Wild Rocky Red: Attack of the Wooden Horse

Last week we had another medical adventure at our house. (My seizure being the first one, two weeks ago.) As Clark was rocking out on Rocky Red, the faithful, much-loved rocking horse, and listening to Jimmy Buffet, as they both do daily, he pulled back too hard and fell over backward into the side of the recliner. Rocky Red came down hard on him, somehow right below his left eye and the cut was immediately bleeding all over the place. Cal was upset, yelling, “Clarky, Clarky, Mommy. Clarky!” and sticking his face into Clark's face to look at his cut. Now, this is urgent, brotherly sympathy is something I have seen a few times, mostly in Calvin, that just makes me want to cry, it is so sweet. I hope they always feel that way about each other. I spent more words assuring Cal that Clark would be okay than I did comforting Clark—I mostly just held him. 

I grabbed what was around—a little white sock—and put pressure on the cut and wiped up the blood, wondering how in the world I could get Clark to the emergency room if that’s what he needed. I had Baby Alex that day too, which meant the double stroller would not be enough to transport us all. Meanwhile Cal kept saying to Clark, “Clarky, wait here, I will get strawberry medicine. Be right back,” and going into the bathroom, calling me to help him, melting my heart all over again with his concern. I called my friend Aimee who happened to be already out and in line at a grocery store nearby. She rushed over with her little boy and watched Alex and Cal while I pushed Clark in the stroller to the ER. Sidenote on the awesomeness of where we live: How many people do you know who could walk to the ER faster than it takes to drive to the ER and park? Maybe only me. And also, how many people do you know who have been to the ER as many times as me? That's what I thought. Since I can’t drive, we are so blessed to live here. The day before it had poured rain, but that day it was sunny so the walk was simple. Clark was incredibly brave, in part due to the book he loves, Maisy Goes to the Hospital, but also because he visited the ER in June and got stitches in his chin. He remembered that they had turned baseball on the TV for him, and you know how much the kid loves baseball.

Clark the next day, sporting not only his cut, but one of the new surprised faces he likes to practice. Notice Rocky Red sulking dejectedly in the background.

We got in and saw a doctor right away. Clark hardly cried and all the nurses were smitten by him and all his talking. He called a lot of things cool and pretty and cute and the nurses nice. You can tell who he hears talk a lot, though I’m not sure I would have chosen those words for the sterile insides of the ER. Fortunately he didn’t need stitches, just some skin glue. A couple sizable superhero stickers later, and we were out the door and on the way home. It is amazing to have Aimee so close and so helpful and super with the kids. All things considered, this was another case of best case scenario coming from a scary situation…and both in the last two weeks. Hopefully this week will end without any disasters.