This really is my life saver. I don't really care if these places are breeding grounds for germs and come complete with other mommies who do nothing but judge, I need these places. They are perfect for my kids to run off their never ending energy. I usually take the kids about mid morning which guarantees a wonderful afternoon nap from all of them. It is just awesome in my book.But there is one problem with these places besides, the germs, bullies and mean mommies. There is the possibility of one of the little kids will get stuck. Meaning that I will have to go up there and get them
This really has not been an issue for us especially, since Hayden is older and can usually go up and get a little kids that might be stuck. Also the fact that Jake, Quinn and Claire are now almost two and haft and pretty good climbers (just ask my furniture), I don't really worry about them getting stuck anymore. In fact, I hardly every think about it.
Well, I used to not think about it. Let's just say that changed this afternoon.
It was a rainy day and the kids where going stir crazy in the house. So it was off the McDonald's we went to run off and climb out their energy. Once the kids were deshoed and decoated, they were off to play. I sat down at the table, relishing in the fact that no one was climbing on me. I sipped my coffee when I heard the cry.
"Mooommmmmeeeee! Help Me!"
I looked around and saw what I feared most. Quinn near the top of the play place, stuck. Well, he was wasn't really stuck but his book he was. He had climbed to the top of the climbing ledges and when he turned around to start to climb down, his feet were too short to touch the next ledge so he got scared.

I tried to talk him down. I even sent Hayden up there to try and pull him down but he was too scared and nothing was working. So I did the only thing I could do. I got up from my chair, took my shoes off and began to squeeze my fat ass up to Quinn. Did I mention that the play area was full of people. Yup, this couldn't happen on a day when the place was empty, no it had to happen during a full house.
As I climbed higher and higher, praying that the plastic would support my weight so that I wouldn't become know as the lady that collapsed the play area, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to get high enough to get to Quinn. I was just too big to fit, no matter how much I sucked in.
Thankfully, there were some old boys playing around me and they had enough sense to realize that Quinn was stuck. They asked if they could help.
So as the boys tried to convince Quinn to come down with them, I looked around and took in my view. I looked over the crowed restaurant and realized that I was featured as the lunch time entertainment. Awesome.
"Um, lady" one of the boys said snapping me back to the task at hand, "he won't come to me. He is trying to kick me away."
"Yeah, I am sure he is just scared. Just try and grab his leg and pull him down. He will cry but it is ok. He will be fine," I told the boy.
The boy stuck his head down from the ledge and looked at me, "You want me to pull him and make him cry?"
"Um, yeah. It will be alright. He is going to cry but we have to get him down," I said getting a little annoyed by the whole situation. I just wanted to get down and stop this show.
Now, from where I was I could not see what was happening but within a couple seconds, I heard Quinn's distinctive cry and then I saw his little body being shoved in my direction. He had big crocodile in his eyes. I tried to talk to him and quiet him down but his wailing just continued. So I just maneuvered myself and the crying child down to the ground.
Once safely on the ground, I smiled politely to the crowd and thanked the boys that helped us. I gathered Quinn in my arms and planted many a hug and kiss on him. Eventually, he stopped crying and I am pretty sure the promise of chicken nuggets and a Happy Meal toy help with that more than my hugs and kisses.
Thankfully, there were some old boys playing around me and they had enough sense to realize that Quinn was stuck. They asked if they could help.
So as the boys tried to convince Quinn to come down with them, I looked around and took in my view. I looked over the crowed restaurant and realized that I was featured as the lunch time entertainment. Awesome.
"Um, lady" one of the boys said snapping me back to the task at hand, "he won't come to me. He is trying to kick me away."
"Yeah, I am sure he is just scared. Just try and grab his leg and pull him down. He will cry but it is ok. He will be fine," I told the boy.
The boy stuck his head down from the ledge and looked at me, "You want me to pull him and make him cry?"
"Um, yeah. It will be alright. He is going to cry but we have to get him down," I said getting a little annoyed by the whole situation. I just wanted to get down and stop this show.
Now, from where I was I could not see what was happening but within a couple seconds, I heard Quinn's distinctive cry and then I saw his little body being shoved in my direction. He had big crocodile in his eyes. I tried to talk to him and quiet him down but his wailing just continued. So I just maneuvered myself and the crying child down to the ground.
Once safely on the ground, I smiled politely to the crowd and thanked the boys that helped us. I gathered Quinn in my arms and planted many a hug and kiss on him. Eventually, he stopped crying and I am pretty sure the promise of chicken nuggets and a Happy Meal toy help with that more than my hugs and kisses.
The photo was found on flickr and not actually our play place
but it was very close.
I wanted to take a picture but I forgot my camera.





40 comments:
Oh yeah - I've been there... Luckily it doesn't happen often. But it's always a ego booster to feel like a fat gerbil climbing up the kid-size tubes.
I knew what this post would be about just from the title! It was like a war flashback! ;) I too have tried to manuever up the habitrail at the McDonalds to "save" my daughter. (This got especially interesting once my second baby was born, and I couldn't just leave her to rescue her sister.)
I had flashbacks LOL My older son went frequently to McDonald's and as I was the "smallest" of all my friends, I was the one recruited to rescue stuck children. At least once a week I was up there pulling kids down.
There was this one time a pregnant lady let her two maybe three year old son go up and he got stuck. She was like 12 months pregnant, so I went up after him. Of course I was punched in the eye because I was a stranger grabbing at him. The kid kept screaming, "She's not my mommy." Yeah, that was fun!
I was the mom that had to go up there to retrieve their kid. It was quite a site. Glad everybody was ok in the end!
Oh Jen, I can just see it! The Lil Miss got stuck when she was still tiny and up to today, at age of almost 5, refuses to go into them. So the boys are not going yet either.
another reason I will not go to McDonalds...LOL.
