Yesterday; A Saga
Yesterday was an... interesting day. It started out so great! We packed up the kids and the piles of stuff and went up to Big Four Mountain to hike to the ice caves. It's a great hike for kids; little E-- even walked a good part of the way.
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The forest was beautiful, with giant trees swaying high above us and sweet-smelling streams trickling under the bridges that were frequent along the trail. We sang songs and told stories until we reached the top where we found ourselves in a large clearing. Directly across from us towered the gigantic caves of ice, and suddenly the air became crisp and frigid. We bundled up and ate a snack, and the girls got a chance to touch (and lick!) the ice.
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On the way back to the car, E-- fell asleep in the backpack and A~ was getting very tired. She kept asking to be carried, but we distracted her with the animal game. "Show me how a penguin hikes!" we'd tell her. Or, "How does a mermaid hike?" She loved it, and entertained us all as we walked down the mountain.
A~ slept in the car on the way back, and we finally made it home a little after six in the evening. An hour later we were on our way to the emergency room. What? Oh yes! An emergency! E-- was in the garage with Ammon as he unloaded the car, and she dug a tin can lid out of the recycling bin. She sliced the entire palm of her hand open. Blood was everywhere. We dropped A~ off at the neighbors and rushed E-- to the ER where she ended up getting six stitches. It was a horrible, traumatic experience. Two nurses had her wrapped up "papoose" style in a blanket, and were holding her down as the doctor first injected a numbing agent into the laceration, then irrigated and stitched it. By 9:15 we were on our way home, with a very long stop at the 24 hour pharmacist to get some antibiotics.
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But here is where it gets even worse: we were stopped at a light, about to get on the freeway after picking up the prescription. All of a sudden we heard a distant screeeeeeech! and then BAM! We were rear ended. By a Suburban. Going 35 miles per hour.
The next hour is a blur of police reports and crying and complete and total shock. E-- was terrified, but calmed down quickly to be replaced by me freaking out and bawling. Everyone seemed fine at the time but my whiplashed neck has gotten progressively worse, and Ammon's back is stiff and sore.
Today found us both dazed and in pain, our brains still trying to make sense of the sludge that is last night. Dealing with insurance, car rental agencies, and making follow-up appointments for E-- at a pediatric hand specialist has been more than enough to drain us. Hopefully everyone's recovery will go smoothly, including our poor car. Criminy, what a night.
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The forest was beautiful, with giant trees swaying high above us and sweet-smelling streams trickling under the bridges that were frequent along the trail. We sang songs and told stories until we reached the top where we found ourselves in a large clearing. Directly across from us towered the gigantic caves of ice, and suddenly the air became crisp and frigid. We bundled up and ate a snack, and the girls got a chance to touch (and lick!) the ice.
-719754.JPG)
On the way back to the car, E-- fell asleep in the backpack and A~ was getting very tired. She kept asking to be carried, but we distracted her with the animal game. "Show me how a penguin hikes!" we'd tell her. Or, "How does a mermaid hike?" She loved it, and entertained us all as we walked down the mountain.
A~ slept in the car on the way back, and we finally made it home a little after six in the evening. An hour later we were on our way to the emergency room. What? Oh yes! An emergency! E-- was in the garage with Ammon as he unloaded the car, and she dug a tin can lid out of the recycling bin. She sliced the entire palm of her hand open. Blood was everywhere. We dropped A~ off at the neighbors and rushed E-- to the ER where she ended up getting six stitches. It was a horrible, traumatic experience. Two nurses had her wrapped up "papoose" style in a blanket, and were holding her down as the doctor first injected a numbing agent into the laceration, then irrigated and stitched it. By 9:15 we were on our way home, with a very long stop at the 24 hour pharmacist to get some antibiotics.
-766753.JPG)
But here is where it gets even worse: we were stopped at a light, about to get on the freeway after picking up the prescription. All of a sudden we heard a distant screeeeeeech! and then BAM! We were rear ended. By a Suburban. Going 35 miles per hour.
The next hour is a blur of police reports and crying and complete and total shock. E-- was terrified, but calmed down quickly to be replaced by me freaking out and bawling. Everyone seemed fine at the time but my whiplashed neck has gotten progressively worse, and Ammon's back is stiff and sore.
Today found us both dazed and in pain, our brains still trying to make sense of the sludge that is last night. Dealing with insurance, car rental agencies, and making follow-up appointments for E-- at a pediatric hand specialist has been more than enough to drain us. Hopefully everyone's recovery will go smoothly, including our poor car. Criminy, what a night.
August 23, 2005