The collision

Last Thursday night, Bill was just getting home from a day trip to Dallas.  It was about 7:30 p.m. and Will, Kate and I were outside just hanging out, waiting for Dad.  This is about the only nice time to be outside.  It cools down to a bearable 100 degrees.  Refreshing.  ??  Anyway, Kate and Will were swinging side by side, absolutely enjoying themselves.  I look away for exactly one second and see Bill coming around the corner of the house.  Almost simultaneously, I hear a big thud.  A big one.  I look back toward the swings to see Kate wide eyed, still on her swing and Will on the ground.  I immediately tell Kate to grab Will.  This knee jerk reaction received much thought later.  Why didn't I just run pick him up?  She was a little closer, but clearly she was stressed.  Just a little insight as to how much I rely on her.  This can be good and bad, but that is another blog post.  Kate grabs Will, as instructed, and we meet her halfway across the yard.  We take one look at Will's eye (me looking through my hands like a kid....saying, "I can't look" and Bill looking directly at it like an adult.  Thank goodness he makes up for some of my weaknesses!)  He needs stitches.  You can guess how this one happened.  He hopped right off of his swing and walked directly in front of her.  He moves quickly.  I know this for a fact. 

Kate, Will and Bill get themselves together in a flash and head for the car.  Claire has hands clasped over her mouth, tears running down her face and questions galore....is he going to be okay?  does he have to get stitches?  will it hurt?  what if he doesn't need stitches, then what?!  oh, NO!!!  These are some of the questions and exclaimations I recognized through her tears.  I am spinning around looking for the diaper bag, filling up a sippy cup of water, (is anyone even thirsty?), looking for my phone and just generally going into a slight panic mode.  Claire is busy searching the house for a full box of kleenex in anticipation of lots of crying (from her, not Will).  It is at this point that Bill sticks his head in from the garage and says...."We are going.  You and Claire can follow us.  See you at St. John emergency room." 

Good plan.  Claire and I pull it together and head out shortly thereafter.  We get to St. John, find the other half of the crew and wait for the doctor.  Yes, he needs stitches.  Three of them.  More crying from Claire (bless her heart), and a little more panic from me.  Kate is cool as a cucumber and Bill is about to absolutely disown both me and Claire.  Some interesting dynamics during a very brief, very minor emergency-type situation.  What I learned is that (a)  I did not miss the mark when I went to business school instead of med school.  (b)  if you have the choice, I would opt for Kate in an emergency instead of me or Claire, and (c)  I am once again thankful for my husband. 

Oh, and Will?  Yes, this was actually about Will, wasn't it.  Will was a trooper.  Happy and totally undisturbed by the entire event, with the exception of the 10 minutes it took to actually sew it up.  Stitches are out now and there is just a tiny bruise. 

In addition to being a rock for us all at age 9, Kate is also pretty tough.  Her knee took quite a hit in this whole process.  She mentioned it initially and I totally blew it off in my panic over the stitches.    When I finally got around to taking a look at her knee....wow!  What a bruise. 

We now have proof that Will does indeed have a very hard head!  Kate swore to never swing again.  But I am happy to report that this only lasted 4 days.  She was spotted swinging yesterday, same swing....right beside Will. 

One little knee...

meets up with one little eye...

and we get our first stitches!  Three to be exact. 
But look at me smile! 

   

*  just a small note about Kate's knee.  I took that picture the same night it happened, about three hours after the collision.  It tripled in size before it was all said and done.  Perhaps Kate's knee was the real victim!  Hard head, I tell ya!