A Chink In The Armor
Yesterday, my three year old and I watched some music videos on noggin.com. One of the songs featured a child dressed in a robot costume made from a foil covered box.
My girl turned to me, and with stiff arms moving in jerky, up-and-down motions, said in a monotone, "Hello. Robot. Mommy."
I answered her doing my best Mr. Roboto. "Domo. Arigato."
She didn't break character for a second. "My. Name. Is. Baby. Robot. You. Are. Mommy. Robot. I. Need. A. Box. Costume."
Haaaa! Lucky for her, I had a small cardboard box, just perfect for a pint-sized robot. I cut out a hole for her head, and two holes for her shoulders. She beamed at me, and then proceeded to march stiff legged, arms bent at the elbow and occasionally chopping them through the air. "I. Need. A. Juice. Box." she announced. "I. Need. Some. Fuel."
I did my best to stay in character, too. We talked in choppy, Shatner-like cadence for a good half-hour. My oldest daughter got in on the act, and I made her a cardboard costume as well.
My son decided from the moment he came upon us that we were all a bunch of dorks, and he didn't want to join in our game.
This is the boy who laller laller laller lallers and flaps his hands and makes high pitched "meeep!" noises and is generally annoying, just because.
"What. Is. The. Matter. Robot. Boy?" I gave it to him with both barrels. Heh.
He was annoyed. I needled him for a bit longer, but ultimately decided to go make dinner. I told the girls to back off him, but secretly laughed while they continued to speak to him in Robot. Language.
He fled to his room, with the robot sisters in hot pursuit. I still haven't gotten the full story, but what came next was a scream that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, just thinking about it. A high-pitched wail of pain that just went on and on.
I raced back to the bedroom, where my two daughters stood looking concerned, and my son, already on his feet and looking green, had a huge scrape down the length of his jaw. He had fallen forward off his (new) bunkbed ladder and took the full impact with a nearby bookshelf with his jaw.
Mentally, I felt myself slip into an insulated, calm space, and I casually carried him to the couch, got ice, gave tylenol, got my husband's opinion on the situation, checked inside his mouth for any cuts, and finally carried him to the van for the fifteen minute drive to the emergency room.
After the impact, he was dizzy and nauseous, and although his pupils were fine, I was scared. When the first rush of the trauma wore off, he began to cry softly, and kept asking to sleep. Crap, crap, crap.
Still calm, I registered with the ER check-in, and sat down, talking to him about school, asking about toys - he stopped crying. By the time we spoke to the triage nurse, he was answering all the questions and arguing with me. We returned to the waiting room. After a few minutes, he was called back, and examined by a doctor.
She pronounced him a very lucky boy, and warned him about playing on the bunkbed. Aside from two very nasty scrapes and some swelling, he's fine. He's totally fine.
We returned home to my pale and worried husband, and reported the good news. We tucked the kids into bed, and went to sleep ourselves. We got up, got out of the house, I did some shopping, and when I got back in the van to come home, I just lost it. I sat in the Target parking lot and shook like a leaf, crying.
I don't think I realized how scared I was last night, and I never let myself go there. Even after we were all safe in bed, I thought "whew!" and drifted off to sleep. Today, however, the what-ifs are hanging like a cloud over me.
I've dried my tears, and I'm putting one foot in front of the other. It feels like I've been handed a giant warning notice from the parenting gods, and at the same time, a giant get out of jail free card. We are so lucky.
We are so lucky.
Comments
Even robots have to cry. Sometimes.
Posted by: ben | January 9, 2006 1:09 PM
We have yet to rush a kid to the ER. But can I just tell you how many times I've gone over it in my mind. Who would I call? How would I deal with the other kid? Would Mark be in town or away? Would I freak or cope?
Glad everyone is OK. Cry all you want, you deserve it!
Posted by: Elaine | January 9, 2006 2:23 PM
I shook a little just reading this. Don't mind me; just a touch of PTSD!
