Sensitive Jalen

Anyone who knows Jalen really well, knows that he is ultra sensitive and a big worrier at times. Tonight I couldn't help but laugh as he is so sensitive about everything. I have been laughing so much that I have been in tears - I think I must be tired!

Last year at school his class did an aurora safety course (being careful around electricity) and also a fire safety course. Since then Jay is very worried about fires and anything to do with electricity. Whenever we go somewhere he is totally paranoid about bushfires! When we went to St Helens for the week he found it hard to relax as he thought that we would be wiped out by a bushfire! (it probably didn't help that there was actually a bushfire in the area at the time).

A couple of years ago he suddenly became totally paranoid about 'robbers' and 'kidnappers'. He would find it really hard to go to sleep as he was worried someone was going to come into our house during the night and take him. We kept reassuring him over and over again that the chances of that happening was very slim, and then one night we had a double murder in the house across the road so that also didn't help the situation!

When we were in Sydney we were driving up to Chrish's house on the first night we were there. Aaron was stirring Chrish about the area as Chrish told us that people can often consider it a little rough, but said he had never see anything happen or had heard of anything. We drove past a small group of teenage boys and Aaron joked about the 'gangs' in the area. Not a good move when Jay is in ear shot! That night when we put him to bed he said he was worried about the 'gangs'!.

Then the next day Aaron made a comment about how in NSW it is hard to spot a 'bommy car'. Compared to Tassie there are not very many older cars in NSW. Aaron said we should play a game to see who could spot the first 'bomb'. One day while we were driving, Aaron saw an older car and goes 'there's a bomb!'. Jay just about freaked out!!! He really thought there was an explosive in the area and Aaron had just spotted it! Talk about laugh.

When we were at the zoo last week Jay started to talk about how sometimes the animals can get out of cages and kill people! He was all prepared that a tiger or lion had escaped and was on the lookout all day long!

He also told me last week that when we have our baby we have to be careful as in his 'crazy book of records' he read about a lady in Texas who dressed up as a nurse and would steal babies. He is sure she is on her way to Launceston to steal our baby now!

Tonight two things happened that had me laughing so much I was almost wetting myself (very easy for a pregnant woman to do by the way!! :) I was in the bath and the two boys came in to talk to me. There was a tiny spider on the wall behind them and I knew Jay was going to freak out, but couldn't help it. I said 'there is a spider behind you guys' and Jay screams and says 'where!?' and turns around to see this tiny spider crawling across the wall. He then starts freaking out, which set Harri off!

Harri was screaming so much as he was absolutely terrified and couldn't move! I couldn't help it, but absolutely burst out laughing as they both looked so funny to be terrified of this tiny spider! I wanted to help calm Harri down, but was laughing too much and couldn't! In the end Aaron came in to see what was going on and calmed down the situation with a big whack! Then Jay freaks out saying 'was that a red back!?'. Talk about dramatic!

To top the night off Harri was moved back into his old bedroom to go to sleep. I was doing it as a ploy to get him to be quiet and go to sleep. He kept saying he wanted to sleep on the top bunk with Jalen, and wouldn't take no for an answer so I told him he had to go and sleep in the 'babies room' - in his old bed. He went willingly and then a minute later he called out and decided that he would much rather sleep in Jalen's room on the bottom bunk (where he was supposed to be!). When I took him back into the boys bedroom Jay was in bed in tears! He said he just realised how much he loved having his brother in his room and was bored and missed Harri when he wasn't there (it was literally gone about 2 minutes!). I couldn't help but laugh and reminded Jay of the night we moved Harri into his room and he cried as he didn't want him in there!

Poor old Jay. Having such a sensitive boy can be mentally draining at times as you are always trying to reassure him that things will be okay and nothing is going to happen to him. His new teacher told me on Thursday that he was a 'teacher's dream', so I guess there are positive sides to having him being so sensitive as well. He has never been a real 'boy', but I think Harri is going to make up for that - as long as he can get over being scared of spiders (and dogs at the moment!).