Breathless Moments

...about life raising four boys.

Evening:

Dinner has to be on the table early on Monday nights because hubby has band practice (plays in a local community band).  Has to leave house by 6:20.

Son 2 has basketball practice in the same general vicinity at 7:30 - decided to take him tonight to figure out where everything is to see if we can't coordinate something with hubby's band.

Pouring buckets when son 2 and I leave for practice.  I've left son 1 in charge of sons 3 and 4.  All have had showers before I left.

Get to school by 7:20 - go in wrong building.  I know this because I asked a girl coming out of the building.  Sent to building across parking lot.  Took four tries to find an open door.  In the pouring rain.  Found my hubby's band practice, but no basketball.  Found a janitor Found out that the gym is in a building across the campus.  And no, it's not a connected building.  So, we are back out in the pouring rain again of which it took me three tries to find an open door this time.

Found the gym. As I was going in the door and putting down my (sopping) umbrella, I pinched my finger so hard It bleeds.  A Lot.  So, I'm now sucking on my finger to try to get the bleeding to stop, because I have no kleenex in my purse. One of the ladies that has a son on Matt's team took me back to my car, since, frankly, I had no knittin' clue where it was.  Found car.  Went to big shopping mall (outdoor shopping mall, no less) that is right across the street to go to Panera to you know, sit and maybe write (or edit).  Ordered a decadent piece of chocolate/caramel pecan sin brownie and a chai latte.  As I'm sitting down, my cell phone rings:

Me:  Hello.

Son 1: Mom?

Mom:  Yes, J?

Son 1: N (son 3) swallowed a quarter, but I did the Heimlich maneuver and saved his life.

Mom: what? (I couldn't hear very well at that point, as they were finishing up making the chai)

Son 1:  N swallowed a quarter, but I did the Heimlich on him and saved his life.

Mom: WHAT?!?

Son 1: N swallowed a quarter by I did the Heimlich on him and saved his life. 

Mom: (at this point, I am totally, 100% completely speechless)

Son 1:  Hello?  Mom?

Mom:  You have got to be kidding me.

Son 1: No, Mom, N really swallowed a quarter and I saved him.  He's fine.

Mom:  Let me talk to N.

I proceeded to talk with N, who's crying, but apparently is fine.  I'm too far to come right home to assess the situation, so I call my trusty mom and brother.  My brother went over to look in on them and give me the true skinny on the situation.

The quarter has evidently gone on down.  I will have to take him to the ER when I get home to get him Xrayed to see exactly where it is.  He's breathing fine, and talking, so it's not currently "life-threatening".  My brother is staying there until I get home.

Why am I so calm now that I know what's happened?  Son 1 did the EXACT SAME THING six years ago when I was pregnant with Ben.  Been there. Done that. Got the darn t-shirt.

I've texted the hubby at band, but more than likely he won't get the message until band is over.  At 9.

It's going to be a late night.

But I'm so writing that book.  No one will believe my life with my boys.

Remind me to tell you all about the ceiling fan fiasco sometime.