The Honeymoon is Over!

All that endearing stuff that's happened since we arrived--like kids locking us out of the trailer or waking to Reveille every morning (0630 on the dot!)--are no longer moments that bring reflective pause or a smile.  Now they bring a grimance and a pillow over the head.  The honeymoon is officially over.  Reality has slapped us upside the head as if to say, "I told you so."  Now, nothing particularly bad has happened.  We haven't been to the emergency room and all the vehicles are still working.  Actually, the weather is cooling off now and the trees are starting to change color.  Generally speaking, it has been a lovely time in Alabama.  Yet, there is this lingering feeling of "can we make it 8 more months without killing each other."  While our trailer is the Big Daddy of the park, it is still a trailer and the kids are growing.  Hands and feet are within closer reach regardless of distance simply because there isn't that much distance!  So the kicking and hitting has started.  Sigh.  We all knew this day would come.  And while I am of the mindset that as long as no one is bleeding, I won't interfer, the problem is that in our small space the fighting happens on top of me!  I would love to eat just half a meal without someone touching me or showing me a booger.

We did find a babysitter (teenager, CPR trained) for one night so we could go to a benefit at the zoo.  As we were leaving, the babysitter was rolling the kids off to the playground.  Everyone was singing and happy.  I had a cute new dress for the occasion.  Perfect!
Less then 30 minutes later, in the middle of whiskey tasting next to the yak pen, I received a call,

Her: Um, Kai fell at the playground and his head is bleeding really badly...
Me: Ummm...(furiously doing first aid in my head)
Her: ...but I know that head wounds bleed alot and it might not be bad, so what should I do?
Me: Well... (and I'm trying to think of everyone in camp that is possibly home and sober!)
Her: I'll just go to the nearest trailer and ask for help and I'll call you back.
Click

I just stared at the phone then relayed the message to "Lonnie."  In my head I'm thinking that our night is cut short or that we are in for another round of ER tag.  But, the babysitter did say she would call back. Soooo, I think I'll try some of that blueberry whiskey please!  What, you want me to rush away from the only date I've had in 3 months!!  We weren't going to be crazy parents, we would be cool and wait, and try some of the canapes.  We did get a text back, and all was well with Kai and friends, no need to come home or worry.  We did have a wound to clean when we got back and Kai looked like "Massive Headwound Harry" for the night.  But no hospital.  But, I believe the evening was traumatic enough for the poor babysitter that she will block our phone numbers.  Not sure, just a hunch.

 

Oh the upside, we have new stairs (nice wooden ones not attached to the trailer) and a fully decorated patio for Halloween.  However, the Fall mosquitos, who are bigger and meaner than the Summer mosquitos, have hatched and it is again impossible to be outside without a Benadryl IV permanently inserted. Oh, and we all got our midterm exams back.  Apparently, the atrocities commited against the English language almost had our professors applying for disability.  But I'm keeping my spirits up that I will learn something this year, like maybe I don't want to attempt this endeavor on a sailboat!