Still, dontcha love how they act like nothing's wrong once they get to a medical professional. Making us look like hysterical mommies. Brats.
Posted by: Mir | January 9, 2006 2:29 PM
Especially mommy robots. ;)
Posted by: Big Gay Sam | January 9, 2006 3:10 PM
Poor Mommy! I made a similarly calm announcement to DH that I was taking my kindergartener to the ER in 2004. He thought I was overreacting, until he took a look at what was once the divot under my daughter's nose, and staggered backwards a few paces. Like you, I was matter-of-fact and calm until she was in professional hands, and then I lost it: cried, barfed, almost fainted. My daughter had six stitches to repair what looked like she would need a seamstress to repair, and she doesn't even recall the injury. What a blessing!
Hugs to you and your son.
Posted by: Erin | January 9, 2006 3:17 PM
Oh, J... I'm so sorry. Hugs to you and K. You handled it like a real trooper, and it's totally ok to cry afterwards - I know I would be. I'm so glad he's ok. I'm glad you (all) were lucky.
Posted by: Cookie | January 9, 2006 3:38 PM
My mom passed out cold ON THE ER FLOOR several times after making dashing trips to the ER with me and finding out I was essentially okay. On the occasions I was injured she always held up really well.
I fear I am doomed for multiple ER trips with my brood of three after the myriad emergencies I put my long suffering 'rents through. Gah!
I've had children for almost 6 years now and only one trip to the ER so far (broken wrist).
Posted by: Mar | January 9, 2006 3:54 PM
Ah kids... I haven't had a scare like that YET, THANK GOODNESS.
When I was little, my brother and I got stitches like most kids get ice cream cones... (35 stitches, 2 skin grafts for me/ about 2 trillion for my brother, and let's not forget his little COMA and two BRAIN SURGERIES.) My mother was completely immune - She's been known to stand outside of ambulances and point and laugh.
Posted by: Jennifer | January 9, 2006 5:01 PM
Yeah, those "what ifs" will make you mental if you let 'em.
Thank goodness he's okay!
Posted by: EverydaySuperGoddess | January 9, 2006 5:10 PM
you can look forward to the fact that it's entirely possible your son will later in life feel sort of guilty for putting you through such things, and actually return your phone calls. hey, it works for my mother... "remember when you rode your Big Wheel down the hill i told you not to go down and you fell into the storm drain?" etc. etc. oh lord, and all the broken arms. gotta go; better return mom's phone call...
Posted by: hadashi | January 9, 2006 5:12 PM
I'm always calm in a crisis. Which is good, since between my adventurous husband and my adventurous kids, we average one ER visit a year.
This calm approach pays off, though. The last visit was an on the job injury of my husband's. The only people with him were the 10 year old and the 14 year old. They reacted calmly and stayed calm until my parents were able to come to the hospital and get them.
The injury was relatively minor and everyone was ok.
Once everyone is ok, I fall totally apart. It usually hits me the next day, like you, while doing something totally ordinary.
Do something special and soothing for yourself. You need it!
Posted by: paige | January 9, 2006 5:27 PM
I have had to do a few trips to the ER with my kids, I think it is part of being a parent!!
My oldest I had to take 2 times because of sticking a pea and then a raisen up her nose and we couldn't get it out! that was fun!!!
I am actually more calm with the kids than I am with my husband, when he sliced his wrist cutting drywall with me standing beside him and all I saw was blood squirting like a water fountain.... I went into hysterics, luckily my friend, who even more luckily is a nurse,was there and had to push me out of the way yell at me to shut up and wrapped J's arm and took him to the ER, that was even more fun!!
Posted by: Lise | January 9, 2006 5:37 PM
I hate that. That part where you can't prevent those spills and trips to the ER and you get so incredibly scared but you keep it altogether until later and then you feel all vulnerable and frail about how vulnerbale and frail they are. I hate that. And I'm glad he's fine, as they most often are.
