Fighting with Elephants

There is a word that GG uses to describe Belle, and it is pretty close to perfect- she calls her “complicated”.

I prefer to tell it like it is- Belle is dramatic.

Let me provide an insight into the world that is my youngest daughter.

After spending a few nights over Grammy and Papa’s, the girls came home tired.  No doubt there was some ice cream soup involved and other antics that kept them up late at night, but that is how it should be.  However, as bedtime approachs, despite her pleading of “But I’m not tired!” (as her eyes are all red from lack of sleep) I stand firm and insist that she get into bed. 

As we snuggle under the covers, Belle asks for a Princess Belle story (you know, where you need to be creative on the spot and make up a captivating magical tale involving said daughter and all of her at-the-moment favorite stuffed animal friends.  Yes, I secretly love it.)  In these stories, there is one character that is always included as Belle’s trusty, loyal companion, and that is Ellie.

Ellie is a Hufalump from Winnie the Pooh, which was Belle’s prize souvenir from our first trip to Disney World.  After stepping off the ride that took us through the adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods,  you, of course, step right into the gift shop.  Disney is the only place on this earth where if one of my children asks for something I am pretty much going to make it happen.  You know, because… it’s Disney. So, the small purple elephant came home with us that day and Ellie and Belle have been BFFs ever since.

So, there we were, the three of us, gearing up for a Princess Belle story when all of the sudden…

Belle punches Ellie.

I am not talking a playful tap, people.  It was a fist tightened right arm slugging punch.

WTF?

I gasp and ask Belle “Why would you ever hit Ellie?  Is that the way we treat people?”  At any moment I feel like social services will be knocking on the door “Ma’am, I hear your daughter has been punching elephants.  Is that true? Would you please step outside….” What would possess her to do that? In some crazy questioning that follows I ask her if someone has hit her? (no) Is it something you saw on a show (no. Mental note- cut screen time even more.) Then why would you do that?  (I don’t knooooooooow!)

So she is crying, it’s already 20 minutes past her bed time, but I can tell this is all just stemming from sheer exhaustion. So she says that she needs a few minutes alone with Ellie, and I comply, which works out great so I can go and put GG to bed.  A few minutes later I hear Belle outside her room, crying like she just lost her best friend.  Oh, the irony.

I say a final goodnight to GG, and go into the hall.  Belle is sitting on the floor all curled up with big crocodile tears streaming down her face.  The conversation goes something like this:

“What happened, Belle?”

“I told Ellie that I was sorry.”

“And?”

“He told me apology not accepted!”

Really?!?!?!

So, now it’s way past bedtime, and I told her that she needs to get into bed regardless of if Ellie is talking to her or not.  But here in lays the problem- Belle can’t sleep without Ellie.  I even tried Hippy (the hippo) and Big Duckie (yes, a big duck… wow- what creative names we have here!) but alas, only Ellie will do.  So, in my Ellie voice, Ellie tells Belle that he doesn’t understand why she would hit him, but that he knows it won’t ever happen again and accepts the apology.  Kate looks up and says, “You know, the time that Ellie and I weren’t friends, I feel that he is going to hold it against me.”  Yeah, the time you weren’t friends lasted all of 15 minutes, and didn’t you just hear the elephant say it was all good? 

So she snuggles in tight under the covers, Ellie tucked into her chest and head resting between his big floppy ears, just as it has been for countless nights before.  I kiss them both goodnight, give Ellie one last scratch behind his ear (he likes that) and Belle smiles.  I turn out the light and close the door.

10 minutes later I am cleaning up the kitchen and Belle turns the corner, Ellie in hand.

“Ellie said he would like some peanuts.  And I was thinking that maybe I could have some fishy crackers, too please?”

See?  An elephant can’t stay mad forever.