I am not yet to the point that enough time has gone by that I can make this humorous. I usually try to see the funny side to keep my sanity and keep things in perspective, but I honestly can't do that right now.
On Saturday I was putting dinner in the oven at 3 pm (it was pork roast so it had to go in early). I was on the phone with my best friend, and after this...incident...happened I checked my phone and it was seriously less than 5 minutes. Okay after I put dinner in there were a few dishes that needed to go in the dishwasher so I did that. I realized that I could hear faded shrieks of pleasure from the kids and I immediately knew something was terribly, horribly wrong. So phone still at my ear I went to investigate. We have a large family room that we are in the process of turning into Patrick's room so the new baby can have the nursery. There are french doors that close it off from the living room where we spend our time. The doors were closed and I opened them to find Sarah throwing fistfuls of paint onto Patrick's head. I panicked for a moment-frozen in a state of "What should my next move be?" shock.
Let me explain-this was not a little bit of Crayola finger paint. No, no...it was a can of wall paint-the kind that is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to remove from carpet. The kind that is permanent, forever. We bought 3 cans (it's a BIG room) and had them sitting on the desk. The room is empty except the desk and a recliner. The kids climbed on the desk and pushed the can of paint onto the floor. Sarah told me she then jumped on it (from the desk), but my hubby believes-and who am I to correct him?-that it busted open when it hit the floor. So within 3-4 minutes a can of paint is covering the center of the room, splatter marks are all the way to each wall-to the door, on the recliner. The kids had it in their hair, ears, up their noses, under finger & toenails...everywhere.
These pictures do NOT do the mess justice. The camera didn't pick up the splatters and the sheer fact that it's the ENTIRE can of paint!! When I took the photos I was thinking, "If I ever get this cleaned up at all I will have proof that it was much worse and Rick won't kill me". I even had to use Magic Eraser on the tub to get all the residue out.
My first move was throw the kids in the tub cause obviously the paint would have just gotten on even more parts of the house with them running around like that. So I had no choice but leave the paint soaking in the carpet while I cleaned up those children. I am not sure if I was doing something wrong, but I scrubbed those kids until they cried that I was hurting them and they still had paint on their scalps and hair. After they were (for the most part) clean I put them on the couch in front of the TV and Googled how to get a can of paint out of carpet. The results did NOT look good for me. Not one website said it would come completely out, but a few promised it would not be too noticeable. I will spare you all the details, but after more than 2 1/2 hours of cleaning (I called my best guy friend, who is also my neighbor, and he brought a second shop vac and was in there helping me) the only difference was that we salvaged some of the paint.
My kids have made a lot of messes, but nothing has come close to this. The damages add up to about $2,000. not to mention the can of paint cost about $50.
THEN...On Sunday I was cleaning Sarah's room. I was in there for a while, but not that long. I came out and saw this:
Don't be alarmed: No one was shot. I was looking for the phone to call 911 until Sarah handed me the (EMPTY) Hershey's strawberry syrup container. Patrick had gotten into the refrigerator and dumped out the bottle. THANK YOU GOD, most of it was on tile, but there was a bit on the carpet. Have I mentioned yet that we had the floors professionally steam cleaned on Wednesday?? There's another hundred bucks wasted.
FINALLY today (Monday) Patrick woke up from a very, very restless night at 5:40. At 5:50 I was yelling for Rick and we were frantically pulling warm clothes on and getting Sarah dressed. Off to the ER!! My little guy was watching TV so intently he fell off the side of the couch onto the brick fireplace. His head split open and blood was everywhere, carpet not excluded. (Rick is still refusing to tile the entire house...) I was soooo upset-we arrived at the ER at Lake Shore (I absolutely HATE that hospital, which is why I travel an hour to Gainesville to have my babies) around 6:15. At 7:45, my son's head still open and bleeding, Rick grabbed us all up and we walked out. We went to the other facility across town and an hour and 10 minutes later my baby boy had 6 stitches in his forehead. They made me leave so Sarah wouldn't be terrified. It took 30 minutes to sew him up and they had him strapped to a hard board with velcro. I was crying right along with him. The doctor said to expect him to literally pass out afterwards from the trauma, and he did. I held him in my arms on the way home and he slept for an hour and a half in my bed. If you know my Patrick--this NEVER happens. So my lil man had his fist major accident. :( The doctor said, "It's a boy thing-you'll be here again"...Like that's supposed to make me feel better!? The stitches look much, much better than the wound did-it was sooo deep. Umm, I won't describe it I guess, but take my word for it-it was nasty. He has to go back after Thanksgiving to have them out, and he's being referred to a plastic surgeon cause there's no way it will heal up nicely. Anyway here's my baby Frankenstein:
I just don't understand what I am doing wrong? I know kids get into trouble and mess things up...But c'mon-from reading this I must sound like a complete degenerate, unfit mother! I PROMISE I wake up in the morning, every morning, planning that today will be different...and it never is! I spend time with them, we play, we go to the park, we have playdates and lots of friends. What is going on here!? I could understand if I left them alone so I could get my nails done, or if I was doing drugs or something, but NO-I make dinner and clean the house.....Grrrr. Sorry for the rant-I'm tired.
Tomorrow will be different! Right?
2 comments:
I know it is not comforting, but back when it was me and just two little ones we seemed to have dozens of this type of weekends. At age one Amelia had 10 staples (slipping in the patio and hitting the step)in her head and three weeks later was back in the ER having her skull scanned for yet another accident (falling of the couch hitting the coffee table and then floor head leading the way!). That same year Lucas fell on a cactus and had hundreds of microscopic thowrns in his leg, sprayed driveway cleaner he found playing outside in his sister's face and ate tide at grandma's house. You will laugh...but probably not for years till all the damage is payed off. :)
LOL You and Jessica crack me up. It is not a reflection on your parenting no matter what any non-parent, parent of 1, parent of all girly girls, or daycare parent may say. You are a great mom and things WILL get better. Someday when you make millions writing about how you survived combat with toddlers you will be grateful for all the material :-) I picture a book like "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy." but for Mom's of toddlers and pre-Ks :-)
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