On Saturday we went to New Hampshire to celebrate the first birthday of my friend Lisa's little guy Nils. While there, Summer was stung by a bee for the first time, on the leg, through tights. Lisa offered her a choice of three Band-Aid styles. She chose a pony Band-Aid, and calmed down when presented with a slice of Nils's soccer-ball birthday cake.
Once she finished her cake, though, she got upset again, and despite the impressive, and very kind, efforts put forth by all four of Nils's grandparents, she would not stop crying. They tried distraction: "Come play in the bouncy house!" They tried explaining: "The pain is your body's response to the bee." They tried Zen philosophy: "Do not become the bee sting." They tried placebo creams and ointments: "It might help!" Summer sat steadfastly on the porch pressing her thigh with her right hand and working her blankie, fetched from the car, with her left.
She was wearing her sparkling ruby shoes from Target. Exasperated by the grandparents' insistence that the shoes were magic, and she need only click her heels to make the bee sting stop hurting, Summer blurted out, "They are NOT magic, they are ORDINARY SHOES!"
About five miles into our trip home, Summer told me she felt better, and when we arrived at our house, she floated like a butterfly to the playground.
Aw, sounds like the little one just wanted to be HOME! I can understand that.
Posted by: Jen | October 04, 2006 at 08:18 AM
What a smart little girl. Magic shoes?! I mean really, who would believe that?!
Posted by: sharon | October 06, 2006 at 10:18 AM