Who's Raising the Devil?

Yesterday, the kids and I went shopping with my mother in Fort Smith. Of course, Moriah wanted to eat lunch at McDonald's. We accommodated her request. Since Moriah was an only child for so long she loves to go to McDonald's, play, and make new friends.

There were some little boys around her age (give or take a year or two) already playing. So, Moriah went in and started playing. One of the boys was being very aggressive both physically and verbally. Moriah came to tell me that the boys were being mean to her. We try to let her take care of her own little problems. I simply told her "So, you think boys are disgusting anyway. Just don't play with them."

There was one little boy (probably about 5) that seemed more than happy to want to play with Moriah. So, they went into the Playplace and I could actually here the other boys taunting them; calling them names (Dumbo, Dummy, Baby). One of the boys said, "Oh, did I hurt your feelings are you going to cry, Baby?" I trying to not get involved hollered ('cause that's what we do in Arkansas) and asked her what she was doing. She said, "I'm just playing Mom!" So, I didn't do anything.

Then, they came down one of the slides. This one boy was running at Moriah and Samuel and kicking at their faces. Moriah was screaming at him to leave her alone. I took it for as long as I could. I got up to go over with every intention of just getting my daughter out of this situation and leaving. Right as I walked over there, the little boy kicked Moriah. I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him around. He looked up at me and all I could see was the obvious 665.9 tattooed on his forehead. I looked in this child's eyes for what seemed like forever and all I could think of was 'This is NOT my child! This is NOT my child!" I had my hands on someone else's child! I said to him, "THIS is going to stop! NOW!!" I turned to go back to the table and regain my composure.

Moriah and Samuel were trying to go up to one of the tube slides and these boys were blocking the way. They were calling them Dummies and Dumbo and wouldn't let them through. Moriah, after the 1st grade incident, refuses to fight back with words but somehow didn't feel it necessary to punch this little punk in the mouth. I don't know how; I chewed off three fingernails just trying to stay out it. Moriah tried to go into the slide and this little boy put his foot on her stomach and wouldn't let her by him.

This was it! I thought obviously there was no one who cared what happened to this kid or they would be over there busting his tail. I went over and all I saw was Moriah's big blue eyes looking up at me. She said, "I don't want to leave Momma, Samuel and I are playing!" I said, "Moriah it is time for us to go. This boy (as I pointed at him) is ugly. He is acting ugly. He is being ugly. He is just ugly. You are too sweet of a little girl to play with children who are that ugly." She said, "Mom, Samuel isn't ugly. He's my new friend." I said, "No you're right. Samuel is a sweet little boy. But, these boys are being mean and you and Samuel shouldn't be around people like that."

She came with me and we were leaving. I noticed that finally the grandmother had come out of the corner where she was sitting and was leaving with Satan's Spawn and his siblings. Apparently, the sister had gone and told her how the demon child was acting or maybe that there was some crazy lady fixing to attack him. As we were walking out, the kid looked up at me. I'm not sure if it was fear or anger in his eyes (as if I would be scared of him). As he glared up at me when I walked by him, I stopped, looked him in the eye and said "You are an evil ugly child."

Moriah asked me a few hours later why those boys were so mean. I said, "Honey, you can't blame them. Their parents didn't teach them how to be nice. They just have bad parents."

I'm sure I could have acted a little more like an adult in this situation. But, I felt a little "Playplace Rage" that I was really trying to control. Who if anybody is raising this child? And, what parenting technique are they using? Who made that child think that it is okay to treat other people like that? If nothing else, you would think that parents would have learned something from Columbine, Jonesboro, etc. etc. etc. DON'T BE A BULLY! I know my child isn't perfect; she couldn't be with me as a mother. But, at least, AT LEAST, we have tried to teach her that this behavior is not right. I know that she has been known to joke with her friends and call them funny names (PooPoo Diaper Baby, for example) but I haven't known her to be purposefully hurtful and physically aggressive to anyone especially kids she has never even seen before...........and she has gone to school in the ghetto for 2 years!!!!

