Susan Senator

The weather se perfect, day celebration.
–Nat, age 2 1/2, (1992) quoting from Babar the King, which he had memorized around the time Max was born.

What a day, what a party! Blinding blue sky, after days and days of rain, went along with my bouncy, happy mood. I had something to look forward to: lots of family, lots of Nat’s friends and their families (who are also my friends), Nat’s new housemates, and staff. A moonbounce, a large fruit basket, and a cake that was fun and outrageously delicious: a 3-D cake model of Nat’s new home, complete with tall green frosting trees, a frosting Donnie, (the main house faculty guy), and some of the kids, and a blond frosting Nat. We all ate tons of it.

And best of all, the real Nat grinned brightly almost the entire day, particularly when the van full of housemates pulled up!

–So then that happened.
Alec Baldwin, “State and Main”

…And just as I finished the above, I heard this terrible wretching sound: Nat was walking frantically around downstairs, trying hard not to vomit. Panicked House Barfies. “Go into the bathroom, Darling!” I said, pulling him into the tiny downstairs bathroom.
“NO,” he said.
“You’re going to throw up, Natty. Go into the bathroom. Let it out, you’ll feel better when it all comes out.”
“Blooooh-eh! NO frow up.”
“Natty, no one likes to throw up, but you have to do it. Get into the bathroom.”
“Bloooooh-eh!” Splat! There it went on the floor in the main hallway. I put my hand on his back and propelled him into the bathroom, where he got rid of the rest of it, poor darling.

Ned and I stood over him. Then I put Nat into his bed. “Yes, yes,” he whispered, accepting whatever comfort I offered him: cold wash cloth, towel, kiss.

Too much cake, I guess.