We went to Boondocks for my company's summer party earlier this month.  (For those of you unfamiliar with the place, it's an activity center with arcade games, laser tag, miniature golf etc., and not as the dictionary states, an uninhabited area with thick natural vegetation.)  It was fun, but as you can imagine, Little H didn't meet the height requirements for most of the rides.  She was really close on the bumper boats, though, and I was able to convince the teenager manning the ride to let us on.

                                

It was so much fun...for her, and we got soaked.  I was surprised how much she liked it because she usually hates getting her hair wet.  After drying off and playing some skee ball, Little H was ready to go again.  When we got back out there, though, there had been a changing of the guards.  As I walked through the line, the new kid in charge made me stand Little H up to the measuring tool.

"She's just a little too short."

I didn't say anything but looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to give in.

"If she were to fall in it would be over her head.  It's really just a safety issue.  Sorry."

But he wasn't sorry.  I could tell.  He didn't even say it nicely.  He was one of those kids who gets a kick out of telling adults, and probably other kids his own age, what to do.  I refrained from saying what I really wanted to say, which was, "Listen you tiny little Nazi, I'm twice as old and twice as big as you, and I don't think I'm going to watch my daughter drown in two feet of water.  There are only two other boats being used, and if you don't let us have the third, I'm going to knock your butt into the water so you can demonstrate just how deep it really is."  Instead I just sighed and gave him a look of disappointment.

As I picked up Little H and told her we couldn't go on the ride, she kept saying, "Why, Mommy?" in her saddest little voice.  My heart about broke, and I really wanted to go back take it out on that mean teenager. 

It wasn't until I had time to calm down that I realized how ridiculous I was.  She wasn't tall enough and that was that.  Still, it makes you think what a strong protective instinct mothers have.  Little H wasn't even in any danger, but I was ready to rip some small (albeit nasty) person's head off in order to save her from being sad.  So that's a warning to everyone out there.  Her parents are the only ones allowed to be mean to her.  Everyone else, play nice.