Have you ever seen a little boy express true terror at the smallest things. It's fantastically funny!
Last night we thought we would try to eat out, at a restaurant, like normal people. It would be our first time taking the boys out as a family. We've been with other family members but as for dinner with just the four of us, that has never happened.
Everything was fine. Until we needed a bathroom break...
I'm going to pause here and recall a story from a few weeks ago.
We were in the garage, Parker, being the curious little boy he is, noticed a switch he could push. The switch happened to be on my compressor. I'm not sure if you have heard a compressor start up but it is loud, and instant. It scared the shit out of him immediately. Screams, tears, running for protection, look of panic on his little face.
So I took Parker to the washroom and we did our business, washed our hands as usual, and then we tried to dry them.
I'm sure people sitting outside the washrooms were surprised to see me come out with a little boy. I'm also sure if little boys could feel and understand what shame is he would have curled into my arms and hid away from the world.
The shrieks of terror and the clawing along my neck to get away from the hand dryer were very real. The reaction was very reminiscent of that faithful day in the garage. In fact it reminded me of a scene from another bathroom.
I tried to show him that it was safe and it was merely used to dry our hands.
That didn't work.
We ended up using my neck and shirt to dry his hands.
We'll work on it...