We have a park located next to our house. Very easy to walk to, very convenient. Son LOVES this park, baby loves this park, daughter . . . not so much. I don't know why, the park is brand spanking new, very colorful and fun! There is a park area, an eating area for picnics and such, a skate park, tennis courts, basketball courts and, (drum roll please) . . . a splash park.

The Splash Park opened today!
Yipee!
Yeah!
Yahoo!

At 11:00, I put the kiddies in their bathing suits, lathered them up with sunscreen (me too) and we set out for the short walk there. Kids are excited, all three of them. We arrive and there are approximately 25 mothers with 1, 2 or 3 children each. There must have been an announcement in some paper that I do not receive! That Splash Park has never been that busy!

It was mass chaos!
Kids running around everywhere, kids shouting their heads off, kids crashing heads together, kids laughing, kids crying.

Son: running and shouting and having a blast!
Me: Very happy for my son as he has been begging for a pool or slip-n-slide for almost a month now!
Baby: delicately pouring water from her cup down a tube and having a blast!
Me: Very happy that amid the chaos, this little girl was content to play nicely in the water!
Daughter: Very happy for about 4 minutes . . . then started to scream her bloody head off that she was cold!
Me: . . . giving hugs, drying her with a towel, giving kisses, coaxing her to play, begging her to play, telling her to stop crying.
Daughter: Still screaming!
Me: Giving more hugs, more coaxing, more begging, more hugs.
Daughter: Still screaming . . . really loud still . . . wants to go home.
Me: . . . getting aggravated, getting frustrated, still trying to coax her.
Daughter: Still screaming, still loud, still wants to go home.
Me: Getting angry, getting embarrassed . . . tell daughter to pipe down or she will be punished when we get home.

This went on for about 30 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. I was ready to shout at her but couldn't because we had an audience by now from her nonstop carrying on. I was really aggravated with her for acting this way. What is wrong with her? She was the ONLY child crying to go home. Even the kids who bashed their heads together recovered quickly and were once again whooping it up. Why couldn't my daughter just enjoy herself?

I call my son over, dry him off, put his shirt on him, do the same with baby and daughter and ask if they would like to go to the park area to play. Of course, son and baby are all for it. Daughter continues to whine and give me a hard time. Son was off to make new buddies and play. Baby wanted to swing. I was able to coax daughter on a swing as well. Her mood seemed to be changing and she was smiling once again. She and the baby were finished swinging and daughter went one way and baby went another. I must follow the baby for obvious reasons, remember there are 30 some children running around amok at this park!

Next thing I know, I hear the whining and I get a smack from daughter that she wants to Go Home Now! She promptly started to shout and scream and cry again. I ask her what happened now. No response except to continue to hurt my ears and give me a migraine with her shouting! I tried to round up son and baby, but they wanted no part of an exit. So I ask daughter to simply sit and wait in the stroller, and drink some water. Can she do this? Absolutely not! She must follow me around, shouting at me that she wants to go home and continue to cry . . . well, at this point she was wailing very louding.

I couldn't take anymore and told son and baby we had to leave due to daughter.
We didn't even last an hour. All that, getting suits on, lathering up, gathering towels and hats and glasses and toys. For naught! Daughter cried and whined, loudly, the entire walk home. I was very upset with her. Once we got in the house, I told her she had to go to her room as punishment.

I don't know what her problem was. I do know that I am not very good at consoling her. I try, but nothing works! What the heck am I doing wrong? Or is she just simply entering the B-R-A-T phase? She's moodier than me when I'm at my moodiest day of the month!
ARGH! Very frustated here.
We have been home for two hours now, she is happy here, doing her own thing. But I am NOT spending the summer in this house!
I think she is a loner. This is not good.
She needs more socialization!
Brother and Sister are just not doing it for her.