The Fire Truck and the Bamboo

About a week or so ago, I bought Alex a fire engine toy because he didn't really have a good one to go with his train set and car play set on the train table mat. He picked out a ladder engine that he just LOVED. That was until he realized it made a siren sound, something I hadn't known when I bought it because the battery had had a thin cardboard divider to stop it from conducting. I'd removed it without knowing what it was. Once the engine's siren went off, Alex was terrified. His face bore a look of utter horror and betrayal because something he'd adored so strongly had become a source of sheer terror. He'd scream for us to make it 'Go 'way!'. He wouldn't have it in his sight. I told him that we'd fix it so it wouldn't talk any longer. We'd take the battery out. He'd only respond with howls and cries of 'Noooo! Go 'way. Fire truck GO 'WAY!'. Alex insisted that I keep it up on a certain kitchen counter where he could see it and would freak if I moved it. He'd look for it every day, but never ask to play with it.

Dan eventually snuck the toy out of Alex's sight and removed the battery. When Alex woke the next morning and saw that it wasn't we we'd left it, he asked where it was. I looked on another shelf and spotted it, figuring that Dan had removed the battery. So, I took it down and Alex immediately yelled. "Noooo. Go 'way! Fire Engine there! There! That way!" He was frantically pointing to the kitchen counter where he'd wanted me to replace it. I assured him that it didn't talk anymore and it took a while to convince him. So, I went to another part of the dining room and played with the truck myself. After only a few seconds of seeing me roll it around, he squealed with laughter and ran over to get the truck. It was love again. He called it "Fire Truck. Doesn't talk."

During and after the Scary Fire Truck period, I'd ask him if he'd like to see a real fire engine and meet real firefighters at the fire station. He'd say immediately "No! Go 'way!" He wouldn't even let me discuss it. I'd brought him by our closest station and let him look into the closed garage door to see the truck. It seemed to lighten his fear a little.

So, today, September 10, I told him that we could see the real fire truck. I'd talked it up through the art gallery and the gym and the Munchkins, so he built up some courage. We were in the next town over, which has a professional fire department and can afford a lot more trucks in their station. I walked to the station and stepped into the open garage where a ladder engine was parked. He wanted to know ALL about it. We talked about the fire engine until Alex pointed out to the sidewalk and said "That way!", indicating that he wanted to go. I asked him if he'd like to come back with Daddy and then we could meet real firefighters. He finally said an enthusiastic "YEAH! Daddy fireman. Daddy fireman."

Well, no, kiddo. Daddy is a computer programmer. But maybe the firefighters will let him wear a helmet too.

Just a short walk around the block where the station is located brings you to a back driveway that cuts through the whole block. Trees and bushes grow along the sides of this driveway, very poorly kept. Apparently nobody really claims this patch of land enough to keep the greenery maintained. It had been only a few weeks ago that I'd cut through this driveway to take a shortcut to my hair salon. It was only then, after years of having walked that way plenty of times, that I noticed that among the wild plants to the sides were bamboo stalks. Tall, mature bamboo growing wild here in New York.

When we turned the corner, I asked Alex if he'd like to see some bamboo. We turned down the drive and I pulled the stroller up next to the wild greenery. Without my even pointing the particular plants out, he cried "Bamboo!!" and "It's bamboo!". I asked him what he remembered about bamboo and reminded him of how the pandas eat it and how it normally grows in China, where Kai-Lan and her friends are from.

Eventually, we turned home and I told him it was time for milky-milk in his story corner. I got him home and prepared his milk drink while he prepared his story corner relaxation spot. In this spot, I've placed a bean bag chair and two very large, squishy teddy bears as additional snuggly cushions, but Alex likes to move the bears before he lies down. He held onto the smaller panda bear in the corner and I told him that I would get his snuggle-buddy Biscuit, a stuffed yellow lab puppy, for his rest. While I was grabbing Biscuit, I heard Alex talking to the panda bear.

"You eat bamboo. I saw bamboo. Here, Panda Bear, have some bamboo. Is it good? D'ya like it? Hungry? Yeah! It's bamboo!"

I left Alex to his milk, his books and his pretend meal of bamboo (the bars of the play yard sections) for Panda Bear.

September 10, 2009