Oh Ev-E Mason...

Tuesday night at tumbling Everett hurt himself.  I got there and he was bawling hard that his arm hurt.  I couldn't get his coat on, and he was a wreck.  This boy typically can about knock his head off (he hits it on everything) and he's perfectly fine.  He's one of those walk it off boys, just like his Pa Stuart.

I got him home and knew we needed to go the ER.  Two hours later with a hankie made sling & ice pack, crying most of the time on the way to the doctor, he finally was acting like himself - a typical comedian.

He had Xrays and they said he's fine - just a bruise.  Ironic because he didn't have a bruise.  Then, they printed me off worksheets on how to care for a bruise - seriously what a waste of paper right.  As if I've never had a bruise myself...so home we go.



Yesterday about noon the ER called back and said oops we missed it.  His arm has a small break near the elbow on the radius.  We were surprised because he said his arm hurt right above his wrist.

The guilt poured into me.  You see I had sent Everett to preschool without any pain medicine.  I kept telling him his arm was fine...it was just a bruise.  I did not baby him one bit...ugh.

So Jade took him back to Effingham to the orthopedic clinic because I had an appointment with Ollie.

After much waiting they told Jade - oh he has a greenstick fracture.  It's when young soft bone bends and partially breaks, but doesn't break.  That he was fine to go without a cast or a sling just to baby it and skip tumbling for a week or so.

Seriously?  So today I'm getting a second opinion.

However, I had to share the waiting room story Jade told me last night.  You see Jade never takes the kids to the doctor.  I typically do that job.  He didn't realize what goes on while you wait for the doctor.  At the ortho clinic there were about 15 chairs in an open room and the receptionists area was open too.  So everything Everett uttered- they could hear because he doesn't have volume control either.

So it started out with Everett on Jade's lap and he let it rip for about 10 seconds and then goes "Oh, Daddy...I tooted on your lap."  Jade = mortified as a man next to him chuckles goes "yeah you did buddy."

After a little bit, Everett takes it further and says "Daddy, why do you have so many hairs in your nose?  Why you got these hairs?"  Then he tries to grab them.  Again, Jade is dying on the inside.  Everett has to take it a step further and says "Daddy, why you got pimples?  Why you got pimples Daddy?"  Hilarious, I think so.  I don't even think Jade has a pimple right now which is even funnier. 

Then, Everett wouldn't sit still he kept trying to wander, because luck would have it - they had a water cooler.  So Jade decided to do the old parent trick of the secret pinch.  You know when you pinch your kid and they instantly know to end whatever it is they are doing.  It's non-verbal so you don't have to chew butt in front of a thousand eyes.  Well Jade didn't know that doesn't work with Everett.  He pinched him and Everett yells "Ouch Daddy why did you pinch me!"  Again, Jade was about to crawl in a hole.  I was shaking in bed laughing at this point!

They finally get Jade into an exam room and the madness continues.  Everett likes to explore EVERYTHING...he's hard to contain in a doctor's room while you wait and he gets even louder.  After much waiting Everett starts in that he had to poop.  Jade tried to ignore it - why I don't know - and Everett just started yelling "I gotta poop Dad!  I gotta poop RIGHT now!"  So they took that trip too.

So we're waiting today for Everett's second opinion on his arm.  Better to be safe than sorry, and Jade is reflecting on what it is I do.  He is probably more thankful than ever that he rarely does the doctor appointments!