Toddlers pulling the strings

Leave it to a toddler to make a parent feel like a fool.
I am convinced that children between age 2 and 3 know when you are in a situation that you cannot escape, and they choose that moment to act completely, unabashedly naughty. It is an age where children are mobile, but they do not yet know the rules.
I was attending the Kids and Community Breakfast sponsored by the Mahoning County Children Services in honor of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.
A little boy carrying a blanket caught my attention while I was waiting in the buffet line. He was adorable, blond-haired, dragging his "blankie" behind him. I wanted to pick him up and squeeze him, but something in his eyes told me he was not the cuddly type.
Less than 20 minutes later, I found out how right I was.
What he did
During a speech, the little blond-haired cutie ran in front of the stage and began examining the various equipment plugs. His mother was beckoning him from her chair. When he started to put his finger into a plug, mom ran to him and scooped him up.
He sat quietly then -- for exactly three seconds.
Then the squirmy toddler escaped his mother's grasp and began exploring again. He approached tables, where people held out their arms to hold him. He stayed just far enough away so that a seated person could not reach him. Toddlers may not know the rules, but they have great depth perception.
By the time the speeches were over, Mom was standing off to the side with a kind-hearted "assistant," both watching over little Blondie.
But Blondie escaped once more, and on this escapade, he found a sidekick.
On the loose
Another little toddler had been sitting nicely on his mother's lap for the duration of the program. But the production had well exceeded the time a toddler can possibly remain still. He was ready for action.
The two began running after each other.
Two flustered mothers went after them.
When caught, the two fugitive toddlers fussed a bit and then quieted down as their mothers held them firmly. By now the entire hall, filled with more than 300 people, had seen at least part of the drama unfolding in front of the stage with the two toddlers. Some were "tsk-tsking" their behavior. Others were wondering what the two would do next.
They wouldn't have to wait long.
The little boy who had sat so nicely on his mother's lap during the program suddenly leaped from her arms and charged the steps to the stage.
His brother had just climbed the steps to accept an honorable mention award for a poster he drew. Big brother stood awkwardly on stage with the rest of the fifth- and sixth-grade winners.
All of them looked like they didn't want to be up there. They huddled close together in their clumsy adolescent uneasiness. Three times they had to be asked to move down so they could all fit on the stage.
Then up comes little brother, bold as can be, not a second's hesitation in his step, to stand next to his big brother.
Bless the big brother's heart, he wanted to hide under the stage, no doubt, but he put an arm around his little brother instead. The little brother stood happy, proud and surprisingly still.
Not to be outdone, Blondie came bounding up the steps behind his toddler friend. He too walked confidently across the stage and stood with pride next to his new friend and his brother. He looked as if he had just received an award like the fifth- and sixth-graders he had joined.
It was bad behavior, no doubt about it. From the look on the mothers' faces, two toddlers were going to be in big trouble on the way home.
But as I left the hall that morning, I found myself hoping that those two little boys will always approach life with the same determination and gusto as their morning adventure. And, after a steep climb up one of life's high mountains, may they always find a haven in the arms of a loved one.
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