Beware of Flying Monkeys

As many stay-at-home moms do, I try to plan at least some time each day to get out of the house with Jack. This helps keep my sanity in check, and also gives me more opportunities to encourage him to walk . What's even better is when I can achieve these goals without spending any money. This rules out most of the Gymboree/jumping/tumbling/etc type places that tend to cost you money each time you go, which may be on top of an annual membership fee. So, in my infinite wisdom, my free place of choice for today was the large children's play area in the Woodlands Mall.

That's right, I said the Woodlands Mall. Land of Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, Pottery Barn, and Nine West, stores calling out my name that I have absolutely no business spending any money in...but the children's area is free! Umm, is there anything really free in the Woodlands?

Anyway, we make it to the children's area where I manage to find a space to offload Jack's stroller so that it won't be in anyone's way. I often wonder why these places don't have a flashing neon sign that says something like "Enter at your own risk" once a certain threshold of children is met (like, say, three). By this time the play area is pretty crowded, so I do my best to walk him around the other children. We're having a pretty good time, when all of the sudden I get hit in the back with a flying toy monkey. I turn around to see a couple of little boys happily chasing after each other and apparently hurling this monkey back and forth at one another.

I'm thinking, "Hey, no big deal, what should I expect in a play area?" Well, apparently my plain white shirt has some kind of invisible ink that only 5 year old boys can see which says "Why yes, I'd love for you to pelt me in the back with your monkey...in fact, the more times the better!" as I proceed to get a hit a few more times with this thing. By this time I'm beginning to wonder where these kids' parents are because I'd be a little mortified if my son kept chucking his monkey at some random adult over and over again. But hey, to each his (or her) own I suppose and no major harm done.

It did give me a glimpse into what raising a little boy will be like in a couple of years! Perhaps a good subject to tackle in another blog....

If anyone has any inexpensive or free ideas for entertaining little kids, I'm all ears!