Not Playing Nice in the Sandbox

On a hot, hot, day in July...(five green and speckled frogs...)

The Johnstons hit up the local candy and ice cream shop and than headed over to the fountains to play in the water. But what do you do when there are kids who don't want to play nice?...

(Let me set the scene)

So there is a gathering area in downtown Elk River that has five bubbly fountains...you often find little (like-tot-aged) kids running in and out of them and bravely stepping into the cascading water. Hannah loves it there.

So...we headed over there to rinse off....er. I mean, play in the fountains after our lovely ice cream treat. There was another little girl there Hannah's age, her name was Laura...the two wanted so badly to walk over to the fountains and touch them....HOWEVER, there were two school aged kids there (talking like 3rd and 5th grade) running, kicking, splashing and spitting the water all over themselves and anyone daring to try to step on their "fountain territory." At one point, we had Hannah splashing on just the end fountain when the girl obnoxiously came barreling through and practically knocked Hannah over right after kicking the water straight in Hannah's face. (Protective mama Bear here....I know.) But really. The teacher/social worker in me wanted to set boundaries for the kids and acknowledge that they were there to have fun but that they also needed to be more aware of the two "babies" who were also trying to enjoy the evening. (I would have even broke out one of my lessons about sharing.) But I didn't. I kept my mouth shut (and more surprisingly, so did Justin) and unfortunately Hannah and Laura's time was cut short as us parents shielded are kids and turned home for the evening.

So what do you do as parents?....just keep quiet and hope for another time?...or shoot dagger-eyes at the parents....or maybe give into your temptations and splash back....(obviously I am kidding.)

Here are some photos from the hot and sticky 100+degree evening.