Camille was invited to a birthday party this past weekend. It was a fabulous, western themed, family event with bouncy inflatables and a live pony. Camille was very excited about seeing the horse, “like Jade!” (her cousin’s horse), but let me know that she didn’t think she would ride it. Oh that poor thing, her brain is working overtime already.
The excitement about the pony’s arrival was equally matched by an increase in anxiety about possibly riding the horse. See the body language? Arms tucked in across her chest like a shield — I know that move well.
I also might have invented the “bite my fingers, but keep smiling so no one knows how nervous I am on the inside” move too. I knew she desperately wanted to ride the horse, but was too scared to actually be willing to ride the horse so I pirated some ideas from one of my favorite movies, What About Bob? and we babystepped our way to success.
First, just try on the hat. You don’t have to go near the horse, just try on the hat so I can take a picture for your cousin who rides and wears equestrian gear just like this. Come on, she’ll love it! Please?? For about 5 minutes she treated the hat like it was the carrier of an infectious disease. As if just trying on the helmet would instantly transport her onto the back of the animal. Finally she relented for about 10 seconds.
After successfully taking the helmet on and off a few times, let’s try the chin strap. Bad idea. Two steps back.
Abandoning the hat. How about we just pet the horse? Oh, so sweet. Just like Cousin Mia’s horse (but 1/2 the size).
I said, how about we just sit on the back of the horse for a second and don’t go anywhere? We won’t ride. Just sit in the saddle. I was surprised she agreed. See the tension in her arms and face?
Lucky for me, the man leading the horse didn’t understand my instructions to wait and started walking a few steps with her on the horse. She tensed and froze and I clapped and cheered and yelled, “You’re doing it! You’re riding the horse!”
When I asked her if she wanted to keep going and she nodded, I quickly slapped the helmet on her head and they were off. Tentative, but doing it.
Look at that cautious smile. It says, “I’m doing something awesome, but I’m still unsure where this is going.”
On dry land again. She did it!
Earlier at the party she was very reserved and would only go down the slide if I was with her. But she got off the pony and raced up the ladder to the top without a second glance back at me. I love that feeling of relief. The pure joy that comes with wanting to kiss the ground as you step off an airplane is so fantastic. It’s like you just conquered the world.
And then pony, pony, pony for the rest of the morning. I think she rode him 4 different times.
No hands Mom!!
I’m king of the world!!!!
She was on a roll so she went by the face painting table. She rarely does that. She’s not a fan of strangers up close to her face.
By this point the man leading the pony was checked out and chatting away on his cell phone as he guided them around the path. He was probably hoping Camille would give up so he could go sit in the shade and talk in peace.
When we arrived she didn’t want a bandana or a sherrif’s star, but the thrill of her success spilled over into all parts of the party
even the piñata
I pray that all of the fears she faces end like this.