This morning during Mass, Banana excused herself to use the bathroom. She came back several minutes later, still doing the Potty Dance and whispered that she hadn't been able "to go" yet, and then asked if Schmabbers could please go with her. I told her that if she really needed to use the bathroom, she'd better hurry up and take care of her business and get back in her seat. At which point she looked up at me with her soulful green eyes and said,"But, Mommy! Ever since I heard about Blue Whales I just
can't go potty in those big toilets!!" (Social tip: snorting out loud in church is not only considered unladylike, but can serve as a distraction to others during the scripture readings.) I reassured Banana that Blue Whales are
much too big to fit into our chapel, let alone swim up a sewer pipe and lie in wait for unsuspecting little girls who need to go potty during church; she then took Schmabbers' hand and bravely walked back to the bathroom.
Why did I deem this little story about a 5 year old's fear of a hungry, child-chomping Blue Whale bursting through a public toilet worthy of blogging?
Because in her fear of the irrational and her need for the reassurance of companionship, I saw myself. In her inability to comprehend the impossibility of her fear materializing I saw my own tendency to magnify the threats I face, whether real or imagined. In her need for her sister to walk with her as she faced her fear, I saw my own need for the physical and emotional presence of others when I face my "whales".
In Banana's little-girl mind the fear of creatures that could gobble her up outweighed the fact that there are safety measures in place to prevent children from being swallowed whole while going potty. "Blue Whales are so big they can just break through all the pipes!" (Of course we won't be telling her about the snakes and alligators and rats that occasionally frighten unsuspecting homeowners!)
I sometimes seem to suffer from a similar lack of perspective. When a new potential threat to my comfort and safety rears its ugly head, I tend to focus on it so intently that I lose proper perspective and perceive a more grave danger than actually exists. In that mindset I too quickly forget that the One who spoke everything into existence has counted the number of hairs on my head. I see evidence of His loving kindness all around me everyday, but when my eyes aren't locked firmly onto His, how quickly I forget. He has loving placed safety measures in my life to protect me from the things in this world that would gobble me up. His Word, His Church, the Sacraments, through which He interacts intimately with me, a physical community of fellow believers with whom I can pray and worship.
I was reminded today that although the threats to our souls and our peace are as varied as we are, in the words of the great lyricist Phil Vischer, "God is bigger than the boogie man...and He's watching over you and me!"
This second one was for the post library's summer reading program. The theme was "Catch the Reading Bug!". I made a banner with the theme printed on it and hung it between two tall skewers on either end of the cake. Without a close-up shot it's hard to see the trails of ants going up the sides of the cake and into the ant hill. Other than the comment from one friend (well-meaning, I'm sure!) that the handle of the butterfly net looked like something left behind by a large animal, I was pretty pleased with it.
This last one was totally different than what I usually do. It was for the birthday party of 2 six-year old boys who wanted a Spiderman/Super Hero kind of theme. I didn't get a good shot of The Thing's other hand, which was smashed through a window as he tries to topple the top of the building, but you can get the idea. The kids loved it and thought it looked like a scene from a comic book with Spiderman hanging on for dear life. It was fun.
When I get a cake order, unless it's really specific, I sit down with the kids and we brainstorm ideas. We end up with a pile of papers with different ideas on them, then narrow it down to something I think I can actually pull off. It's fun to involve everyone in the process! After I'm done decorating the kiddos all fight for the decorating bags and cover every plate in the house with frosting creations. We've had everything from portraits to a 3-D plate of spaghetti and meatballs! I like the uniqueness of 3-D cakes and wish I could find someone to teach me how to really do what I'm trying to do. It's fun to play, but I'd feel more confident with some real lessons under my belt.
