Death by Bouncy Castle ⇒

Elise has always been wary of bouncy castles and who could blame her, really? They are usually full of raucous kids bouncing around with little control in a small space. For some that would be fun I suppose, but for Elise that has always been a situation to avoid.

Now, at 3 and a half and having experience at preschool with 15 other kids in a relatively small space to share, Elise is a bit more outgoing and willing to be near lots of kids. We went to a birthday party yesterday and they had a bouncy castle. We were the first to arrive so my girls got to go in the bouncy castle by themselves for about 10 or 15 minutes. Elise loved it! Hooray! Fear of the bouncy castle at last faced and conquered.

Just before the cakes was served, disaster struck. The lady operating the bouncy castle called out for all the kids to get out of the bouncy castle, a command I guess Elise didn't hear with all the noise in the room. Suddenly, she was being swallowed by the deflating bouncy castle and the look of terror on her face was justifiable from her point of view as it was collapsing underneath her and folding up over her head as well. Another mother was nearer to her than I was but I was making my way quickly from across the room as my mother radar had gone off moments before and I witnessed the collapse. Thankfully the other mother pulled my crying child out of the closing jaws of the castle to safety and handed her to me.

The crying subsided eventually and she enjoyed a piece of cake but I am fairly certain I will be hard-pressed to ever get her in a bouncy castle again.

sigh.