Madeleine has always been a very adventurous girl. Ever since she was a baby, she has loved being outside. She used to cry at the top of her lungs, and the second we stepped outside she'd calm right down. She loves going on walks, and begs us to play at the playground. I don't think I have ever been turned down when I invite her to come with me on a walk or a hike. When we start heading back home, she knows it and says, "I don't want to go go home." She sincerely loves being out and about. Until this man shows up:
Mr. Pickle, our local sandwich shop mascot.
Madie is suddenly terrified of this guy. We really have no idea why. I'm thinking that maybe she had a bad dream involving him? I remember I had a bad dream about a man with a pumpkin for a head when I was three. Yup, you may laugh now (Mal is laughing as I type this in), but I was freaked out! I had a dream he was watching me sleep! But, that is what we are dealing with right now.
That, and the tractors. They started repairing our parking lot last week...big tractors/trucks coming in and working on asphalt for a few hours over the span of two days. Madie was literally terrified of them. When they came back from the store one morning last week, Mal got out of the car and unbuckled Madie. She told Madie to run to the grass in front of the car so she could get Finn out on the other side. Madie ran to the grass and cried, "Mom! Don't leeeave me!" She was balling out of fear of the tractors and loud noises. She had tears running down her face. Later that day we had to go somewhere and tried to motivate her to go. She insisted on staying, no matter what we offered. We finally had to force her. Same with going outside to use her new dolly stroller, go on walks, or go to the park. She has been refusing to go outside. I've had to force her to do all of these things that she typically loves. I guess no matter how much you try to protect your kids from 'scary' things, they just reach that stage when they discover fearsome things around them....even if they are Mr. Pickle.
1 comment:
I think the Mr. Pickle is in the parade clown/department-store Santa category. I was scared of those things as a kid--anything that had a human-like appearance that didn't look quite right. You've got to admit--it's creepy!
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