Inspired

My kid is a wonderous, funny, and odd little creature.

Today he and I went to the car wash to..well, wash the car. He's been asking to do it now for a couple of days, ever since Big Daddy took him in his car to get it washed. It wasn't the first time that he's been. In fact I've taken about four or five times in the past few months, but you'd never know it from Critter's reaction.
I always do the automatic car wash when I have the critter with me. I've always felt uncomfortable with getting out of the vehicle while he is still strapped in. You just never know what could happen.

So there we are driving down the street and as we near the car wash, Critter starts getting excited and talking about going to the car wash, "Mama wash car. Wash car Mama now". I had no idea he'd be this excited about washing the car (I'm hoping that the desire will last a few years until we're able to get a couple of manual car washes out of him at least). So we pull in. I pay and pull on in. As I turn off the car, I take a look in my rear view mirror and I recognize the look on my son's face. Suddenly the machines all start and the looks grow, but he doesn't say a word. Not a peep. His eyes get all big and wide. His mouth forms a tiny circle and he begins to shake. You'd almost think that the boy was having a seizure or something, but no. Critter was sitting there..terrified! This from the boy crying out for the car wash. I'd ask if he was okay, he'd smile and then go back to making the scared expression. I tried to get him to pretend with me that we were fishes in the ocean having a bath, but I hardly got a response from him. He was too caught up in what was going on outside the car.

It was silent inside the car, if you took away the loud whirling noises of the brushes cleaning my vehicle and me periodically asking the little critter if he was okay. Not a word came from the back seat until we had pulled out of the car wash. By then, my boy had come out of his little lull and was again asking to go wash the car. I had to chuckle a bit. I was amazed that my child, though certainly affraid of the machines, loved to get the car washed regardless. I found it inspiring to be perfectly honest. I hope that the next time I am faced with one of my fears, that I will be able to handle myself as my son has, and perservere. I love it when my son teaches me something. What a great day.