July 29, 2008 | Mama Smith
...and it's gone
Well, the day has come. The stage was set. The brand new Woody doll sat on the dresser. B and I collected all his pacifiers and sat down with a gift bag, some tape, and piece of stationary. Upon which we wrote the following note:
Dear Baby,
Here are all my pafis for you to use until you become big boy like me.
Love,
Brighton
He sucked each pacifier before tossing it into the bag. Then he sat looking at the bag wondering if he was really making the right decision. Is Woody really worth this?? After taking them back out of the bag for a few more goodbyes, he then finalized the deal by taping the bag shut, attaching the letter and heading out to the mailbox with me to mail the pacifiers to a new baby.
Ahh, what a sweet story, right? How touching and cute, right? Ha, nothing ever goes over that smoothly in the Smith house.
Seconds later, as we wrap up the mailbox deal and I begin watering plants on the front porch, I hear Levi shrieking on the stairs and see a swarm of angry wasps dive-bombing him. I sprint down the stairs to grab him – with my wet hands, mind you – and attempt to swing him up the stairs and inside. Instead, his arm slips from my grip halfway up the stairs and I end up slinging him across the steps onto the landing. By this point, I’m also being stung and screaming at Brighton to get inside before we’re all attacked. I grab the terrified, screeching Levi off the stairs and run inside.
At this point, I am wondering (1) whether I just paralyzed my son by slinging him onto a concrete landing or at least gave him a concussion, (2) just how many times he was stung and if he is allergic, like his father, and (3) WHY in the world Brighton has the video camera on and is asking me to wave at it, puttering around like nothing has happened.
After lathering Levi and myself with sludgy watered-down baking soda and checking for signs of any head injuries, I realized we were all going to survive.
As for the pacifiers, Brighton didn’t ask for them once at nap time. He curled up with his new Woody doll, gave me a kiss and was out. But we couldn’t escape the great ridding-of-the-pacifier day without a little melodrama, could we?
And knowing us, tonight will probably be a completely different story with lots of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
On a humorous note, B’s latest favorite spot for watching his daily dvd…
the Daniel Halls said,
Wow. It seems like the craziest things happen to you and no one else. I am thankful you share them with us and good job with the pacifiers.
pkr said,
do we get to see the video;)
Aubrey said,
That photo is cracking me up.
Karen Hines said,
Hey Matt and Amy.Here is a blog from my friend in Nashville. Maybe could you all look this over and maybe pass it on to folks who could pray for this family.Thanks K… prayforjoseph.blogspot.com
Rach said,
hehee. never a dull moment, right? glad you all survived the ambush! i’m thankful too that your kiddos will grow up with such creativity and drama adding so much life to their growing up experience :c) i mean, where the heck did you come up with the ‘mailing the pafi’s to another baby’ scheme? man, i love this girl. please write a collection of stories some day. that’s my one request.
Mary Beth said,
Okay, surely there’s a second half to that story where you run out to the mailbox while Brighton’s napping, dodging the wasps, to take the paper bag out before the mailman came?
That is too clever. I love the note for the baby.
Let’s get together soon. I can’t believe it’s been a YEAR and we haven’t seen each other. So lame.
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