During the blood drawing yesterday, there was the screaming and terror that I expected. And, although I felt horrible that Ellie had to have this procedure at all, my mind was in the “how long is this going to occupy her thoughts beyond this three minutes” mode, for the Aspergian mind of a three-year-old is adept at staying on target with a topic until, well, the end of time.

This topic could stick around for three months, like our previous perseverating visitor, the stinging bugs. Or maybe two weeks like the pain she must have endured from the umbilical cord clip seen in her baby picture. Maybe it will be a visitor that arrives at the same time daily, like our current topic, “When I get my driver’s license, will I better understand the difference between the yellow lines, white, lines, how lanes work and how to use a clutch than I do now?”.

Wind down time from stressful events involves sitting in her bean bag chair, sipping juice from a sipper, snuggling with meeper (most prized and beloved blanket), and watching Nemo or Horton Hears a Who. So, of course after our trauma, we hunkered down. Ellie randomly paused the movie, at one point to the very picture below, and when she returned laughing, said, “HEY MOMMA! That was me a little while ago, but the shot didn’t go in my mouth.” And, that is indeed, exactly what she looked like.