Catching up

all4may04 I haven’t been on line much the past few days. I’ve been wanting to just sit up late and read blogs and put up millions of photos of my kids, but you know what the universe does when you have a plan.

Our yard sale was sort of enjoyable. We (meaning John) at least got the garage organized, though I still can’t find lots of my books. Not too many people stopped by, but we sold a few things to the ones who did. On Saturday my friend KR is having a swap party at her house. Everyone comes with stuff to trade, and whatever is left over she will take to various charities. Plus there will be food and grown up beverages. Wanna come along?? I plan to bring the leftovers of our sale. Maybe I’ll pick up a dresser for our room (wishful thinking) or a useful something or other.

This will be long, so if you’re inclined, here it is.

Last night Nathan and I made apple bread. After we put it in the oven at 8 pm, I decided I’d do the dishes and then get the kids to bed. I guess I shouldn’t have planned. Nathan fell in the living room and hit his forehead on the edge of a wooden cabinet. He came to me in the kitchen with his hand to his head, crying. When he moved his hand away I could see through the blood that he had a pretty serious injury. He split his head open about an inch and a half. A deep inch and a half.

Did I mention that it was deep?

John called my mom (my mom saves us on a regular basis!) and she came and drove me and Nate to the hospital. Luckily both my mom and the hospital are very close to our house. Nathan was a champ. He stayed calm, even when they said he needed stitches. He was upset, but he didn’t flip out like a certain seven year old I know would have.

We got settled into an exam room after a little wait in the lobby where a total IDIOT came and changed the tv from the cartoon Nate was watching to some stupid violent cop show. We got up and moved and I made a comment (loudly) that we had to move because this wasn’t something that kids should be watching. Then the man says oh, I am going to change the channel. We just ignored him and went to the smaller room to get apple juice from the vending machine and watch Harry Potter. What an ass that guy was! Who sees a kid with a bloody head watching cartoons in the er waiting room and changes the station without asking?? I wanted to argue with him right then, but I decided to just let it go and focus on Nate. I thought if the guy was a jerk enough to do that, then he might also argue with me and my boy didn’t need that stress. Neither did my mom and I.

There is a wonderful new product. It’s a numbing topical gel that can be used in place of the lidacaine (?) injection that is usually given into a wound before stitching. It takes 45 minutes to work, so of course it adds at least an hour to the time you spend at the hospital, but it is so worth it. Nate got seven stitches in his head and didn’t shed a tear.

Yeah, seven stitches. It was a gruesome cut. But he’s okay and we got him a craft kit from The Wooden Horse that he’d been wanting.

John did a stellar job of holding down the fort while I was away. When you have a nursing baby it can be nearly impossible to be away at bedtime. Willow did fine, and he got to enjoy singing her to sleep. Starting in July, he’ll be home nights to do it more often.

Today after the big kids went to their dad’s, I s l o w l y read the Sunday paper and drank coffee after putting on the Teletubbies for Willow for the first time. She LOVED it. She laughed and pointed and said “Baby!” over and over. I know that it is a little bit evil to turn on the tv and ignore the baby. But, sometimes the mama needs to veg out. Plus I read in passing an opinion that since babies and toddlers have traditionally always been observers of the older folks and happenings, it was not really so wrong to let them watch an hour or two of tv here and there. (Shhhhh, I know. I agree with you. I have statements on my fridge that say that children under two shouldn’t watch tv, but this guy gave me an out for a guilt-free selfish Sunday morning, so don’t get your knickers in a knot, I won’t let Willow watch too much tv. Unless I’m really burnt.)

There was an article in the paper about this place, which is now near the top of my list on places to go when we finally take a honeymoon in a few years. Wish we could go now.

Later on my mom called with some really awful news. I won’t say too much, because the woman I’m writing about is an intensely private person, but someone I really care a lot about, her oldest daughter died. The daughter was a year younger than me, and I’ve known her since I was ten, but really her mother is the one that I know well. She leaves behind a ten year old daughter and due to lots of reasons, I suspect that the little girl will come and live with my friend S. It’s hard for me to think about anything else. I wish I could do something to help, but really other than a letter, what can I do?

Tell your loved ones that you love them.

4 thoughts on “Catching up

  1. shannon

    Ugh – poor Nate – what is it with boys and head wounds? If my husband ever loses his hair it’s going to look like a topographinc map up there. That lidocaine gel sounds like a great invention!

    Reply
  2. Rachael

    Poor Nate! That is not a god way to spend a night. Sounds like he was so brave though!
    That is a gorgeous picture too! You have beautiful kids.

    Reply

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