the elephants we face.

brennan is terrified of the huge metal elephant at the zoo.

when he was one he crawled up out of his stroller 

through the straps, 

and then clawed his way up onto my head.

imagine a 26 pound monkey on my head.

b/c that's what it felt like.

when we go to the zoo now he still worries 

about how we are going to get by that big metal elephant the entire way there.

when we walk in he decides we'd better just turn around and go home.

very matter of factly.

then i finally talk him into holding my hand, 

walking around the long loop by the apes, 

or hiding on the side of the stroller to get him to go by it.

today was one of his more fearful days.

i could feel my patience wearing thin.

cade and max were running ahead, 

and i didn't wanted to lose sight of them in the crowds.

brennan was walking backwards, crying, shaking in fear.

i finally got the other kids back by calling them over {christmas miracle}, 

and we played a spy game all together, 

hiding like ninja power rangers to get by.

cade and max put their arms around brennan and completely validated his fears.

it was so so cute to watch.

he shuddered the entire 20 yards it took us.

but we all helped him together.

as we were walking past that big scary metal elephant, 

i kept thinking that one day he won't need me to get him past the elephant at the zoo anymore.

and i tapped my impatience on the back and kicked it out the back door.

and i thought about how there are always elephants that we face in our lives,

and i just want to try my best to enjoy the chances i get to keep helping him face his.

no matter what form they present themselves in.

and then on the way back i got impatient again 

b/c by then max was crying,

cade wanted to ride in the stroller with chase,

chase wanted to get out,

and they all wanted to hang on the stroller that i to push up the big hill to get out.

and i wondered where that lovely perspective of blissful motherhood had gone...

BELOW:

the infamous metal elephant.

brennan's nemesis.

brennan hiding on the side of the stroller so the elephant wouldn't see him.

it took me 10 minutes to convince him that even though the elephant has two eyes,

the stroller would be big enough to hide him.

it really is the biggest stroller on the planet.

yet it still fits through any door that a wheel chair can muster.

all hail the BOB.

he was shaking he was so scared.

poor chap. 

fears are a funny thing.

awful funny things.

"mom, hurry, take my picture, then get me off." 

-brennan

brennan's face cracks me up!

{click on the right hand side to make it bigger. i couldn't stop laughing.}

he was the one that wanted to sit on the rhino's horn. i was just the facilitator of his creativity.

you make your bed, and then you lay in it buddy, bahahahaha.

then we all came home and collapsed.

THE END.