Moriah's Teeball

Moriah's Teeball Run on Vimeo

For a year or two, ALL I heard was "I want to play T-ball!" So, this
year, her first year of eligibility, I signed Moriah up to play.
After registration fees, new glove, new bat, 11" soft-core softballs
(which are very hard to find), shorts, size 10 cleats, and the dreaded fundraiser
candy ($40), we had spent somewhere around $150. But, our little
"precious angel" is worth every penny!

The first couple of weeks of practice were very exciting. All of those
little girls were learning to play ball. Moriah, however, let out with a
statement that made my heart fall to the ground. "Momma, I don't like
T-ball! It's not fun anymore!" It's a good thing I didn't immediately
pick up my heart, because I had to listen to this same statement well into the
season.

She didn't seem to notice that she had not made it to first base yet. She
would always laugh and say "Do I get my snow cone now?" But, she just had
to get on base at least once this year, even if just for my sanity! "Mom,
I don't like T-ball. IT's NOT FUN!" All the while, I was telling her "if
you don't like it you don't have to play next year....but you are finishing
this season!!!!!!!"

Since Moriah didn't start walking until she was 18 months old, she has
never been in much of a hurry.....about anything!!!! After all, the base will
still be there when I skip all the way down the baseline and scatter the
carefully placed chalkline all over the place!!!!!!

With each and every game, first base got a little closer. Then, it looked
like she would get on the base! How exciting? This was it! She hit the
ball (WHACK!!)! Wow! From where did that come? That was a good hit!
Run, baby, run! Skip, skip, giggle, giggle, skip, skip. I on the other hand
was unaware that you could actually put dents in a galvanized steel fence post
while down on your knees screaming, "Run, please run, run, run, baby,
run."
Giggle giggle, skip to my loo! The coach all the time running along the baseline, hands folded in prayer, "come on honey, run, run, come one Moriah!" Then, remembering the rule, if a coach touches a player on the field, they're out! I start yelling, "don't touch her, don't touch her!"
All to no avail, all the excitement, skipping, and giggling were too much.
One of the other team members tagged my baby out! After the game I asked
the coach of the other team, would it kill you to get her out at second.
Just first base, that's all I ask!

Then, the next game she made it to first base. Wow! The next game she
made it to second. Then, another game and another base. Not so bad, she might
make it back to home before the end of the season. You think, could that
be possible?

Last night, with 3 games left in the season, bottom of the last inning,
and 2 outs, Moriah is up to bat. The coaches are both snickering and some of
the fans of the other team were as well. What was this all about? Then,
Moriah hits the ball and makes it to 1st base. Yea!!!!! Then, 2 more batters
and all of a sudden (boom!) she is on third! Precious Angels are down by 1.
If she makes it home, we tie the game. Closest thing to a victory that we
have had all year! Deja gets up to bat, hits the ball, and Moriah takes off
running (for the dugout). "No, no, honey go the other way. Run to home,
run to home!" Even the coaches from the other team were yelling "Run
Moriah Run." So, she does. But, it was too late!!! She was OUT! Her coach, a
big encourager, was waiting at homeplate and said, "Come on baby, go ahead
and touch home." So, she keeps on running and with her MORIAH-ONLY
signature base tagging technique (similar to a horse when it learns to
count with it's hoof), she tags home. The coach hugs her neck, the fans stood
up and cheered (on both sides), as well as the other team's coaches. It was
truly a Moriah game, she had decided that T-ball was fun and she wanted to
play.

After the game, her coach walks up to her and says "Hey Moriah! Knock!
Knock!" She shakes her head no. I asked if she had been telling him her
"Knock Knock" jokes. He said that every time she got up at the plate she
was telling he and the umpire jokes. Hence, the laughter of all that were
within earshot of homeplate! That's my girl!

We have 2 more games (and 2 more chances for her to score). If she
doesn't score, no big deal. The important thing is having fun and "T-ball IS
fun!"