So, say, it's delurking day or something so apropos of nothing here's the weather report for Ann Arbor, MI: 36F, mostly cloudy, 76% humidity, winds 8 mph WNW, and most importantly! the barometric pressure is 30.16 and rising. Have a great day and thanks for your visits and comments!
Posted by: Vicki | January 9, 2006 5:48 PM
Major hugs for Jenny!! I've been to the ER several times with my two kiddies (12 and 6) and have been for moral support with the nephews more times than I can count. Add in my father-in-law and hubby and we might as well have a room with our family's name on it. Is it bad when the nurse remembers you?
Feel free to cry on your hubby's shoulder and/or cuddle the kiddies; they'll give you the odd look but hey, you need it.
Posted by: Anastasia | January 9, 2006 5:50 PM
OMG! I'm so glad your son is okay. Sounds like it was really scary. Be kind and gentle to yourself, and to him, okay?
I would love more details about the accident - our girls are about to turn 6 and we are planning to make their twin beds into bunks! How did he happen to fall? Is there anything you can change to make his room safer? Yikes. Sending you best wishes for safe, healthy and happy family together.
On a lighter note, for some reason my husband started acting Like. A. Robot. at dinner, and our trio thought it was hilarious, and all talked back to him just like that. We'll have to try to find box costumes too, sounds like good fun.
Posted by: SheilaC | January 9, 2006 9:07 PM
Thank goodness he's all right. And of course when you're in the midst of something like that - being "The Mom" - you can't let yourself go to the scary place. But once it's over....well...that's another story!
Posted by: Melanie Lynne Hauser | January 10, 2006 6:53 AM
I'm so glad he is okay. You will be too. Take your time with it.
And - Happy De-lurking Week! I'm de-lurking.
Posted by: MoMMY | January 10, 2006 7:35 AM
Uggh, I hate these types of experiences. It's true, you proceed through with in a zen-like calmness, but after it's done, you go through all the what-if's. Just one slight change in circumstances, beyond your control, and it could be all over. It's enough to knock us all into awareness of our fragile, mortal reality. And I guess that's a good thing, that we're more aware of our volatile states!
We just went through something similar last week when my toddler ate Advil. Awful. I'm glad the worst thing your son will have is a scar.
Posted by: noell | January 10, 2006 7:36 AM
J, you know how many times I've been to the ER. It doesn't get any easier. Hugs to you.
Nik has a similar scar on his throat from a biking accident - we told everyone who asked- mostly kids - that he was a pirate and had been in battle.
I totally think that you deserve a CDL for dealing with that so well.
Posted by: Carmen | January 10, 2006 9:21 AM
I think it was Vicki Iovine in one of the Girlfriend's Guides books that said, "God give you one free one."
It looks like you just got yours. I'm so glad.
Posted by: Dorothy | January 10, 2006 10:55 AM
Phew...that this one gave me chills...I'm so glad that the boy is okay!
Posted by: Liz | January 10, 2006 11:23 AM
That scared me just reading it.. but at least you held it together for everyone's sake. I can't imagine how hard that must be when every fiber of your being wants to freak out.
I'm so glad this has a happy ending. And here I said I hadn't read/seen any of those lately.
Amen.
Posted by: holli | January 10, 2006 11:41 AM
ER visits -- had a few of those already! Some for the stepson and some for the dad. Our last one was at 9:30 at night when Dad face planted on a stereo speaker while playing ball tag with the 10-year-old in our basement. So much for the adults being good role models in our house.
I'm 7 months pregnant with our first child together -- another boy. I'm afraid the ER visits will continue. I've always kept it together when the injured one was my husband or my stepson. I wonder if I'll be hysterical with my own flesh and blood. I hope not.
Posted by: lori | January 10, 2006 1:37 PM
I know exactly what you were feeling. I had a similar scare last month. You can search my blog for the post titled "In One Weeks Time" if you feel like it.
Take care!
Posted by: naive-no-more | January 11, 2006 9:51 AM