Watching the Kids

Darby is recording all this week like 60 hours so I have the kids. It's going pretty well. I really like them, and they are excellent people with which to spend one's time.

Of course, it hasn't been without it's problems, and occassional Emergency Room visits.

Yes, that's right.

I take them to Boomer's, which is a "family entertainment center" in Avondale, PA. Things have gone very well, we crawl through tunnels and slide down slides. Everyone is in high spirits. On our way out, the kids want to sit on a large 18 wheel truck video game that looks like the cockpit of. . .an 18 wheel truck. They are spinning the steering well, everything is still going swimingly.

Then Lyric makes her way to the next video game, this one a skateboard that she stands on and swerves from side to side. Ollie wants to take a shot at it.

And misses his step off of the truck game, and comes crashing down, knocking his head on the metal platform.

Kids fall all of the time, so I just scramble to pick him up and comfort him, not knowing how bad the fall was really. He's crying of course. Then I notice that his face is wet. To my shock, I see that his face is covered in blood. Like scenes of war or something. Lyric is predictably freaked out, "Daddy, what's wrong with Ollie?"

Yes, I am frantically wondering the same thing. I carry Ollie to the front desk, making my way past one horrified expression after another. I ask the lady to please get me some paper towels and ice. I'm trying to simaltaneously calm down Lyric (who was actually being very mature, but was also very worried - as was I), and help Ollie calm down. The napkins are produced, and I try to start wiping away the blood and find the wound. There is a gash above his right eyes and I'm distressed to see that as soon as I clean it up the blood spurts out again. Like a hose!

Still working to remain calm, I ask the Boomer's employee to please call the ambulance. Thoughts about blood lose and head wounds threaten to overtake me, but I push them aside, trying to stop the bleeding by applying the napkin. Ollie is hysterical, pushing against my efforts and basically making it very difficult to apply anything. I just want to keep letting him know that I am there to help him, to help him know he is going to be ok.

A very kind lady keeps asking if there is anything she can do. I can't really think of anything. Other than the obvious, like stop the bleeding. But that is kind of outside her abilities. Ollie uses a pacifier to calm down, so I ask if she'll go to our car and get it. She does, and it helps.

By the time the ambulance has come, Oliver has calmed down, and the blood flow has let up. So I opt to drive him to the ER together. Father and son, covered in blood, looking like we had been in a car accident. And Lyric praying for Ollie and telling him that Jesus will heal all this soon. (I told you she was being very mature).

I'll spare you the rest of the details. Darby and my family showed up at the ER thank goodness. Poor Ollie had to endure 5 stitches. (Want to feel like a helpless parent, stand by while your kid is poked by needles and sewn up and can't understand why you are letting all this happen to him.) He now looks like a Rocky Balboa who had taken on one too many Russians. But all is well, and I think I passed this particular test.

Looking for a slightly more low-key day today.