Monday, April 21, 2008

Our Achilles' heel is full of hot air

Don't you just hate those parents who cave in every time their kid whines, shrieks or cries, especially in a grocery store? Well, Jim and I have become those parents. For weeks now, whenever Dan is in public with us, he'd shriek everytime he spotted a balloon. And every time, Jim would have to take a detour and let Dan play with the balloon from his perch in the backpack. Twice in the past week, Dan has conned a pricey balloon purchase with his relentless shrieking in the store. Total cost: $8.

Dan is so in love with balloons right now. Balloons are becoming a permanent fixture in our home. He can't even eat a meal without it. Dan gets a gorilla grip on the balloon string that's about as strong as his shriek is earpiercing. Getting the balloon from him takes quite a bit of diplomacy. The balloon would go to bed with him if I allowed such nuttyness, but he and I have worked out a little naptime ritual. The balloon goes to take a nap in the bathtub. That's the official story here and I think he's bought it. Balloons are his best friend, too. When we visited his little buddy, he payed no attention to poor Louis, the most social tot I know, and was all about the balloons. And, of course, after one balloon went floating up to Jesus, we've had to enforce the "balloons are inside toys" rule. He also tries to take it into every small space he tries to cram himself into ... a tunnel, a cabinet, under the table, under a chair, into a closet.
Funny thing is, when I caved in and bought him a balloon, I was a little embarassed. I thought, "My husband would never cave in." But I guess Dan has worn us both down with the shrieking lately.

1 comment:

Mary Ellen said...

That is too funny!