On Halloween day, James had his first teacher/parent conference (which went wonderfully - both his teachers think he is very smart and has a kind, gentle, quiet soul - I totally agree with the smart part but I am still trying to wrap my head around the quiet part of their assessment). I arranged with one of my friends to meet there and we could switch off watching each other's kids in the playground while we had our meeting so we didn't have to arrange for babysitters. After both of our meetings we over, we let the kids play for awhile and even packed lunches so we could eat there. We were getting ready to go and James was pulling Madeleine on a bike with a cart attached. She loves it and they have done this countless times before. This time, another kid comes by and accidentally bumps the back of the cart and sends Madeleine flying. She ends up getting her hand stuck and dragged on the concrete and most of the skin on her palm and thumb get totally taken off. It was the most blood I have ever seen. Awful. Thank goodness the teachers were there and were able to help hold her down while we cleaned and bandaged her hand before I whisked her off to Urgent Care. My friend ended up taking James with her so I didn't have to worry about him. I took the picture below about 2 minutes before this all happened...
Once her hand was cleaned and properly wrapped up, they gave her some pain medicine and she passed right out. The doctor gave us some cream to put on it twice a day when we change her bandage that is given to burn victims so it has everything she needs in there.
Once she woke up, it was like nothing had happened. I was definitely more traumatized by the experience then she was. She hated having her hand wrapped but got over that quickly and didn't let it slow her down.
We still went trick or treating that night, Madeleine went as a witch and James went as a lumberjack.
We walked around with our good friends and the kids loved it. We only had to go around for about 45 minutes before my kids were ready to call it quits - and that was plenty long for all of us.
She did find eating a little harder than normal and on occasion just gave up trying to feed herself and just ending up eating right off of her tray. Can't say that I blamed her.
Overall though, she is a tough little girl who did awesome with her first major injury. She only really cried when we had to change her bandage - she's a trooper.
Last week, the fire department came and did a demonstration for James preschool. He loved it! He is the last one on the right in the picture below... he had to be as close to the parked fire truck as he could get.
Madeleine didn't care at all until they turned on the sirens and then she thought the truck was the coolest thing ever. And after the week she had, she deserved something just that cool.
