Lightening Bug Rage

Last Friday night we went to a family event at a local nature park. The event was focused on learning about lightening bugs. We began as a group sitting around a camp fire. A storm was looming nearby so the two educators were trying to stall to see if it would materialize or blow over. They had a lot of fascinating information to share but my kids got antsy. When we first got there a little girl said, “Hi guys!” Turns out, she was the older sister to Love Bug’s t-ball bff. She explained her mom and brother were not there, she was there with a friend. Chica Marie walked over to her and went to hug her. The girl awkwardly tried to move away and then just as awkwardly accepted the embrace. Chica Marie tried talking to her some more, but the girl and her friend moved away. I don’t really know what it was all about and I didn’t really get a chance to ask Chica Marie about it. I worry that some of the thing I’ve warned her about could be happening based on her behaviors. As the smoke burned our eyes and the educators tried to wait out the storm threat, Love Bug grew increasingly restless. He loudly declared he wanted to leave. He threatened to do all kinds of things if we didn’t leave. So, I walked him away from the group. He got some energy out and then the group decided to brave the elements and walk to the woods. We were supposed to observe the lightening bugs and see if we could tell which ones were which (yes, there is more than one kind of lightening bug). Rather than pay attention to the lightening bugs, I spent the time trying to keep my children from stomping over everything and destroying the crude lean-to’s nestled around the small stone fire pit. At one point, I got Love Bug to look at a lightening bug and I managed to call Chica Marie over to us. As we were watching the bug and I was trying to capture Chica Marie’s attention, a mom speaking an Indian dialect walked over with her son. Chica Marie mocked the way the woman was speaking and I nearly flew into a rage. I grabbed her by the arm and then grabbed her face so she would look at me. “We do not do that!’ I hissed. We slowly worked our way away from the mom and son and I confronted Chica Marie, “It was very rude of you to make fun of that mother talking to her son. There was no reason for it. This is America and people can speak as many languages as they want!” Not long after the incident we decided to leave. Honestly, I need to get it out of my head that we can do things like this. We cannot. My children do not handle these activities in a positive way and no matter how much I think it would be great for them, I need to stop.