Wednesday May 18, 2011
First Grade is history! Adam smiles hugely a few times a day and says, “I’m a second grader now, Mommy.”
He could hardly wait for school to be over so he could play outside. He absolutely loved school until about March and then things started dragging a little. “Mommy, all you do is sit and sit and sit and sit for so long.” I started missing him more the closer we got to the end of school and could hardly wait to have both my boys home so we could go do fun things together. And I absolutely could not wait to quit those school runs and actually get the chance to stay at home for an entire day (has not happened yet, but it will soon!). Seriously. I think we could have single-handedly kept a gas station in business.
It felt so good to get his school uniform out one last time. To wake him one last time … although I rarely woke him the last few months since he’s been popping out of bed on his own ten minutes early. He was all smiles all day long, relishing the fun that is the last day of school, packing his things to get home, and ceremoniously shredding his ripped-at-the-knee school pants.
The end of school is always a full weekend with a program Friday night and an annual picnic for the entire church and all school patron families. Adam loves the church picnics. At least he used to.
The rain was mostly mist and sometimes held off entirely, so, like usual, the children scarfed down their food and headed for the playground almost before the adults sat down with hamburger laden plates. I’d just finished eating when I saw a dazed Adam being led up the hill by a child not much older than himself who said, “He fell,” and disappeared to play again. Adam is the kind who gets knocked and jumps back up most of the time, so I knew this was a little worse than normal or then he was embarrassed to have fallen in front of a crowd (more likely). He told me he fell off the zip line (which only mildly concerned me at first since there is grass underneath) and that his back hurt. And then he quietly sat on my lap as I gently rubbed his back for a little. Suddenly I realized that nearly five minutes had gone by and there was a new tear rolling down his cheek. “Adam, does your back still hurt?”
He nodded.
“Is it the same or better or worse?”
“Worse.”
I rubbed a little again and felt his muscles spasm beneath his shirt. After more questions, I realized that he had fallen pretty soon after taking off which meant a longer fall, that he landed flat on his back, that he could not breathe at first AND that he did not get up on his own, someone picked him up. I pretty much went into adrenalin mode when I heard that. He said it hurt worse to walk and I wanted to panic. David pulled the car up to the pavilion and took care of Liam while I headed in toward town with Adam who was slumped over against the door.
“You may not go to sleep,” I said when his eyes closed. As soon as I had cell phone service I called his pediatrician’s office to see if I could get in. The nurse insisted I head to the ER when I told her he dropped about six feet so I changed direction slightly and kept going. About that time, silent person in the back revived and started jabbering non-stop. “Mommy, do you think ….”
I called back and asked if I could come there instead of the ER now and she said, “No.” Not wanting to be stupid I headed in, got him registered, and left him with the receptionist while I went to park the car. We looked at the little tablet she’d given him and I taught him how to play hang man. He was acting completely normal at this point and getting more and more excited about the game.
“Adam, how is your back feeling?”
“Good.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Nope, not at all.”
I asked him to lean forward and carefully pushed every vertebrae. He giggled. I did want him evaluated, but seriously, I could not see the necessity of sitting in the ER to have half a dozen tests run when he was learning a new game and giggling when I touched him. I asked more questions. Dizzy? No. Tingling? No. Still hard to breathe? No.
So we checked out with the receptionist and headed home. I dare them to bill me to sit on the chair in the waiting room.
That night I felt wary. What if I’d made the wrong decision? I am constantly doing a mental juggling act … wanting to access the health care the boys need without a lot of unnecessary expense. I love healthcare, but it is true that insurance and the probability of lawsuits have changed the way we look at what is necessary in some instances. No one is infallible. And one of my not-so-secret (ask David) niggling fears is that I will miss something important in spite of my vigilance. We were barely out the door before we encountered steps and he took them very slowly. “Why are you going slowly, does your back hurt?”
“No.”
“Then why do you want to go slowly?”
“So, it doesn’t.” I nearly turned around and walked back in the double doors.
