Madeline's Phobias

I have read that it is perfectly normal for 2 year olds to be terrified of things that are relatively harmless. Madeline has decided to take this to the extreme. For over a year, Madeline has been deathly afraid of cats. She loves fictional cats and actually almost threw a temper tantrum in toys r us this weekend when I refused to buy her a pair of Hello Kitty flip flops. Real cats though, are another story. Part of our nightly ritual includes checking under the bed and inside the closet for any cats that might have snuck in her room. When I told her that Santa would come in our house on Christmas Eve through the chimney to give her presents, she looked at me with huge eyes and told me she didn't want cats to come through her chimney. We are not cat people, but are constantly telling her how wonderful cats are. She has yet to be swayed.

This week, we discovered a new phobia. Madeline is terrified of the wind. She hates it. She is actually scared that the wind is going to blow her away. This weekend she melted down because Andy let Nelson go outside to use the bathroom, and it was windy. She stood at the backdoor watching him the whole time. When it's windy, which it has been for the past week, she cries, she whimpers, and her cute little brow furrows like she has just heard the most dreadful news. It's sad to see her so scared, but so hard not to laugh. I guess it's good we live in Katy, and not Lubbock, I really don't know what she would do there!