Phia came running in from the backyard. She was crying and holding her (former) balloon animal rocking horse that she got at the birthday party yesterday. The rocking part had popped and it looked more like a horse front with just a tail for the back. She had waited so patiently and she was one of the last kids to get a balloon animal.

She was absolutely distraught and climbed up to cry on my shoulder. I tried to console her but the pain was made all the worse because she knew it was her own fault, “I left it outside, Daddy, I forgot to bring it in last night”. I told her it could still be a horse but she just kept crying and alternating between saying, “I hate it, I hate it now!” or “I love you… I love you balloon” and hugging it, which was just tearing my heart out.

I was twisting up the “tail” to try to give the horse it’s back legs again, and just as she was finally beginning to except the new form of her rocker-less rocking horse, another section lost it’s air, “No Daddy, I hate you!” and she was distraught all over again. Eventually, we were left with what you see above and Phia hated it and threw it on the ground. There could be no comfort for this loss (from me).

Mommy (and Auntie ‘Chell/Akara) finally got back from the store and she ran to mommy with the balloon and her tears and pain refreshed. Luckily Mommy and Auntie 'Chell have magic healing powers (and a cute baby) so it wasn’t long before she was back to feeling happy.

She only got the balloon yesterday but you would have thought she had lost a family pet. I guess the clown who made it knew what he was talking about when he whispered to a couple of the adults… “Unfortunately, just like real pets, these balloons also die.”