Yesterday was that day for us. I was trying to kill some time with the boys so hubby could have a quiet house to study in and the choices were a) go get O's hair cut or b) go get the car washed. We attempted option a) first. Coupon in hand, a willing boy and we were set. But when we got there I could tell from just looking through the window that it was going to be a long wait. Yes, it's true that we wanted to kill some time, but waiting in a waiting room with no kiddo instruments (you know the kind - cars, books, dinosaur figurines) in hand might have been a disaster.
So I asked the boys if they would like to go through the car wash, to which the replied an enthusiastic, "YES!" Generally we would wash our car at home, but with hubby busy studying and my big belly screaming at me to clean everything in sight (not to mention protruding from my normal frame in such a way as to make it literally and physically impossible to accomplish such a feat) I decided to pay to let someone, or rather something, else do it for me.
I chatted with the boys about what they would see, thinking that prepping them might help alleviate any of the fear should there be any. "First, our car will be sprayed on like a rain storm. Then, it will spray soap and not just any soap. This soap will smell like bubble gum (side note: why on earth do car washes have bubble gum soap anyway? Like the scent of bubble gum is going to make the claustrophobic experience and the really loud rumble of the washers any less scary. Maybe they should add soothing music.). Next, the washers will come scrub the car. It might make a loud sound but it's like when we wash our selves with a foofie (I don't know the real name for those sponge balls people use in the shower/bath. At our house, they are simply "foofies."). The car needs a big foofie to be washed. And then we'll get a rain shower again and be done. Does that sound like fun?" Again, an enthusiastic, "YES," came from the back seat so off we went.
The first part of the car wash went off without a hitch. Wait in line - easy. Pay - good. Enter the car wash until the obnoxious buzzing sound told us to stop - fine. Gentle spray of water spraying our car wet - nice and soothing. Bubble gum soap - fascinating (O thought that we were being 'rainbowed'). Car wash foofies - not bad for the first minute, but what a long minute. I wasn't watching the car foofies during this time, I was watching the boys, trying to keep tabs on how they were doing emotionally. O looked curious. H looked curious...then sad...then scared. Then, whatever the word for more scared is, he looked it. Then it happened...the inside or our car erupted with the sounds that no parent enjoys hearing - loud, terrified screams, sobs and pleas from the littlest one of the bunch, "Me don't like car wash foofies. Stop Mommy. Stop."
Oh, buddy if I could have stopped the car wash and let us out I would have. It's horrifying to think that in that moment I was scaring my kiddo. I don't know how long that fear will last, but I do know that it was real and it was intense.
The rest of the day, evening and week was spent playing 'scary car wash,' with H's little fingers wiggling as if they were the foofie and his voice repeating,'Me no like car wash foofies,' over and over.
I don't like car wash foofies either. We won't be seeing them again any time soon.
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