Nolan And The Bee

A few weeks ago, Grandma & Grandpa Wacko took Nolan to the Renaissance Festival. They had a fantastic time riding the bus, eating ice cream and going for a pony ride. At one point in the day a bee came buzzing around Nolan and decided he was just too sweet to leave. This brought images of bee stings, allergies and hospital emergency rooms to forefront of the grandparents' minds. So they did what any loving grandparent would do.... they freaked out, swatting the bee and waving their arms. I don't know if it was the hysteria or the scared cries of our poor Nolan that scared the bee away, but it eventually left the scene. A thorough check was done to make sure he was not stung and all was well... or so we thought.

The next day Nolan stood in the kitchen petrified, unable to move and crying hysterically at a fly buzzing around. "BEE, BEE, BEEEEEEE!" I tried to calm him but to no avail, he was convinced that all flies were bees and should be feared. Over the week it got to the point that we would walk outside and a black speck on the floor would send him running for me. He would wrap his arms around my legs and look up at me, pointing to the speck, "Bee?"

A healthy fear of bees is good but we had moved far beyond "healthy". So I went into action with really no clue how to solve this problem. First, my neighbors (thanks Steve & Melissa) lent us "A Bee Movie." Nolan and I watched it together and talked about what bees do and why they are good. We also talked about why we should be careful around them and only look at them with our eyes. After we got about half way through the movie we went outside for a "bee hunt". We came up on some plants that are always swarming with bees and we watched them visit the flowers. Nolan & I talked some more about the bees and he was so brave. He'd point to them and looked back at me, "No No" (as in "don't touch") and I agreed that was a good idea. When his confidence began to waver I let him know that all he had to say was, "Bye-Bye Bee" and then walk away. He looked a bit skeptical but gave it a try "Bye Bee" and then proceeded to the park. On our way back home he stopped again to watch the bees and then said "Bye Bee" and kept on going.

I am noting this as an official "Proud Mommy Moment"