Fear and Loathing in The Burbs!
This morning, I walked into Andy's bathroom to find him brushing his teeth while wedged into a corner, facing out semi-bravely while scanning the tiny room and both doorways to check for predators. "What's going on in here?" I asked, strolling in and still managing to startle my six year old despite his stature of high alert. "Are you... are you scared?" "You know I don't like being up here by myself," he replied, dislodging the glob of toothpaste that had become stuck fearfully in his throat. It's true that Andy has developed a fear of being upstairs alone. Emily, however, at 18 months, relishes the thought of getting upstairs alone, as she will clamber up the stairs, into the boys' bedroom, and straight up the bunk bed ladder onto the top bunk at the very first opportunity of parental neglect. Alex, he's always been pretty fearless, but I guess I can understand how Andy feels, since my heart pounds at the thought of going ...