Anyone who knows me, knows that bouncy houses freak me out.  Anytime there is a party at a Jump Planet or there is a bouncy house at any kind of party, my palms sweat and I get heart palpitations.  All I see is chaos, big kids running over little kids and basically a big pit of danger.  But Stella has not been affected by my fear.  She boldly goes into any bouncy house and jumps right into the above mentioned pit.

Well, today we had a birthday party, and right on the invitation where the words ‘bouncy’ and ‘obstacle’ course.  Hmm…

It is the last day of the long Thanksgiving weekend, and Stella’s been dragging all day, so you can imagine my quiet hope that she will not want to go to the party.  Nope, not Stella, this girl hardly passes up a party.   True to form, we pack up and rush out of the house, head to the store to buy a gift and arrive about 20 minutes late.

We walk in the door, Stella kicks off her shoes and coat and abandons me for the bouncy obstacle course, which is loaded with kids and bouncy bits and pieces.  But this girl takes the course by storm, climbing under arches, through small spaces, around other kids and bouncy pillars, scales a rope ladder up steep wall with ease (because she sometimes is a monkey), and down this steep slide.

She jumps off the obstacle course and then repeats, repeats and repeats.  And for once, I wasn’t scared or envisioning complete disaster or broken bones.  Stella is having fun, and is once again showing me how she is a capable young lady.  I am impressed by Stella’s confidence and willingness to boldly try something new.  Something I could try a little  more often – so, thank you Stella for showing me the way (again).