Passionate Design: 8.26.2010

So yesterday started out just as I ~~had planned~~ expected. Earlier than I would have liked but I got things done. The plan was to go into town. With five kids and one Momma this takes just a little bit of planning.

I had the list all ready to go. I had the lunch packed. I had the coffee made. We were ready to go. Then the most amazing thing happened. We WENT. No problems. No temper tantrums. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Went wrong.


Yummy Orange.

Yummy Strap on sister's backpack.

Couldn't put his sandwich down, even for the slide.

We had a fabulous time at the park. The children were well behaved at JoAnn's and the grocery store. I got to stop at Starbucks (my wonderful husband and bestie both got me gift cards there for my birthday). We got home and I muddled through the normal switch of 'in town' mode to 'at home' mode. I made dinner, Breakfast night...easy peasy. Everyone ate their fill.

I could tell the kiddos were tired so I wanted them to go to bed on time. So after dinner everyone got a bath. Ugh, I ~~hate giving baths~~ dislike bath time. Showers from here on out I say, but I digress. The kids were in there jammies I was getting ready to clean up the dishes. I heard the happy squeals of my children playing perhaps a little more vigorous form of ring-around-the-rosie but they were happy...I was happy.

I should have known it. The day had gone too smoothly. In fact I'd had a feeling earlier that something was off. The earth was off it's axis (or maybe I was), the moon was in a weird stage, or perhaps it was just the fact that I have FOUR boys but suddenly my near perfect day went down with a crash.

One minute the kids were happy, the next Samuel is running to me crying. No screaming, BAD sign! Sure enough he had hit his head and was bleeding. I wasn't too concerned. I've taken first aid. I know how bad head wounds bleed. Heck, I know all about head injuries too. Samuel was breathing, he was in his right mind and so I knew it was probably some minor scratch. I quickly grab a paper towel and an ice pack from the fridge and have Samuel put it on the wound before attending to (in my mind the biggest problem) calming him down.

I succeeded, temporarily, to do that. With him calm I remove the covering and in that moment our evening changed. I knew he needed stitches. Part of me was freaking out, we haven't done stitches before. Sure we've done surgery, failure to thrive, we've done all day vomiting, and I've had 5 babies at home. But never have I had to take a kid into to get stitches. However, I like to think I do well under this kind of stress. I knew that he wasn't going to bleed to death, I knew that I had to take him somewhere to do this, I knew I needed to ditch 4 kids to get this done. I sanely call my neighbor. No answer. Okay, in-laws they're farther away but no biggie. Again no answer. Now that calm exterior is starting to trip up. I think now what should I do. Um, get the kids into the suburban. So now I have my little ones racing for their shoes (I LOVE Flip Flops). I start to get them in and think well I'll call my neighbor again. Again, no answer. Fine, I call my father-in-law's cell...Yea! a live person.

Almost everyone is in the suburban, ready to leave. I CAN'T find shoes for me. I panic this is horrid, the only pair I can find are painful and I know I'll need comfy shoes. It seems like hours tick by but really in about 20 minutes we're all out the door and headed to Gramma & Grampa's. I call and make an appointment at the after hours clinic. We're good to go.

It really didn't take that long to get in and get stitches. Actually what took the longest was waiting for the topical numbing cream to take effect. Husband met us up at the clinic after he got off work. I left the house just before 7 and was home just after 9, which included a stop at the golden arches for ice cream and chicken nuggets and the grocery store for bread.

The question that is on my mind and every one else's I'm sure is "What Happened?" Don't know. All Samuel says is that he fell on Elsa. Not sure how a 23 month little girl half his size can cause him to gash his forehead enough to get 3 stitches but there you have it.