I had the feeling I was being masterminded once again by the child who thinks nothing is ever wrong and who can cover up pain that would have some children screaming. I had a little chat with him about being honest about pain and how that injuries that are not taken care of well when they happen can cause big problems later in life. And I also gave him very strict orders to tell me if he ever felt the slightest bit of shortness of breath or tingling in his legs. And it felt like I was constantly saying, “No running, no climbing, no jumping.”
(Unfortunately I am the only one in the house sans rain boots so I wore my yucky yard work shoes. And ta da! Sometimes being without ends up being a very *good* thing!)
Sunday he and Liam were acting like lion cubs and it made me nervous. We opted to hike to keep him vertical instead of tumbling and to maintain our own sanity. It was the most fun thing we’ve done in eons! The boys had the time of their lives splashing through mud puddles, wading across creeks, and throwing stones in the water.
On Monday, we went to see the pediatrician. Diagnosis: minor concussion and probable broken rib.
So we’re taking it easy this week since he’s not supposed to bike or engage in any other activity where he might fall and no playing with other kids because of getting jostled to avoid re-injury.
We’re reading lots of books. The boys play fireman and train and truck and construction. Aside from a terrible Monday morning taken up with re-learning how to play with each other, we’ve been having so much fun. My heart just melts into butter when I see them sitting side by side at the kitchen table having a meeting about camp. Adam says, “This one will cost fifty cents and this one will be $40,000. And this….” as Liam interrupts, “Hey, dust ‘ait {wait} a ill {little} bit. I need to talk to du baby,” and then turns his head to talk to his imaginary child. “Otay, ou {you} dan {can} talk now.”
I’ve got to run. Adam is painting a picture and I promised I’d join him and do one, too. Goldi had puppies last night and needs to be checked on again. And it’s time to make sure the chickens are still out of the flowerbeds. Wait. How did I turn into something so similar to a farmer’s wife?
looks like such happy times. i love all the pictures; everything looks so lush and beautiful in the woods!
and, the pics of you and David; so good!!!
happy wednesday!
Chickens in the flowerbeds—-uh-huh, I know all about it. They have acres of woods around here but they still think that they have to kick the mulch all out into the grass. I have to rake it all back in every time I mow. Makes me so mad! Animals are SO not my “thing.” I could never be married to a livestock farmer; I’d end up shooting all of the income. 😉
I’m so glad that Adam is all right! I got a sick feeling in my stomach just reading about that.
adam’s pain tolerance reminds me so much of jase’s. it adds a whole new meaning to “scarey.” tho’ you are very smart and intuitive. i do not think much of anything would sneak past you. =)
Your post makes me want to go out on a hike! What a cute family you have! And oh the benefits of not having boots!!! =)
Hope Adam is ok. I do the same thing you do….I don’t want to take the kids into the Dr. for every little thing, but then wonder if I am making a bad choice by not taking them!
Happy Wednesday to you!
I am so glad Adam was not hurt worse. I remember going to the ER with Kendall one time, and leaving because he felt better…than wondering all might if I had done the right thing.
Such a cute picture of you and DL…what a gift for your children.
that really is sounding all farmer’s wife-y! and i would know!
*cough* sputter* laugh*
i felt like i was holding my breath through adam’s fall,
er visit and your own agony of not wanting to miss anything,
trying to make the right decision!!!
so glad that he will be okay…but whew. how scarey for ya.
happy first unaofficial days of summer!
What a sweet post, although Adam’s fall was scary. Why are kids so extreme? I have some like Adam, and some that fall in the other ditch, you don’t get concerned until they quit screaming. Love the pics of you and your man.Happy summer vacation!
What beautiful and relaxing pictures!!!! The waterfall is gorgeous!!!I’m with you on school being out, we were almost living for the day!!!!
@itsayoderworld – That cracked me up! But WHY do the chickens head there instead of the garden???????? I’d love for them to scratch and dig out all the grubs. It’s like they’re attracted to the mulch. You are kinder than I am. We keep them locked up a lot b/c of this. But it’s so muddy right now I felt sorry for them.
