Magic Water Dust

Mallory was across the small driveway checking out the raspberry bushes while I chatted with her teachers after preschool on Thursday.  She found a flower, picked it, and ran over to give it to me.  She yelled “Mommy!!!” with so much excitement I knew she had picked, in her eyes, the most perfect flower in the patch. 

Running at full speed, she tripped, skidded and came to a crashing hault on the gravel pavement.  To say the concrete caught her fall would be a good description of how the events played out.  Scraped hands, scratches from knees to feet, and one big bloody knee she was hurt.  She cried.  She kept saying “Ohhh the BLOOD.  Ohhh the BLOOD.” Once all of her extremities were checked, her teacher grabbed the first aid kit and cleaned up her knee.  Pastor Josh was checking out the raspberries with Mallory when it happened and he told her that she should take a warm bath that night and it will make it all feel better.  “I don’t wannntt to take a baaathhh.  It wiiillll stttiiiiinnng.”  (That is my attempt at Mallory crying while talking)  He responded with “Ok you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” 

After all the wounds were cleaned and bandaged we headed home.

Later that afternoon we met Caleb, Ava and Molly at the park.  As she played in the sand, down by the water, and on the playground I knew she was going to need a bath later that night.  Rather then throw her in the tub kicking and screaming fearing her leg was going to fall off from pain, I came up with a great plan. 

Magic Water Dust.  Never knew such a thing existed?  I didn’t either until it just popped into my head as an idea to get her into the tub.  The conversation about the dust went like this, and remember I was thinking and talking on the fly through this entire conversation.  This is my attempt at getting my four year, who was sandy and dirty from head to toe, into a bath tub.

Mommy:  Mallory, you don’t need to worry about the bath water because I have special dust at home that we can put into the water so it doesn’t sting.  It makes it safe.

Mallory:  Dust?  I didn’t know we had dust.  I want to see it first.  Can I help put it in the water?

Mommy:  You’ve never seen the dust, because you’ve never needed it before.  You have never skinned your knee like this before.  It is very special and yes you can help me put it in the tub.

Mallory: Ok. But I don’t know if it will work.  What color is it?

Mommy:  White.  And you have to believe that its going to work in order for it to work.

Mallory:  Believe?  Oh. Ok.  I believe.

 

The special dust

Who knew baking soda was so magical

Her raw, skinned knee. 

 

And with the magic words “Wiggy Wee, Wiggy Waa, Water be safe!!” 

(Stop rolling your eyes, I had about .2 seconds to figure out a magic phrase that rhymed and had meaning.)

She sprinkled away…

 

When it came time to hop in the tub she was cautious and skeptical when she first stepped into the water.  She said it still stung a little bit, but she still believed it was working!

The next morning she told Brent all about the dust and how it had worked to keep her owie from hurting… 

I need to remember these days when a little use of imagination works to take the pain away.  One day she’ll come home from school all worked up over another boy  who broke her heart.  I am pretty sure that if I hand her a box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda and tell her to go soak in a tub she will roll her eyes at me, run to her bedroom and slam her door.  Cherish these years…