Brave

Yesterday was one of those days.  The kids were squabbly and irritable and I felt that way too shortly after picking them up.  It couldn't get worsre though for the most part it did, until the wasps.

We had to change our scenery yesterday to change the general mood so we went to our nearby town for lunch.  We decided to have a picnic at the giant egg park and so that is what we did.  

We found a table that was not too far off so even grandma could get there.  The kids carried lunch stuff and we all sat down.  And the wasps decided to join us for lunch.  I didn't really see much of a problem in this.  You sit still, they leave you alone.  However, Cassie and Marcus are very afraid of bugs, any bugs, and wasps are a bug.

They cried, they ranted they screamed.  There was even a fair moment of full on panic when the wasp went inside out bottled drink for a bit.  Certain small people went to the car to eat and closed the doors and refused to open the windows no matter what.  It was hot out but they did not care.  They saw safety in the closed up car.

I packed up everything that I thought was left and joined them in the car.  We were about to head out till we noticed one bottle of pop sitting on the seat of the picnic table, not quite empty.We couldn't leave it, so Cassie ventured carefully out to get it to put in the garbage bin.   She was petrified.  Truly petrified.  She stepped out of the car and then froze for just a moment and then took a breath and just went for it.   It was the bravest thing I have ever seen.  She didn't conquer her fear but she went anyway, in spite of her fear.  

Marcus was in the back seat, very very worried for Cassie.

I told her to go close and to stand real still till the wasps were gone, and then to put her hand over the top of the bottle and walk slowly to the bin.  And she did.  I don't think she breathed at all.  And then it was over.  

She could have refused to go.  She could have just said no and let it at that.  I'd have let it go if she had succumbed to her fear but her own sense of how to leave the world sent her out to deal with a problem.  And I did not have to insist or beg.  She made the choice and took her stand and I am so gosh darn proud.

The day improved.  Marcus treated her like a hero for the rest of the afternoon.  No fights till close to bedtime.  It was a pretty good day when all was said and done.