@mlt10202002 – Oh, I love you. You can even make my negatives sound like a strength. 🙂 I’m pretty sure David would call those intuitive tendencies something that sounds like worry wart. 😀
@qawzse789 – Oh, good! So I’m not the only crazy mom who walks out?
@down_onthefarm – Yep, you would know! And if I can be like you, I won’t mind being farmer’s wife-y after all! 😉
@lwstutz – You tell me and we’ll both know. I now have another little guy who sobs with loud open mouth and saliva running out trying to milk every injury for way more than it’s worth. 😀
@flowergirl_5 – Thank you! The waterfall IS gorgeous and was even more so right now because of all the rain we’ve been having.
@Elizabethmarie_1 – 🙂 When we started out I was sure this was going to be my means of taking cute rain boots from want to need level …. now, I’m not so sure.
@foreveranoatneygirl_n2Hisown – Aw, thanks! And happy Thursday to you!
I am SOOO ready for my kids to be out of school for the summer. 10 days to go, after today!! I am counting down…probably almost more than they are. I am sick of the schedule *yes, you heard me right!*
I love, love that picture of you and David where he is carrying you across the water and you are kissing! So very cute!
And those pictures of the greenery and the falls, etc. Just magical!
so glad Adam’s alright. Thankfully you caught him feeling good before they’d done all the test in the ER. I’m sure that bill wouldn’t have been nice. Love those puddle and spring pics! And Goldi and her puppies…so fun!
Those pictures of the hike are just gorgeous! I’m so amazed by the beauty of that area… Every once in a while I’ll think south Georgia is a little pretty, and then I see a picture like that and think, “Um, no. Georgia’s not so pretty after all. ” :)) I could just imagine a great photoshoot on that trail! Guess you sort of did that. 🙂 The pictures of you and David are so so pretty! Love the puddle/kissing one! And glad to hear that Adam is okay. Yikes, that would have scared me so much!
Love the pics of your hike! We definitely have some cons living here where it’s so flat.
I hope Adam heals fast, an incident like that would scare me like crazy! And it’s so hard to know when to take them in and when not to. 🙁
Have fun with your puppies!
Michelle, yesterday afternoon I raked loads of saturated mulch back into the flowerbeds from the surrounding lawn. I was muttering threatenings & slaughters on our hens the whole time. As soon as I was done, the boys helped me chase the gals back into their shed/run, and I gleefully SHUT THE DOOR! I took pity on them because of the mud, too — but the pity has been worn thin by the raking blisters & backache! It’s only their wonderful egg-laying ability that has saved their necks!
And I forgot to tell you, the photo of you & David in the creek is just lovely. I too often forget to hand the camera over to one of our boys to let them record what THEY are seeing; therefore I miss those kind of moments. Hats off to you! (If I were you, I think I’d make sure to never buy boots — being carried across a stream by your Prince Charming is SO much better than splashing through on your own!)
@appalolly – I think someone stole Audrey’s profile picture. Whoever this kidnapper is, they are ready to be done with a schedule. Oh, what did they do with my Audrey and when is she coming back? 😉 Don’t laugh at me, but we are still on a schedule …. it’s just a lot less tight than it was! 😀 Gotta maintain sanity some way. 🙂
@lifeisadance – Georgia IS beautiful … I love the beauty I see in your pictures. 🙂 I’ve concluded that we think other areas are prettier b/c we get so used to our own surroundings and are intrigued by something different. But I will say, Virginia is hard to beat April – June. Oh, and the pictures, thanks! Next time I want to go when it stays sunny. It was raining by the time we got back and b/w all the clouds and the thick woods, I was using an ISO of 1250 and still getting too much blur from a slow shutter speed.
@itsayoderworld – Oh, this cracked me up! I could just see you marching those chickens into their pen! Ours looked out the door with this feeling of entitlement and I just ignored them. 😀 Now I need to go rake. (Oh, and they completely demolished the entire patch of lettuce yesterday. Bad behavior = prison time. 🙂
Hold it!! I hadn’t really heard the full story, yet. Help us all. The pictures of your hike are so pretty, too. Makes me wish I could go on one of those again.