Adventure is NOT her middle name

We continued the annual tradition of celebrating the winter cousin birthdays with a party at a nearby inflatable wharehouse. This year we celebrated 8 birthdays and it encompased 4 families. My 3 winter babies, Rachael, Megan, and Bridget, were included. The large wharehouse had 7 seperate inflatables that included big slides, an obstacle course, plain jumpers and a toddler Sesame Street inflatable. The cousins scattered energetically to the colorful aparatus but Bridget stood wide-eyed, leary of the gigantic inflatables. She tried the toddler jumper but got a bit of grief from her sisters, the bouncer police.  Bridget came out after a little while and looked around, unable to get up the nerve to try a big kid bouncer. She asked me to help her into the obstacle course but as soon as I lifted her off the ground I felt her go stiff and resist any forward motion. I put her down and she ran off. When I caught up with her I reassured her that she did not have to get on anything that she didn't want to. She relaxed, and said that she wanted to try the Disney bouncer. We went over to it together and as she was about to climb in realized it was full of bigger boys from another party and she slide back out. We looked around for her buddy Sarah but when I showed Bridget that Sarah was in the big dinosaur inflatable she backed away.  I have to say I had to resist the feeling that it was my job to get her into one of these things.

Rachael had a blast challenging cousins and conquering obstacles. I usually saw her with the older cousins, all boys. Emma got an invitation to hang out with friends and I had agreed but as we stood around at the party I regretted that she wasn't with us. I don't want missing family parties to become the norm. Right when we got there Meg had found Sophia, they are only 1 1/2 months apart, and the two of them roamed and ran together.

Bridget seemed to be enjoying herself even if it was in the toddler bouncer and she was 2 years older than the 0-3 year age limit. I had to occupy myself with talking to the adults and contain the urge to try to talk her into one of those things. The next time Bridget popped out she found Sarah and asked her to try the Disney bouncer. So together they entered the flat square bouncer with square walls. Bridget didn't jump but sat on her knees bobbing up and down with the  motion of the other kids. When she came out she looked surprised as she said "That was fun!" Bridget went in and out a few more times. She was enjoying herself more each time. Her cousins and sisters would run from one thing to another and Bridget would run along only to stop at the opening and back away as they entered. She did try the obstacle course. Jim encouraged her verbally through each stage. It started pretty flat and he even talked her over a 4ft hill but when she rounded the corner and saw the 15ft hill tension took over. She was not doing that.

  

 

 Play time was over and we moved to the party room for pizza and cupcakes. The 8 birthday kids gathered around as we sang all of them a Happy Birthday. We all had a fun time, even the adults. I found myself questioning if Bridget had a good time, but I really think she did. I feared that it couldn't be fun since she limited herself so much. But she found fun as she felt comfortable. I wish Bridget didn't limit herself because of fear, but pushing her makes it worse not better. When she feels safe she is willing to engage in a little adventure but Adventure is definitely not her middle name.