The Mama Bear has surfaced...

So I had my first "mama bear" moment the other day.

You all know what I'm talking about, you know when you think that your child is threatened, or someone is being mean to him/her, or he/she is just not being treated the way that you'd like, and you freak out (either in your head or actually physically freak), swoop in and protect your little muffin.

So here's the sitch:

I go to a gym a few times a week, and if I happen to go in the morning, I will bring Jack and leave him in the playroom there while I go workout for about 30 minutes-1 hour.  I waited to do this until he could sit on his own, for some reason in my head I felt like that meant that he could somehow defend himself.  These people that run the playroom, they are just regular people.  I don't think they are certified in anything, and I know that place sure as hell isn't regulated like a daycare would be. 

So far, our interactions in the playroom have been pleasant.  There is one guy that is usually there, D, and he is pretty awesome.  He knows which toys Jack likes, and he is really good with kids and very calm.  He even let Jack take a nap on his lap a few weeks ago. 

On this particular day, I show up at 9:30 AM, and there are already about 4 kids in the playroom, and D is there.  OK fine, a little more crowded than usual, and Jack is the youngest kid there.  So I take off his coat, and go to sit him on the floor next to D.  I plop him down, and go over to the toy box and grab a FP Rock-A-Stack (which he has at home and LOVES) and little cube with buttons and things to slide around.  I put the toys in front of him, and then turn around to go hang up his coat on the hooks.

Well, one of the most spoiled and mean bullies ever biggest kids there went over to Jack, picked up the Rock-A-Stack and started throwing it around the room!  Um, excuse me kid, if you even come close to beaning my kid in the head with one of those rings, I'm going to kick your ass from here to next Tuesday.  For real.  D of course intervened and told the kid to stop.  THEN, a little girl comes over and steals the cube thing and takes it away!!!  What the hell!!!  Why are all these kiddos stealing from MY BABY!!!!  He had the saddest little look on his face, like he was so confused and didn't know why someone was taking away his toys.  Even now as I write this its making me all choked up.

I totally wanted to swoop in, steal those toys back, sit down and play with him and then just pick him up and leave, without working out.  I was so nervous to leave him, I was so afraid that he was going to get hurt, but I knew that D was cool, that he wouldn't let that happen (and my trainer knows him, and she said he is a good egg, and I trust her). 

It's amazing the instincts that well up inside you when you think your child is even in the slightest way threatened.  It totally sucker-punched me in the heart when his little face looked up at me with his little mouth in a pucker like "why Mommy, why did those mean kids take my toys?"  Oh Baby Nugget, I don't know why, I want to go back and steal those toys and give them to you, but your Mama has no balls and didn't do it. 

I did go and work out, and when I was finished I came back down and he was sitting on the floor with D, the other 2 bullies had gone home, and D & Jack were quietly playing toys together.  And Jack didn't get beaned in the head :)  (I seriously would have wooped some SERIOUS ass if that happened)

UGH.  This is only going to get worse as he gets older.  I totally know what it means now when you want to protect your child from every.little.thing.  My sweet little Baby Nugget....