Bustling

Yesterday Andrew promised the children that if they were good we could watch Captain Marvel as a family. And they were rather well-behaved. But then Karolla invited Benjamin to go to the baseball game with her and Grandpa.

"No, thanks," Benjamin said when Grandpa asked him if he wanted to go.

"What?" I asked, truly shocked.

Benjamin adores Karolla and is always asking to do things with her.

"I want to watch Captain Marvel," he explained.

"We can do that anytime," I told him. "This is a one-time offer. They only have baseball tickets tonight. And besides, we're moving in three weeks and then you won't be around to invite to a baseball game."

"Yeah. I still want to watch Captain Marvel."

"I'm not sure you're making the right choice here," I said. "When you're given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity versus an any-old-day opportunity you take the once-in-a-lifetime thing!"

"Yeah. I still want to watch Captain Marvel."


It's not that I think I am better at making decisions than Benjamin is (I am), but clearly he wasn't thinking about this scenario from every angle. If ultimately he decided to not attend the baseball game after fully considering the baseball game, that would be fine. But he honestly didn't even really consider the game as an option.

"There will be dinner there," Grandpa taunted.

Karolla's work provided the tickets, as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet up in the fancy box place (or whatever it's called at a baseball stadium).

"We're going to have dinner here, too," Benjamin said.

"Let's call Dad and see what he thinks you should do," I suggested.

So we called up Andrew and gave him the scoop. Andrew agreed that Benjamin should go with Grandpa and Karolla. We would watch Captain Marvel together the next night (because it's an activity we could easily postpone, due to it being an any-old-day opportunity).

Benjamin tearfully relented.

"But I was so good!" he wailed.

"You were," I agreed. "But you can be good again."

"I don't know!" he blubbered. "I was so good today, Mom."

He really did earn a movie night with his behaviour. But he had a great time at the baseball game, too. I don't know if he loved watching the game, though he was in awe of how fast those players had the ball moving, but he certainly enjoyed the buffet.

"I had popcorn, drunk sprite, ate like three churros, and a hamburger without a bun!" he related to his sisters the following morning.

He got home too late to tell them about it last night. So late that he cried when he couldn't find clean pyjamas (they were in the dryer), cried because the Bees were losing when they left (they didn't stay until the end), cried because he wasn't allowed to sleep in the tent, and then he cried because Andrew said that he (meaning Benjamin) and Zoë could sleep in the tent the next night and he (meaning Benjamin) didn't want to sleep out there with him and Zoë alone (though naturally Andrew had meant that some bigger people would be out there, too).

*****

Rachel's friend Ava slept over last night and they wanted to sleep in the tent in the backyard, so Andrew helped them set it up. Miriam was going to sleep out there as well, but there was a moth in the tent that was too frightening to fall asleep with, so she came inside shortly after 10:00 to sleep in her own bed.

But before they went to bed they watched a movie and played some games out there.

*****

Zoë had wanted to go to the baseball game as well. She had rushed around with Benjamin, getting ready—she put on long pants so the bugs wouldn't eat her ankles and had brushed her hair.  She was crushed when we told her that only Benjamin was invited for this outing.

She was, once again, crushed when we told her that she wasn't invited to sleep in the tent that evening, either (though she is invited for tonight, though I doubt she'll last).

Instead she was invited to go on a lousy walk with Mom and Dad to return the Mario Kart cars I'd borrowed for Benjamin's cake. We returned what we'd borrowed and then Andrew announced it was time to go home and get ready for bed.

"But this is a shortcut to the park!" Zoë hinted (even though it was more of a long-cut).

"Well, it's bedtime," Andrew said.

"Oh, let's take them to the park," I said. "It's just us and the babies. We should take them to the park and let them do all the little kid things they want without having to share us with the big kids."

"All the more reason to get them to bed," Andrew said. "We can start on a project right away!"

"Benjamin's out at a baseball game and Rachel and Miriam are camping in the backyard," I pointed out. "And Zoë was categorically uninvited to both activities and you feel alright denying her the playground as well?"

"I do," he answered.

Never has his status as oldest child been more apparent. I told him so.

Then I said, "As a child #4, I think we should make a stop at the park before bedtime."

And so we did.

And everyone went to bed happy (except for Benjamin who had stayed up too late but otherwise had an enjoyable time, and Miriam who was too afraid of the moth in the tent to fall asleep).

(Also: everyone is watching Captain Marvel as I write this (except for me because I'm writing this and reading stories to the baby on my lap—yes, at the same time)).