6/02/2008

A Little Coaxing

When schooling the kids the other day I gave Eraser Eater a list of words to look up in the dictionary since I have to occupy him with supplemental work:

1. vile

2. baleful

3. irate

4. insolent

5. morbid

6. sanguine

Don't you love the last word? So nice. I thought it stood out so well among the others.

I took the Girl and the crew to a water park about an hour away on Friday for her birthday celebration. We had a good time. The Prof remained at work and my sister in law and her kids came along. We also brought the neighbor girl. They all had a blast.

My Oldest was too afraid for the first half of the time to go down the big water slide with an inner tube. He openly wept at one point of sheer frustration that he could not muster up the courage to do it. He would climb all the flights of stairs to get to the top, only to cower down in the corner and watch the line of people meet their doom.

"I can't do it," he would say like Mickey Mouse.
"Look dude. All you have to do is sit in the tube thing and I will push you. Nothing will hurt you," then I proceeded to tell him for the tenth time what you encounter during the long slide down.

He still refused to do it. He would stare at me immobile, like he usually does when he is irrationally, yet neutrally frightened. I don't know how to explain that one---it must be an Aspergian trait he has.

While this was going on, Eraser Eater had already visibly gone down the slide umpteen times. The Oldest was watching him pass by every time out of the corner of his eye.

Finally, once the Girl made the plunge he could stand it no longer. He marched up the steps and made his presence known. I met him up and I was ready. He sat down on the tube and shuddered. "I don't want to go on this anymore..." he squealed.

"Bye!" I said as I pushed him down. At each flight you can see your child round a curve and look at their faces. At first he looked straight up at me and waved his fist in the air exclaiming, "You will pay for this!" Next, he was furrowing his brow and staring at me with a slight smile on his lips. And finally, he was laughing and screeching with his arms up in pure delight. "I love this ride!" he shouted from the bottom.

7 comments:

Mrs. Sinta said...

Tell the Oldest that Aunt Mrs. Sinta is very proud of him. It is a really big deal to face your fears, even if they are irrational.

Good job Mrs. G.C.

Whistle Britches said...

That story should be in the Bible.
Maybe it already is and I don't know it.

Gen said...

LOL! I love that image of your son going down the slide and the change in his demeanor. That is very cool. It takes a special mom to huck her kid down a slide, knowing exactly where the line between trauma and breakthrough lies!

SprinklerBandit said...

I haven't caught up on your writings in a while. Sounds like a lot of excitement for your so super-huge (snicker) family.

Bee ☕ said...

So the question is, did he do it again?

and good for you....he will thank you, if he hadn't already. :)

R said...

Sinta---I will tell him that.

Uncle Joe---I think it was in Jonah.

Groovy---I know! So do I! I laughed and thought what great story-telling it would produce with each expression! LOL.

SprinklerB---Glad to hear from you!

Bee---He did! Over and over and over! And then he went down the slide he thought was the "doom" slide and loved that too! Score!

Leslee said...

At what age do chidren realize their parents know EVERYTHING!?!?