The stories behind our 2013 Christmas card, Part 1

A child's "firsts" are always so special to parents. It's even more special when the child becomes a toddler and understands when he/she has done something without help for the first time. The excitement in their eyes and the smile on their face can make a parent's eyes fill with tears of joy. NOT IN OUR HOUSE!!

Our son, or who I lovingly refer to in situations like this as "my husband's child," was getting ready for a bath and decided to be a big boy by taking his own shirt off. After a few minutes of him squirming around looking like the imposter sign language person during Obama's speech at the Nelson Mandela Memorial, he managed to get it off. He beamed with pride and giggled uncontrollably! I failed to notice that he didn't remove the arm holes from his hands and when he began jumping around, in what I can only assume was a victory dance, he managed to drop his hands down (with the shirt still looped on his hands) and trip over his shirt causing him to face plant into the toilet. 

Cheers of victory turned into Texas Chainsaw Massacre screams!

A picture message to the pediatrician to confirm what was needed and off to the ER we went. 

Now, let me back up 2 days. I had a function to attend and left the kids home with a babysitter. The babysitter called while I was out to tell me that Hailey had fallen off of her bike and had some scratches but was ok. I said ok and left it alone but when I got home I saw the damage. I asked bugs what happened and she said, "Last time I fell off my bike, the handle bars got messed up. So this time I protected my bike and just let my face hit the ground." With that little prior event in mind, THIS is what I'm walking into the ER with:

No surprise that after we were triaged, the MD came in and asked my daughter, "wow! What happened to your brother?" I started to answer but was abruptly stopped and told, "I asked her, not you." I, of course, realized what was occurring at this point. Hailey cheerfully told the story while giggling at her brother's inherited clumsiness (he gets it from his father's side!) and the MD then asked what happened to her. She told her tale of protecting her bike with her face, through innocent smiles and a little blushing from embarrassment. The MD then proceeded with his exam of Deuce. As he was leaving, he smiled and said, "Looks like you have your hands full. Sorry, if I was abrupt before but I hope you can understand that when someone brings in a toddler looking like that and then his sibling follows looking just as bad...we have to question some things." I told him I understood and he smirked while telling me that he could foresee several ER trips throughout the next few years and to make sure we always have lots of triple antibiotic ointment and bandages at home. 

This was the final result of our week:

A week after this picture, we were at Academy and I found a way to make sure Deuce was as "safe" as I could make him: