Holiday theme: Balloon

Little Girl with a Balloon

The Little One and Mama had just been on holiday to meet up with one set of Grandparents last week. Learning from the experience of last holiday, this Mama is promising only trickles of news about the holiday and we can start with this trickle: Balloon Obsession.

What is it with small kids and balloons, anyway? I have yet to meet a kid who is not fascinated by balloons. This Mama had actually taken to stocking some balloons at home, which just ran out right before the holidays. So.. it was good that we found some on our first stop upon reaching the land of holiday: the supermarket. The balloon was quickly inflated, and used to play while we waited for Grandpa to arrive at the airport.

Little Girl with Balloon @airport

Subsequently, we blew more balloon in the hotel room.
Then we also get balloon from promotional thingy on our walks in the mall, for which I am grateful. For the Little Girl was already getting whiny when she saw other kids with balloons while she had none. Ah... the kind of politics you get involved in with a Little in tow (like... balloon decoration in the store! Aaak! Avoid that store! Otherwise the Kid would demand for some. Seriously!)
Anyway, so we got the red balloon with the stick.

Little Girl, Balloon & GrandMa @mall

Dinner with GramPa & Balloon!

 

 

End of the day, with Balloon in tow

She loved her balloon, that Little Girl.
But of course, balloon does not last forever.
With that red balloon, the story had to end with the elevator.

Elevator ride with the Balloon

You see, as the holiday progressed, the Little One is getting more and more conversant with this technology called the elevator, which we used many times a day to go up and down to the room.
She is especially excited to be the one responsible for pressing the correct button to operate the elevator.
On our last day in the hotel, she took the elevator just with Mama, and was so excited about the buttons, that when we left the elevator, Ms. Red Balloon was left behind in the elevator.
Oh, the tears and the wail and the quiver in the voice as she called for her beloved balloon just after the doors closed....

Thank God Mama still had one limp balloon somewhere in the recesses of her bag. So.. we inflated a new balloon, and prevail upon the kind staff at the concierge to get us a piece of rafia string to tie it with.
She stopped crying, marginally appeased.

Later on, we found yet another balloon on a stick on our walk in the mall, which Mama just picked up.
And Little One was happy.

Little Girl with a new pair of Balloons

And she smiled happily till she drifted off to sleep... with Mr and Ms Balloon in her hands

Dreaming of Balloons

Still dreaming

And just because no balloons last forever, so I have to also share with you the tale of these 2 balloons.

Not long after the nap, we had to hit the airport as we made our way back home. Needless to say, balloons are not accepted for carriage, yes? And Mama already racking her brain as to how to get those balloons away without creating a scene with the Little One.
So it happened that the yellow balloon popped at the check in counter while Mama was struggling with the luggage. POP.
Fortunately, any public scene was averted, thanks to the presence of a very attractive indoor playground area at the airport.
Whoever came up with the idea of such playground in various public spaces.... I am grateful.
(Of course, if I were in a rush, I might feel differently. But for that particular day, we had time)

Mr Orange Balloon was confiscated by the officer at the checkpoint after immigration.
And Little Girl was already starting to have tears in her eyes as she tried to comprehend the reason why her balloon was taken away from her, when Mama pointed out yet another untried playground at the waiting area.
(Yes, I am SOOOOOO grateful, indeed)
So... no tantrum.

And so... for our next trip... stock of deflated balloon in the bag, and eyes peeled for things to distract the Kiddo. Like the apparently ubiquitous indoor playground. Ha!