Don't send in the clowns

Kindercare has a summer program called "Summer Adventures" which in reality is very much like the regular school year program except the kids get splashed with water from a hose on Wednesdays and jump in a bounce-house on Fridays. About once every two weeks they have a special guest come in and entertain the kids too. A few weeks ago there was a pirate with a parrot, last week there was a 'zoo-lady', she brought in some snakes and a wallaby (of all things!). Well yesterday was clown day. And we learned that Andrew DOES NOT like clowns. His teacher was very nonchalant about it and just said he "didn't enjoy the show". But knowing my son, the moment he saw that lady with the face paint and freakishly large shoes, he had one heck of a melt down and was probably letting everyone know at the top of his lungs that "I NO LIKE CLOWNS". Poor little guy and poor clown. That has got to be the big occupational hazzard that clowns try to avoid, you know, scaring the kids. But by the time I picked him up yesterday he was happily doing one of his most favorite activities - pushing cars around the play ground. (Andrew doesn't actually get in the car and peddle, he just likes to push them from behind.) Andrew's reaction to the clown was probably predictable, when Eric got home I told him what happened and he said "I don't like clowns either".