The red balloon...

I can only tolerate about 2 hours of a preschool Birthday party. I don't think that makes me a bad person. There's just too much stimulation, and the kiddos start melting down (usually mine).

On the way out the door, the Birthday girl handed out balloons. The Little Man had his eye on a red balloon, and he got it. We had a good 20 minute walk home on a blustery Chicago afternoon, so I insisted on tying it to his wrist. We went round and round about how the balloon should be tied, and finally I gave in and tied it his way...after explaining time after time that it might get away from him...

Whatever, I tied it his way, and off we went...Some battles are just not worth fighting.

Would you believe we didn't get even HALF a block away from the party, and that dog gone balloon got away from him:/

He. Melted.

I will never forget how his little face wrinkled up, as he sank to his knees and cried...no sobbed into his hands.

"My heart is broken!" he screamed.

I reached down and picked my big boy up. His body was limp, and he sobbed into my shoulder...

"It hurts so much...my. heart. hurts!"

The Damn red balloon made it's escape as my Little Man's heart broke, and there was nothing I could do about it:(

I could only carry him for about half a block, then I had to put him down. He's getting so dang big!

Miss Peach was holding her Daddy's hand and walking ahead of us. Her balloon was following happily on her wrist. Stoopid balloons:/

I got down to The Little Man's eye level, "I know your heart hurts, and losing your balloon makes you very sad...and you being sad makes Mommy very sad...I promise you, we will get you another red balloon...but I can't get one right now:("

No sooner did I explain all this to him, did Miss Peach turn around and say..."It'll be OK Little Man, you can have my balloon when we get home."

I. was. shocked.

Half the time, she's yelling at me about how she never wanted a brother...now here she was giving him her balloon to make him feel better. I told her what a wonderful thing that was to do...and how proud I was of her as a big sister...and she said...

"What else am I gonna do...I don't want to listen to him cry all the way home."

Well...it still was a nice thing to do;)

5 comments

  1. Okay. This post got me teary eyed. Even with Miss Peach's reasoning for giving her brother the balloon...it still got to me. :-)

    Happy Monday...

    Lee

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  2. At my pre-schoolers birthday party in January we did a beach theme and made the grownups dacquiris and margaritas. You've never seen people so thrilled to stay at a 4 year old birthday party.

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  3. Reading that made MY HEART HURT!

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  4. NW -

    I miss you and your blog...was just making the rounds after a couple of years out of the blog scene...thinking of you and your awesomeness :)

    Brad the Stay at home dad :) (Of the Egel Nest)

    Visit me on facebook if you like :)

    www.facebook.com/bradegel

    ReplyDelete
  5. My son is now 26 and his heart doesn't break over lost or popped balloons ANYMORE - but he sure did when he was little!

    Same story, different decade...as the balloon sailed away I can remember him wailing, "My Ba-Woon, My Ba-Woon..." And boy did I want to tell him "I told you so!" but you just have to wipe away their tears.

    But the ending of the story...priceless! Miss Peach really knows what's up!

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