Toddler Fears

          Evangeline has been a super social baby since birth.  She would always go to anyone and everyone at New Henleyfield.  Sometimes when we're out in public she'll reach out for a complete stranger, especially if the stranger has something to eat or drink.  This kind of worries me, and I know I'll have to keep a close eye on her. 

          The first time Evangeline ever showed any real fear of anything was last spring when she met the Easter bunny.  Drew just plopped her down on the bunny's lap and Evangeline went totally and completely ballistic.  I had never seen her scream that much.  Eventually we managed to get a picture of her sitting on my lap and me sitting on the Easter Bunny, and we have the horrendous picture to prove it (which cost $6.00 by the way).  

          Around that time, we made a trip to my parent's house and we wanted her to play with this cute little rocking horse my dad had gotten her.  She took one look at that horse and went into hysterics.  We assumed she was thinking of her experience with the Easter bunny.  We didn't want to hurt my dad's feelings, so we quickly hid the horse away into Katie's room so she wouldn't have to see it.

          Evangeline had a wonderful time at two different petting zoos recently.  At the Queen City Fair (which had an AWESOME petting zoo), Evangeline wandered all around petting and blowing kisses to various goats, donkeys, cows, and sheep.  She fed a camel at the Jackson Zoo.  We felt like she was ready to try out the rocking horse again.

          So, the other night my mom says, "Evangeline do you want to ride on the horse?"  Before I could even get it out of my sister's room Evangeline was screaming.  She said "Go go go go!" and ran to the door.  My dad witnessed the meltdown this time, and we could tell he was disappointed that she was so scared of something he had gotten her.  We let Trey "ride" the horse and he seemed to enjoy himself.  Evangeline watched him ride from the other room but still had no desire to get on that thing.  

          She LOVES animals, at least real ones, but did also get scared when we tried to set her on a pony at the pumpkin patch.  Today when we put on her boots, she said, "cow?"  She remembered wearing those boots to the Jackson Fair and seeing cows.  Smart girl. 

          One day I'm sure she'll be over these fears.  I was apparently scared to death of the Bumble Bee at Show Biz Pizza and have since gotten over it.  I wonder what other fears she will develop?  I hope she's not scared of Santa!