We took MiniMac to SeaWorld and there is a crazy maze of ropes/tunnels/tubes and he did pretty good but did get stuck in one part. Daddy had to fetch him but he only wanted to do it again!
I took Tristan to a McD's play area for the first time yesterday. He didn't climb (he's not much for climbing - which I'm glad for because he probably would have gotten lost and scared and frustrated) high but just climbed into these "cars" (with steering wheels). Another little girl who was almost 2 followed him into one. He must have thought she was trying to "take" it so he screamed a deep, throaty scream. Scared the poor dear. I told him to come out and apologize. He didn't. I had to climb in after him. I was surprised I didn't get stuck because the area where I had to go in, I had to go in on my tummy and it was a tight squeeze. Ugh. I grabbed him and pulled him out. I made him say sorry and hug the girl. She hugged him back and leaned in for a kiss. It was darling.
Every Mom's nightmare- Cute post!
Ooooohhhh - been there, done that. My guy got stuck at Chuck E and I was 7 or 8 months pregnant with his sister. NOT a good time and I have never been back to Chuck E since. I'm scarred!
Ohhh my goodness! I can't imagine. I am so shy, I very well might have left him up there! Okay not really, but you poor thing! Glad he made it out okay :)
So not fun. My husband has gone up there to rescue the kids before, don't know why I didn't go.. he is 6'8". Last time there was a minute where he thought we were going to have to call the fire department to get him unstuck.. somehow he made it out.
Oh that's the worst. I hate the stuck in a ridiculous small place problem.
Glad it all ended well.
Oh that would so be my luck! Luckily never had to do that. Good luck for the future... cause I agree with you. A great place for them to run off their energy and not cost you an arm and a leg!
Oh, I hate when you have to go in there yourself. It's one thing to expose your children to the filth infested tunnels, but it's another when we have to be exposed ourselves! lol
That is the worst!! I am glad that those boys were kind enough to help you.
Having to climb up the playplaces is one of my biggest fears! So, until I'm sure my kids wont' get stuck, we stick to the places that have toddler sized ones. Thank goodness there are a lot of them around here!
I would have just peed my pants if I still did that sort of thing.
That is so stinkin' hilarious. (sorry) I don't mean to laugh AT you! Just with you!
Glad all is safe. :0)
Oh my do I remember those days....Glad everything turned out okay!!
I had to climb up one of those things 6 months pregnant once. Now that would have been a good show had anyone been there to watch...or help! Glad Quinn made it down in one piece!
I'm glad it ended well!
I'm too scared to let Natalie play on one of those things because I imagine the same thing would happen to her.
There should be some trap doors built in so that we can retrieve the kids without having to climb up to get them.
Ugh, that happened to me last year. It's so embarrassing!
Thank goodness for other kids pushing our stubborn ones through, huh?
My kids were always warned that mommy would under no circumstances come to rescue them :-) They either needed to ask someone else to help...or not go up at all. I always managed to find someone to go up for me...cause I would surely be known as the lady that crashed the playground!
You are the best mom ever for going up into that thing to rescue your son (even if you didn't make it all the way)! I had to rescue my daughter from one last year, but I was lucky that the place was pretty deserted.
And this is why I haven't gone to the McD's playarea with my daughter. She's still so little, I am quite certain she would get stuck and then all hell would break loose.
Did you hear my horror story this summer from Chuck E Cheese's climbing structure? When Sarah pooped up in the tunnels! OMG....forget being stuck...try to coax a kid who has poop dripping down their leg to NOT slide down to get out and how to figure out how to get her out of there with the least mess possible...
We will never go back to the Canton CEC...ever!! (I think Sarah's picture is on the door...)
I ALWAYS had the fear this tall body would have to climb up those tiny tubes. Ack.
oh those mean mommy's. I am so glad we aren't one of them. I am even more glad that everyone made it out ok.
Oh yeah, been here, done this! Ditto the poop story, too. Have any of your kids ever sat at the top of a slide and peed? I recommend climbing up the ladder and cleaning it from the top down. NOT crawling up the slide while wiping and generally making everything slipperier...
Being fairly small and flexible, I've been recruited to save other people's kids from time to time. It's nice to be needed.
uhg, casey got stuck at the top of one of those and i had to send another kid (random stranger that i begged) up to fetch him. it was a mess. we don't go to those anymore. :-/
OMG! Why is it that all kids seem to do this at least once? At B's 3 year old birthday party at Chuck E Cheese he climed to the top of the playplace and would not come down and started crying. Luckily my sister climbed up there and got him. I still have a picture inside the kids playplace.
I love the helper kids reaction...."uh you want me to pull him down and make him cry?" Glad everyone was okay!
I loved your three labels: "Craziness", "Quinn", "Trials." That says it all.
The last time I went up there it was to save Nat. I was 8 months pregnant with Anna-Lucia. I nearly died up there.
Why is that? Why do things like this always happen when there is a crowd?!
My son has done this to me before too. He thinks he's stuck, so he won't listen! Then you look like a bad Mommy and get all embarassed. So much fun!
This is why I don't take my kids to these things...besides the threat of germs...the threat of my @ss getting stuck in there.
P.S. My email is still not working.....
Just thought you'd like an update.
What a nightmare!!! Thank God for the those older boys!!!
This has happened to me.
I forgot to blog about it...I pretended the crying kid in the tower was not mine, until so many worried parents crowded over I had no choice.
I even took a picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamaslosinit/3733705609/in/set-72157618071196628/
Oh my god, this is something I envision happening every time I go to the play place. Sorry this happened, but at least I'm not alone in my reliance on indoor play places, germs, meanies, bullies & all.
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