Anyway, while I was petting puppies (and counting them all to make sure Musashi hadn't eaten any of his siblings), the phone suddenly rang. It was Kumo. From the playground. Ivy had climbed up on the jungle gym and got scared and wouldn't come down, and Kumo didn't know what to do. I told her "Climb up after her and help her down" and Kumo explained to me that she's afraid of jungle gyms. I asked, "Um, Kumo, aren't ninja known for their amazing climbing ability?" and she said "Yeah! They climb trees and walls. Not JUNGLE GYMS." She sounded very panicked, and rather un-Kumo like. There was a roll of thunder just then, and I knew what I had to do.
I got to the playground just as the rain started, and took in the situation. Ivy and Kumo BOTH looked terrified, and the wind was picking up.
So up I went.
I got Ivy to reach out her paw to me.
And from there was able to get her to put her paws on the bar, and lower herself down...
...to Kumo, who was waiting to catch her at the bottom of the jungle gym.
And then down I came too.
Ivy's doing fine now. We all got rained on a little, and it was a bit chilly, but I got her all snuggled up in the library with a blankie and my toy doggie, Mr. Snugglesworth.
Though she was a little shaken, she bounced back from it as only kids can. She explained to me that she's not afraid of the "climbing up heights", it's the "climbing down heights" that scare her.
Now she and Kumo are coloring, and waiting for Ivy's mom to come pick her up.
Neither the worse for wear, though I think it'll be a while before either Kumo or Ivy go anywhere near that jungle gym again.
