Today I found out Mr. Stubborn knows how to read a map and to use said map to get where he wants to go.
Today we were supposed to meet Trevor at his garage for him to take a look at the truck. However, when it was time to go, Mr. Stubborn was nowhere to be found. We’d all gone to the bathrooms to brush teeth and hair, wash faces, etc. I left first with Little One thinking the rest would be right behind me. Even going as far as to say, “Finish brushing your teeth, then come back to the campsite. And stay together.”
Keep in mind the bathrooms are maybe 100 yards from our campsite, if that. Miss Drama and #2 arrive at the campsite a few minutes after I did, but Mr. Stubborn is not with them. After serious questioning, I find out Miss Drama was with him until he started walking off a different road. She saw him go, but rather than try to stop him or find out where he was going or go with him to make sure he stayed out of trouble, she turned toward the campsite and left him to it. She thought he’d just follow her, so she didn’t give a second thought to leaving him behind.
Apparently, we need to revisit what the phrase ‘stay together’ actually means.
After checking the bathrooms and driving around the campsite looking for him, I remember he mentioned a playground the day before. And then I remember in the bathroom while we brushed teeth, he had a campsite map and was asking questions about where we were on it. Putting the two together, I drive over to the playground and lo and behold, there he is playing to his heart’s content.
I’m a bit awed and amazed. He was able to use the map to identify where the playground was in relation to the bathroom and then used the map to navigate through the campsite to the playground.
However, I am now questioning taking him to Hershey Park tomorrow and he has now lost the privilege of riding rides tonight when we go to the park preview (in case you’re wondering what that is, we learned from friends in DC that a ticket to Hershey Park also includes entrance to the park the night before your visit for 3 hours).
Consequences my son, there are always consequences to your actions. Hopefully, you will learn this lesson and consider them in the future before making bad decisions.