The Artist has a trip today; she is going to a Chanukah center full of fun things to do for the upcoming holiday. So she went off this morning in a happy mood, a plastic shopping bag slung over her shoulder containing a tuna sandwich, yogurt, Clementine and two bisslis (a snack food).
I had gone into the other room to make my coffee when the door burst open and a tearful Artist confronted us. "What happened? " my dh asked?
My first thought was that she had returned home frozen; this happened before. She chose the wrong gear and came back crying from the cold. I was all set to hand her the heavier sweater (she was to take two sweaters and not a heavy coat as where they are going is very hot do to the projects they are making.)
"A dog" she said. And my heart jumped.
A dog had come up to her and stolen her lunch, snatched it right out of her hands. She was afraid it was going to bite.
Mom gave her a hug, told her she did right to come home, and rushed to make another lunch, Dad gave her a hug and comfort and rushed to fill more water bottles for her. The Wit, who generally never deigns to make his appearance before ten in the morning, if that early, and who has a propensity to tease and taunt the Artist mercilessly, came downstairs, arms outstretched and captured her in a gigantic hug.
Lunch gathered mom went off with the Artist to walk her to school; I wasn't going to let her walk alone this morning. We met the dog along the way; truthfully the animal seems friendly enough, but it was a stray, which had me rather worried till the Artist assured me it didn't bite her.
Coming home I found her lunch and the dog came over to me and tried to grab the lunch from me. I could see what scared her so. It was quite persistent, and followed me home. But I think it was hungry more than anything else. It didn't try to bite or terrorize me; it just wanted the lunch. Still, Artist has been effected. Many children can shake these things off; but the Artist tends to absorb them. Will she be willing to walk to school tomorrow alone? She wanted me to pick her up. (I can't; for the simple fact that I don't know the time she is returning from the trip and the school is unlikely to either. Buses tend to return rather late.) I also don't want her to become more dependent on me than she is right now. She needs to assert herself more in the world and not retreat.
UGH, UGH, UGH.
Posted by Rachel Ann at November 29, 2004 06:41 AM