at the car wash

I thought I had a really good idea when I picked Ethan up from daycare a bit early last Friday.  I went in to get him and talked to one of his teachers who said he had just had a great snack - an entire banana and 2 graham crackers.  Perfect, I thought, for a little extended excursion before heading home to eat dinner.  I then glanced at his "report card" for what he had done that day.  Listed for nap time: 12:20 - 1PM.  You're kidding me.  A good nap for him is 2.5 hours.  40 minutes?!  Oh boy.  This could be due to his runny nose we have noticed over the past few days.  Yikes.  I continue on with my plans, though ....

My car was very dirty, and I was ashamed.  I REALLY needed a car wash.  And, Ethan had gone through the car wash with me before (perhaps 12 months ago).  Taking a 17 month old through the car wash wasn't the same as taking a 6 month old through the car wash.

Here we are at the very beginning of the car wash:

It was just after this that the crying began.  And there was nothing I could do except turn around and try to comfort him.  I even thought "I could open the car door realllllly fast and jump in the back seat" .. but the car probably would have flooded.  And I would have no way to put the car back in drive at the end of the wash cycle.  So, I just had to wait till it was over.  It wasn't super awful ... and I think it was a good learning experience that some things can be scary but they get over with quickly (nice way of me talking myself out of felling super bad for the trauma I caused).  If anyone reading this is ever with me when I say I need a car wash, tell me that isn't a good idea if Ethan is with us.  At least for a few years.  I also thought his lack of nap and his oncoming cold could have made him a bit more dramatic.  He was a very fussy baby all night that evening - I hope it's from the lack of a good nap and the cold, and not the car wash!

On a much happier note, my car looks fantastic.  Very clean!