"Come on Mia, bath time". I say as I finish cleaning the dishes from breakfast. She obediently gathers her two beanie babies and starts for the stairs. I notice on the counter top are her shoes and socks from yesterday. She's very good about taking them off when we get home, but I've been trying to teach her to put them away in her room. "Mia, please take these upstairs too" I say as I hand them to her. I see a slight flash of confusion wash across her face, but she dutifully grabs them with one hand as she transfers her toys to the other.

She makes it up one step but has to stop at the second. With her arms full, she can't keep her balance. She sets down her beanie babies and continues on to put her shoes and socks in her room. I'm standing next to her closet when she comes in. "Please put them away" I say pointing to the shelf. She stuffs the shoes and socks into the closet. "No, the socks go in the hamper" I say. She starts crying.

"It's ok, you got it" she walks to the hamper with tears streaking her cheeks. She puts the socks in. "Mia, it's ok". She doesn't stop crying. "I'll go get your buddies" I say hoping that she just needs her beanie babies to make her feel better. I run downstairs and gather them up. When I present them to her it doesn't seem to make her feel any better. "Come on honey, get in the tub". The sound of the water running intensifies her crying. I think she wants me to hear her over the sound of the water. Hoping the warm water will calm her down I dump three cups full over her head.

She refuses her daily dose of allergy medicine, she refuses her toothbrush, she even refuses her toys. I kneel down and put my hand on her back. She's soaked. I notice her skin is blotchy, pale with pink lines just beneath the surface. I realize she's having an anxiety attack.

She grabs me by my shirt sleeves and pulls me in close. I grab her and pull her out of the tub. She wraps her arms around my neck. I can feel her chewing on the shoulder of my shirt. Her crying slowly starts to die down. I can feel her breathing regulate with my hand on her back. My shirt is soaked. We stand this way for 20 minutes. When her crying has stoppped I try to walk out of the bathroom. Mia grabs at the walls to keep us in this spot. Sometimes we all just need to be held.