Midland Mall Madness

Okay, there's this play area in the middle of the ENORMOUS Midland Mall...and by enormous I mean it has a food court and Target and Bath and Body Works and Hot Topic and about three other stores. Ok I'm exaggerating a little but it sure is a shell shocker compared to what we're used to. Anyways...it has this little padded fun area for kids...even the objects, tho they look like shiny hard plastic are really cushy and soft, Rick says "squishy" (donated by DOW of course...the whole city was practically donated by freaking DOW...hey kids, how would you like your high school mascot to be "the Chemics"...sounds tough, right? - no joke) Okay, no more side tracks...Dylan LOVES this place. A: he gets to actually interact with other children B: he gets out of our tiny apartment I've begun referring to as "the cell" and C: he gets to run and smack things and be loud, etc without any lip from mom.

For the most part he gets along with everyone, he LOVES the older boys and has begun climbing like them, he is just amazed watching this kid get to the top of the pile of grapes. He watched him the whole time we were there just in awe, following him from object to object as he made his way to the top. (Dyl's actually getting quite good at it himself now)I am sad while making this last point because I just tried to download the pic from my stupid phone camera and it didn't work so you'll just have to try to picture it. Like I said, MOST of the time Dyl gets along with everyone...he does however seem to attract some negative attention, particularly from the older boys who I think don't appreciate him following them around or think its as cute as I think it is. Last week a three year old decided he had had enough of Dyl and shoved him backward over the giant yellow toothbrush you see in the back top left corner of the above pic. Well, one thing the poor 3 yr old was unaware of is that Dyl can take a hit and that unfortunately, he will not hesitate to throw down...now where does he get that from? Anyways...I ran over there just in time to watch the little cocky brat cross his arms and wait for Dyl to cry...but Dyl was much too fast even for me (and I knew it was coming) as he got back up onto his chubby little legs and clocked the kid upside the face. Now, I'm supposed to be mad, right? I had to scold him while holding back laughter as the little bully scrunched his face and started to howl for his mom, sorry kid but you had it comin'! Anyways...Braydee has the proof because I sent it to her immediately from my cell to hers...Dyl was SO mad that I grabbed him and broke up the fight. He looked at me and narrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes and just stared, long enough for me to get my phone and turn the camera on and get the shot...little punk.

Afterward we called a truce and I shot a few of him in his stroller...he still wouldn't smile for me tho.
Then this nice lady came up and asked if I would like her to take a pic of the two of us. I felt like saying no and telling her to go away since my hair was NOT gelled...it's grease and i had NO makeup on and I looked bald from the front thanks to the dirty hair pony tail but decided to be a good sport and shoot one so it wouldn't be awkward. Then Dyl reached up and grabbed my chin and it was so cute I had to keep it.And, finally...he was back to his old self, laughin and bein' my bud.