Setting: Our house on a hot summer afternoon. Since the last batch of Popsicles had all been eaten, Calvin and Barbara are in the kitchen making a fresh batch while Suzana naps. They are the same kind her mom used to make with the jello and the kool-aid. These are orange flavored. After Calvin spills a portion of the liquid while trying to put the top on the Popsicles, Barbara cleans up the mess and then....action:
Barbara: Calvin, go open Suzana's door please.
Calvin: Why?
Barbara: Because we are meeting Erin, Trevor, and Evan at the pool soon, and Suzana is still sleeping. But Calvin, PLEASE don't wake her up. Just open her door so she can wake up on her own.
Calvin: Okay, Mommy. (Calvin leaves the room and dutifully goes upstairs as directed. Barbara hears the opening of the door and sits at her computer to type. In the meantime, Thomas returns home.)
Thomas: Hi, honey. What's going on?
Barbara: Oh, we made Popsicles and Calvin went upstairs to open Suzana's door. Hmmm, he's been gone a while, I wonder what he is doing up-- (Barbara's sentence is interrupted by the shrill screaming of her little girl; she gets up to see what is going on)
Oh Suzana, what's wrong? Were you not done sleeping yet?
Suzana: (screaming and in tears) Owww, Owww my arm, my arm. It hurts!
Barbara: (comforting Suzana) There there, it's okay. Do you want to go swimming?
Suzana: NOoooooo. My arm hurts. Wahhhh....
Barbara: Well what happened?
Suzana: Wahh....Calvin woke me up. Calvin turned on the light. Calvin hurt me.
Barbara: CALVIN! What is wrong with Suzana, how did she hurt herself?
Calvin: (Sheepishly). I don't know.
Barbara and Thomas: Calvin, tell us what happened.
Calvin: Well, Suzana wasn't waking up so I turned on her light (the one beside the bed), but she still didn't wake up. So, I picked up the lamp, took off the lamp shade and put the light on her arm.
Barbara and Thomas: OH MY GOD! Calvin! You burned her! (Barbara swoops up Suzana and takes her downstairs to get a better look at her arm). Calvin, go to time out.
(Calvin sat in time out a long time while we got Suzana calmed down and Thomas called the doctor's office to see how we needed to treat her burnt skin. She had two burn marks: one above her right elbow (about the size of a dime) and one below (about the size of a half dollar) and they were starting to blister. Thomas went to Wal-greens to get the necessary first aid supplies and Calvin still sat in time out. I got Suzana calmed down and then progressed to explaining what happened to Calvin who then realized he had not only NOT followed my directions about not waking up Suzana but that he had also really caused her some physical pain. He then started screaming, so I moved to the couch to comfort both children. (We quickly determined that Calvin's actions were motivated by his need to get to the pool quickly to swim and test out his new skills.) Thomas got home and he and I pretended to be a medical team and dressed Suzana's wounds. Needless to say, we did not make it to the pool yesterday. I did have to go and tell Erin what had happened so she wouldn't think we had completely stood her up; Trevor asked me approximately 5 times in 10 minutes "Where are Calvin and Suzana? Suzana has rebounded quickly and is quite proud and possessive of the big bandages on her arm.) This is the honest truth.
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3 comments:
Oh no! Poor Suzana! (and Calvin and Thomas and you!) That sounds like something that would happen in my house, only 1. R doesn't sleep and 2. K is (hopefully) old enough to know better.
OMG!!!! Give her a "poor baby" for me.
Babs, I feel relieved now that you and I can share a place in fabulous parenting moments 101. Here's my admittal: Zoe on the potty. Mommy with Zoe on the potty. Kate alone in the kitchen (but in view if I stick my head out the door). Zoe finishes her business but can't reach the toilet paper. Noise from the kitchen. Upon glancing in the kitchen mommy sees Kate holding a very large knife (thought: hey Kate's growing! She's tall enough to reach into the sharp knife drawer- YIKES) Mommy rushes out of the bathroom to grab knife but then hears Zoe screaming because as she's leaving the bathroom mommy closes Zoe's fingers in the medicine/storage cabinet (it's an old house with a very big wall insert cabinet right next to the toilet and door frame). Grabs knife from Kate (phew), returns to bandage Zoe's fingers. Here's rustling in the recycling closet. Turns around and sees Kate holding an empty can of Guiness and sticking her tongue in it. True story.
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