Where to Begin

It's unusually difficult for me to blog about frightening or sad events. I have yet to write about the death of Jaka, and it's unlikely that I ever will. But a week ago today, I was rushing G to Urgent Care, and praying that he wouldn't need to go to the hospital. It started innocently enough -- an impromptu lunch date with an Aikido classmate and his mom and brother at a Mexican restaurant across from the dojo. After lunch (and some Harry Potter mischief), the boys were standing in the little courtyard while I waited to pay. Suddenly, K's classmate yells that G is hurt. When I reach him, all I can see is his left leg pinned under a heavy stone fountain that has apparently fallen on him. K is holding the top bowl off of his head, but my first thought is that he is dead. I throw my purse one way and my credit card the other, and try to lift the fountain off of him. I can't remember if he was crying, because everything is silent in my head. A customer and the mom who lunched with us help me lift the fountain, and then I scoop him up. I now know why all of those people in the movies immediately move their loved ones even though it's usually not advised by medical professionals. It's impulsive. I check to make sure that all of his teeth are intact, which is difficult since his mouth is full of blood and tortilla chips and his lip is swelling fiercely. Since he is alert and able to put some weight on his leg, I decide to take him to Urgent Care myself rather than call an ambulance. R meets me there, since I can't go into the X-ray room with him. While in the waiting room, a wonderful woman asks me if I'm religious and gives me a prayer to read. I don't know how much I need to read it until the moment the words bandage my heart. When R and G come out, I find out that while he looks really bad, nothing is seriously injured. He gets a Rx for the cut in his lip, and a wash for his mouth, and that's it. Blessed thankfulness. I block out all of the could-have-beens and hug him tightly but gently. In true child fashion, he recovers very quickly over the next couple of days, while I'm just now starting to mend. I was happy to see today that the fountain was taken down.

With that out of my system for the time being, here are pictures of K at Aikido, a couple of G and A,and my 26 week belly shot (I'll be 27 weeks on Friday). K has started his 2nd session of ice skating, too, and we're ordering him his own skates this week. He loves it so much. He's doing quite well in both skating and Aikido, and I'm thrilled that he has sports that he enjoys so much. This summer, he'd like to try soccer. K and I were talking today about how in 3 months, it will be summer, the baby will come, we will look for and buy a house, my brother will graduate from college, and my mom and brother will move to this area (my mom to be near her only living family, and my brother to go to vet school). A lot of changes in a short period of time! And of course, throw in Easter, a week-long conference to England for R, and a trip for him back home to be godfather for our newest nephew, on top of our normally scheduled chaos, and the end of April/beginning of May is going to be upon us rather quickly. I can't wait!