Status: Calm and Collected. In other words, NOT NORMAL. Hmmmm....My poor children are afraid of heights. It runs in Hubby's family. We're talking DEATHLY afraid of heights. As in, Hubby's Dad, on the one occasion he went up the elevator to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, he crawled out on his hands and knees when they reached the top, wrapped his arms around a pole and refused to move. My MIL pretended she didn't know him.
So, it trickled down. Hubby is afraid of heights, but he's dignified and quiet about it. My older three kids, though, they are NOT quiet. Thing Two, especially.
Last night I was upstairs tidying up in the kitchen and suddenly I hear these Movie-caliber bloodcurdling screams coming from the basement. I run downstairs, and Hubby has hoisted Thing Two onto his shoulders, and Thing Two is bent in half, clinging to Hubby's head for dear life and screaming that if he starts walking up the stairs he will REALLY die.
Poor thing. Thing Three is nowhere to be found, because he has run and hidden himself. He doesn't want to be next. I tell Hubby to put Thing Two down and stop being so mean. He's literally shaking like a leaf. We're talking Abject Terror of being on his dad's shoulders. THAT is a fear of heights.
The baby is starting, too. Hubby usually does a "Wheeee Move" where he tosses the baby up in the air and catches him, and the baby has always screamed with joy, with a big grin on his face. I have thought maybe he escaped the Fear Of Heights Curse?
Well, maybe not. Lately, he's getting a more developed sense of depth perception. And yesterday, when Hubby tossed him in the air, instead of screaming and laughing, he got THE LOOK on his face. The "I'm-Not-So-Sure-I-Like-This-After-All" look.
My poor kids. We have RAMPANT phobias. Water, bugs, heights...all normal, but pretty inconvenient at Carnivals.
Weekend was good, we relaxed and had fun, and Hubby and I got in Date Night on Saturday. It was nice to get away. We were all set to go to a nice dinner, but we ended up getting Taco Bell and eating it in the car and talking, which was something we did ALL THE TIME when we were dating back in college. I think we haven't done it in 13 years. It was fun to reminisce: we would sit in line for 40 minutes at 1am at the only Taco Bell in Provo, and then we'd sit in the car and eat and talk.
Of course, NOWADAYS, I would A) never be up that late and B) be afraid I'd spill something on the leather. Yep, times have changed!
Well, time to get going. Happy Monday!
4 comments:
Always fun to remember good times.
I understand the fear of heights, only mine manifests in a desire to jump.
Ick.
I have GOT to tell you my Space Needle Story. Well, I have a lot, but this one will fit perfectly.
When my third son was almost two, I was taking him to see "Blues Clues Live". Just Mommy and son time. He was all excited to go to "Sea-A-Doe". I kept on telling him that is where BLues CLues would be, down in Seattle. At that age, when he was scared of something, he always covered his ears and yelled "DAT TOO LOUD!" no matter what it was he was scared of.
So we were driving along and he was chattering away and kept asking when we would be there. Finally, the Space Needle came into sight and I said, "Look, sweetheart! There it is! There's Seattle! Now we can see Blues Clues!"
His eyes got huge and he started shaking and said in a very quiet voice, "Dat Sea-A-Doe??? Dat one DERE!?!?" I said yes, and before I could explain that was one part of Seattle and not precisely where Blues Clues would be, he started SCREAMING and covering his ears and yelling "DAT TOO LOUD! GO HOME NOW! Peeeeeeeessseee, Mummy?? Turn 'wown?? (turn around?) We go home NOW!?!? DAT TOO LOUD! SEA-A-DOE Too LOUD!!" He recovered when I promised him we would not go up in that. He has since gone up and has a great time, is not scared at all, which IRRITATES ME! LOL
I am pretty much like your FIL. When the elevator opens, I don't cling to any poles,(tempted as I am) but I hang around the middle and don't venture out even CLOSE to the doors to the observation deck. Since the elevator is glass and you can see everything when you go up, I hang around the back and let as many people crowd me as possible and I don't watch! LOL
I can't even deal with the clear glass rails in malls you know? My kids know I am totally freaked by it and LOVE to run over to the railings and hang over and look down and let me scream and shudder. My knees go weak and I feel like I will collapse and that is just when THEY are there, I am not close!
The ironic thing is that the same son who screamed that the Needle is too loud?? He told me when he was 7 years old that I had a irrational fear of heights! I didn't know he even knew the word, not to mention the correct meaning. We were climbing up to go on a water slide at West Edmonton Mall and I couldn't do it, as much as I tried. His older brother had just taken their little sister up and we were falling behind. I told him I was sorry, I couldn't do it and he was trying to encourage me. I laughed when he told me that, but I had to take him down and find my husband to take him up. Poor kid! LOL
In short, I wish your kids were mine, so that they could understand better and would not tease and torment me:) My one brother used to sit in his high chair and blink as he dropped his food!! He is even more scared of heights than I am, amazingly.
Sounds like a nice date night. I know just what you mean about things you used to do when you were dating and first married. Seems weird sometimes, eh??
Laura, you crack me up!
Good, I am glad. I thought maybe you would be annoyed that I blabbed on and on:)
You are so patient!
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