The Great Outdoors

Erin is frightened by her own backyard.

I mean really, really frightened. Thanks to our former garage tenants (see below), she is petrified of anything with wings. The aforementioned birds have been evicted from our garage, but Erin still retains very clear memories of the creatures swooping down at her each time we climbed into the car.

So now, I have a 20-month-old that has panic attacks each time we venture outside. She refuses to walk anywhere out in the yard, and "playtime" for her consists of sitting in my lap sucking her fingers, while her older sisters run, jump, play in the sandbox, and climb on the jungle gym. Each bird or bug that flies by is greeted with Erin's screams of terror, while I try unsuccessfully to convince her that the birds are "nice".

Yesterday the girls and I decided to have a picnic lunch out in the yard. I spread a large blanket on the back lawn, and we all sat and enjoyed our lunches in the sunshine. Well, actually, Beth and Amy enjoyed their lunches...but Erin sat on my lap, with her legs wrapped tightly around my waist, and her arms clinging to my neck. She held her sandwich in one hand and ate while hanging in this position. I was forced to eat my bagel while dealing with this less-than-ideal seating plan. Beth and Amy are begging to eat outside every day, but until Erin relaxes a bit, I think we'll keep mealtime inside.

This could be a long, long summer. Let's hope she soon realizes that her "feathered friends" really can be pleasant acquaintances.