A lesson in waiting

Soren and I ventured to Arena Sport's new bouncy house area-- part of a huge old Magnuson hangar filled with bouncy house structures. I had this idea that Soren might like it, since he generally loves bouncing (especially on our bed). And he did love it--but in his unique way.

The hangar is a cavernous open building, filled with a health club, a kids' soccer club, an eating area, and this bouncy area, among other things. Talk about sensory overload: it was loud and echoing, filled with people, and with these giant structures that Soren hadn't seen before. So we took time for Soren to get used to it--I'm talking at least half an hour. First just sitting in a corner, biting nails, then rolling on the carpet in a patch of sunlight, then running back and forth among the bouncy houses, and finally, entering one of the structures on his own and gleefully discovering that, hey, you can bounce in this thing!

It was such a good reminder for me that Soren may need more time to process his surroundings. If I hadn't waited so long with him as he adjusted, he never would have had that sheer joy of jumping. I'll admit that many times I've seen him in distress or even uncertainty and just bagged an activity, perhaps out of my own embarrassment or impatience. (Oh, so you don't like sledding after 30 seconds? Bam, let's go back inside.) Thank you, little guy, for nudging me out of my expectations and letting me enjoy the moment with you.