Because there's never enough excitement around here

We interrupt the belated Christmas Catch-Up series to bring you the sad tale of our New Year’s Eve.

 

It started out great – hanging out at the park for a wee bit.

Negotiating with Daddy for a hand in reaching the rings:

 

When I saw this look, I knew whatever came next would be a rather butt-shinsky thing to do:

 

You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch…

 

Thankfully there were no witnesses around to see the poor guy’s Super Wedgie.

Wanna know WHY there was no one around?  Cuz we were the only idiots brave enough to venture out in to the

c-c-c-o-o-o-o-o-o-l-d.

How cold was it?  Well, this isn’t a puddle.  This is a leaf-filled FROZEN LAKE.

 

Brrr!!  Wildly unfair to have it dip below 20 degrees and give us frost instead of snow!

 

And I snapped away, having no idea that this would be the last time I get this view in awhile…

 

We headed off for some fun ringing in the new year with cousins who are suddenly getting taller than me.

(Is it just me, or are kids really and truly getting taller these days?  Don’t call me Fun Size… *smack*)

As you can see, Itty Bit was a wee bit wired…

(Mom, I’m too old to spank and I can run faster than you.  But I do think this is proof of where Itty Bit gets his moments of “exuberance”.  Thanks)

 

We had some fun watching Cousin A’s domino mastery:

See that rock wall and slate ledge behind him?

That’s where our celebrations came to a screaming halt.

 

Literally.

Itty Bit was rough-housing (imagine that), and flipped himself backwards.

Cousin A – whom he adores – had inserted himself between Itty Bit and the fireplace.

So instead of getting burned, Itty Bit’s head bounced sickeningly off the slate ledge.

 

I scooped him up.  And felt my stomach twist as stickiness coated my hands and ran down my arm.

I began to pray aloud as Itty Bit wailed in my arms.

Dear Jesus, heal his head.  Heal it.  Make it all better.  Dear Jesus heal him.

 

As his sobs subsided, he screamed each time someone moved the towel from his head.

He soaked through the first one with nauseating speed.  Grandma had just left a few moments ago, so we packed up Itty Bit and sped to her house.  (Besides her Nursing School experience, Grandmas have a certain sense for these things…)

 

Realizing that drunks in car accidents would get triaged over a preschooler’s split head on New Year’s Eve, we did all we could to avoid spending hours in an ER.

Grandma carefully shaved the back of the whimpering kiddo’s head to assess the cut and accompanying dent.  I’m continually blown away at how tough our little guy is.

That bugger soaked through again, and finally stopped bleeding this afternoon.

 

And this kid?  He was out within 5 minutes of the car ride home.

Happy New Year.