Bus Bonks His Head

On Sunday we went to Miles and Betsey's for dinner to celebrate Kennedy's first birthday. The cousins all love to play together. It is particularly cute how excited Drake gets to play with Mason and Ava. Most of the kids were downstairs playing while the adults were upstairs finishing dinner and chatting. Then we heard a scream from Brielle..."DAD! MOM! Bus cracked his head open! Hurry Hurry, he's bleeding!" Total panic in her voice.

So we rush downstairs and Tim scoops up Eric and sure enough, blood is seeping out of a wound on the back of his head. He and Bri had been fighting over a toy and when he started running up the stairs she grabbed him and he fell back on his head on the wood stairs. We took up to a bathroom to wash the blood away and see how deep it was, but he had too much hair covering it and we couldn't see where the blood was coming from. So we got some scissors to cut away the hair. But it was still hard to see how big or deep it was.

So we loaded the kids in the car and headed for the ER because all the InstaCare places are closed on Sunday. We drove a couple of blocks and decided to check and see how much it was bleeding, and it wasn't much. Tim suggested we say a prayer, and Brielle said, "I've already said two!" But we said one more and decided not to go to get stitches.

By the time we got home it was only bleeding a little and we just wrapped a bandage around his head and put him to bed. He got to wear the bandage (he kept calling it a cast) to school the next day which he thought was pretty cool. Then the next day we super glued it shut.

When I put Brielle to bed that night she was still feeling shaky and upset. She felt so guilty, she kept telling us over and over that it was all her fault. I told her that Bus was ok and that she said sorry and he forgave her, and she had already told Heavenly Father sorry and that he always forgives us. She asked why she still felt so terrible like she was in trouble and I explained that her body probably had a lot of adrenaline running through it when she first saw the blood and now it was trying to make everything normal again, but the shakiness takes a while to wear off. She was so relieved! Then she told me that Heavenly Father answered her prayers exactly the way she asked. I mean, can a mama heart hear anything better?

The whole thing was really adorable, looking back. Everyone was so concerned, so focused on making sure Bus was OK. They were being so sweet to him and to each other. Really it was like it glued us all tight together for just a little while.

 

The Big Apple

Last year my friends went to New York to visit Kate Pickett, who moved there a couple years ago so her husband could go to law school. I waffled on going for a while and then decided not to. Tim didn't really want to, and I felt weird taking a trip with my friends when I should be taking one with my mom while she's battling cancer. They decided to go again this year, and I decided to join.

I'm glad I did.

This is the breakdown I emailed myself the night before we left. I'll add stuff in parenthesis.

Wednesday: Got in late, Kate met us at apartment (Upper West side, about 82nd and Central Park West) and we went to Jacobs Pickle.

Thursday: Kate walked us to see the window displays on 5th Ave and the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller plaza. We ate in Bryant Park by the ice skating rink. Jess and I went to the Statue of Liberty. (This was cool. We waited in line forever and had to go through security like a million times) But she was so big, much bigger than I imagined. It kind of took your breath away seeing it so close. I was wishing I had my kids with me the whole time. They would have loved the ferry ride and seeing the statue. They kept asking me for pictures of it every time we talked.)

We went to Shake Shack (lived up to the hype) and took it to Kate's to eat. She left for a work thing and we went to Macy's and then Bryant Park to look at the shops. Then we came back and got ready to go out with her. She took us to a speakeasy called Beauty in Essex. (The first night at Jacob's Pickle, Kate asked us if there was anything we really wanted to do and I said a speakeasy. She just kind of smiled and laughed, like  hahah yeah yeah, but what really? So it was a cool surprise). The subway home never came so we took a taxi.

Friday: Jess and I walked around Central Park to see the Friends fountain and the bridge. We met up with Heather and Erin and ate at Cafe Lalo. (This was one thing I have always wanted to do. You've Got Mail is the best movie ever and it was so cool to see this place in person.) Then we went to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. (Another thing my kinds would have loved) We ate at an Indian place and then went to see the tree again and the light display. American Girl Doll store. (It was insanely packed this night and Jessica was going crazy. She can't take the crowds. So she and Heather kind of got in the fight. It was pretty funny an uncomfortable) 

Then met Kate at the shops at Columbus Circle. We took a murdery walk through Central Park and saw the Naumburg Bandshell and the Bethseda Terrace and Fountain. Then we went to Magnolia for banana pudding and home. 

Saturday: Got up early for the 9-11 Memorial and Museum. (This was one of my favorite things and something everyone should do. It was so well done and so emotional. It walked you through each minute that morning and what was happening in different places along the way. There were lots of first responder accounts that were heartbreaking. It was powerful, the whole thing felt almost sacred.) 

Got tickets for Broadway in South Shore. Went to Brooklyn for pizza at Juliana's. (Best pizza I've ever had) Kate took me and Erin to see Grand Central Station. We came back and took a nap. Then we went to a Christmas program at her church then headed downtown for dinner at Los Tacos and then to the theater on Broadway for Anastasia. Then ice cream. Then home. 

So that was my recap. Riding the subway was cool. I loved the rush of the city. It was so alive. As a teenager I really wanted to live in New York City after college and now I wish I'd had the chance. Not that I regret how I did things, but it would have been cool to live there before having kids.