at the school so the kids can run in the sprinklers. Fun for them because sprinklers in 100+ heat is great, good for us because they expend some energy and hopefully sleep better, win win right?
Tonight as Jaci is searching for Guin’s lost toy I start the trip with impatient Jude. We get to the school but the sprinklers are not on, yikes. Jude won’t get out of the chair and says “Home” so we head home.
About halfway I see Jaci with Guin walking up to meet us (evidently she found her toy). Guin is so excited chanting “Sprinkler, Sprinkler….”
I told Jaci they weren’t on but that I would take Guin and at least let her play as we trade the kids’s chairs like seasoned pros. I’m a good 25 feet away when Jaci yells and asks if I want my phone (it was in the chair) stupidly I say “No, we’ll be alright” (in hindsight this is my running upstairs to get away from a bad guy in a horror movie moment)
Get Guin to the school and push the chair over to the zig zag fence opening to the soccer field next to the school where the sprinklers had just come on, what good timing.
She plays for a good long bit, “5 more minute please”s me about 5 times and when it’s starting to get dark, I tell her we gotta go. Obviously that’s not what she wants to hear because she starts FLIPPING OUT!!!!
We’re talking biting her arm, falling to the ground, screaming at the top of her lungs type of flip out. I usher her and half drag her towards the gate while she’s screaming… but not just screaming anymore, at this point she’s screaming HELP! and MOMMY PLEASE!
That’s when the following exchange takes place:
“Is everything alright, are you ok?” says random guy at the park.
“Yeah, we’re fine, sorry for the commotion.” Me attempting to corral my daughter to the gate and back in the wheelchair to walk home.
“We’re not talking to you, little girl, are you ok?” This is gonna get awkward.
“My daughter has autism and although she talks is basically non-verbal,” as we’re passing through the gate and Guin getting into her chair.
“Seatbelt Please!,” Guin screams as I put on her seatbelt.
She turns to the concerned men walking towards us to make sure she is in fact ok and with a huge cheesy smile says, “Thanks for helping!” (This girl is gonna be the death of me)
Guy and his friend start cracking up and tell me to have a good night.
I learned a few things tonight:
There still are concerned citizens in this world.
Always plan an exit strategy
Always listen to my wife!
Women can kidnap too people!