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One of those humorous events that you want to remember for all time…

Michael, meet Mr. Mall Escalator. Mr. Mall Escalator, meet my son. Yeah, I know this is an unexpected meeting, but I didn’t shut down the elevator for maintenance. The one near Macy’s is too small for the double stroller, so either we had to wait longer to get downstairs or we can get to the playplace faster this way.

Michael just stares at it. It looks like a stair case, but Mum, it moves! I’m not getting on that thing!

“Come on, hon. It’s not that bad. It’s not gonna eat you. We’ll be downstairs before you know it.”

MUM!!!

I pick him up and we’re on the step. He crouches down on it, like a SWAT patrol man in a defensive stance. Think Charlie’s Angels or Aliens. We head down, down to places unknown, as far as he was concerned. He wanted to be prepared for any eventuality. What if the steps open up and eat me? What if Mum can’t convince them to let us go?

Then the lower floor of Northlake Mall came into view. He looked up at me, but didn’t move an inch. I know where we are, Mum, but how are we getting off this thing?????

We got close to the bottom. “Okay, honey, hang on. One…two…three!” I sweep him in my arms and step onto stable ground. He still looks worried. So I hug him close and slowly put him down on the floor. He looks around, bewildered for a moment, then realizes he’s safe. He looks up at the escalator and watches the stairs as they disappear at the bottom and reappear at the top. Then he turns to me and grins.

“Again?” I asked him.

We go up and down twice more before Daddy shows up at the bottom. Michael grins at him and he decides to lead the way to the Playplace. “He’s found a new toy,” I explain to a bemused hubby.

“I see that,” he says. Then I notice Christina’s eying it with curiosity. When it’s her turn, I’ll let Hubby take her.

[tags]kids, children, parents, escalator, first time, experiences, parenting, comfort, excitement, learning, experience, experiencing[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Thomas Hawk, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved