Dan on real life

Last weekend the Case side of the family celebrated my lovely sister-in-law's birthday with an afternoon BBQ.

Of course, we did our traditional birthday balloon wish send-off.

There was just one teensy-weensy little problem: the wind.

We released our balloons in my in-law's backyard, where there is a large tree.

[I bet you know where this is going.]

The wind whisked most of the balloons straight into the bare branches.

[Did you guess?]

Including Bailee's beloved dark pink one. We watched them for a while, and some were able to escape and floated away. But a few were still tangled in the branches.

As I was reentering the house, I heard a pop behind me.

And then... sobs.

I looked back to see Bailee's arms wrapped around her mother's neck, her face buried in her shoulder.

She was distraught. Her wish? What would happen to it now?

And completely inconsolable. That was the only dark pink one!

Moments later she was inside, wrapped up in a blanket in her daddy's arms.

In his most tender daddy voice, Dan attempted to soothe her.

"Bailee, you know what?" he began, and for just a moment her weeping seemed to pause.

"You know all those other balloons you sent up into the air?

They popped, too."


After that, I'm not sure who had more tears:
Bailee
or
me.

I laughed myself into a mess, even showcasing my full-blown high-pitched hysterics.
[completely against my will, believe me!]
To hear me,
you would have thought Dan had said,

"I'm Santa Claus,

and the tooth fairy is your mother."



And, oh, I hope I get to be there for that one, too.