Watch Your Children

Hi all! I was at the park today on a "playdate", and I witnessed something very interesting. I'd love to know what you think about this. Pigpen was on the teeter totter (aka seesaw), and we ran into this really cute dad with his really cute little boy. The dad was super friendly and his son was a chip off the old block. The dad was surprised at how tall my friend's daughter was since his son was three, and not nearly as tall. The kids played for a second, and then his sweet little son wanted to venture over to the big kid park. We were playing in the little kid park that was fenced in, and the Big Kid park next to it was not.

So, cute dad left and never resurfaced until I was leaving. As I was navigating the stroller out of the gate with Pigpen holding my hand, I saw cute dad again with his little boy. He asked me if I knew who this other child belonged to. I looked over at the cute little boy no older than three. I asked him where his mommy was, and he just looked at me with a blank stare. I looked at cute dad, and he said that the kid had been hanging out with them for the last 15 minutes or so, and he hadn't seen anyone looking after him.

So, that's the situation.....no, he didn't ask me out, or try to make out with me. :) So my thoughts were...."I'm sure this kid's parents are here, but who are they, and why aren't they seeing this go down......"this" meaning, two strangers looking for his parents. I know cute dad was a bit concerned, but I also know that his fun outing with his son at the park had now turned into; fun outing with son and random kid that he now felt responsible for.

I looked around, and told him I wasn't sure as Pigpen was telling me that he wanted to go back into the park. I told Pigpen that the car was much more fun, and surprisingly he agreed. The cute dad looked at me and said, "wow, that really works?"

I smiled and walked off, and as I was leaving I stopped by a picnic table of women and asked if anyone knew who the little boy in the striped shirt belonged to. Then, this young girl looked at me and said in a "so annoyed that she had to stop talking about whatever it was she was talking about tone" ; "he's mine, and he's fine." Whoa there sweet heart! I didn't really know what to say since she made it sound like I was some crazy worried over protective mom, By the way, she was sitting at the picnic table about 20 yards from her son with her back to him, and he was barely visible from where she was. I quickly said, "that guys a dad which means he's new to all of this, so just humor him." They laughed and then she said even more bitchy, "he's fine! Andrew, you can go in there....it's allowed."

Oh, she was such a snatch about the whole thing. I thought maybe she was just going to be that way to me, but when she yelled across the playground like we weren't letting her kid do something it was just gross. I wish I would have had the quick wit to say, "we were just a little concerned since he wouldn't speak to us, or even point out his mother".....underlying meaning, your kid is way too young to play by himself if he isn't old enough to point you out, you snatch!

I don't know, I'm still a little shocked that she didn't even know where he was, or seemed so nonchalant about his whole existence at the park. I totally think I could have walked off with him, but who knows. I just know, that my kid has one of my eyes on him the whole time everywhere we go. Am I psycho, or should I just relax?