Of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails. And red blood.

My afternoon was tiring. We were out shopping pretty much all afternoon. We had a late dinner around 8ish (Kraft mac n' cheese ftw?) and after that I started to get a bit overwhelmed by the idea that I had to do the first step of making Frog Eye Salad because it needs to be refrigerated overnight. Granted, I could have easily done it tomorrow, but I was set on getting the hard part over with and done tonight.

While washing dishes, I realized that we needed to bathe the kids tonight too and with Pro Boxer having to go back to the store (why is it that when we are already so freaking busy, we forget things at the store???), and having to plan our lesson for primary tomorrow, I was certain that we wouldn't be able to get everything done. Pro Boxer got the water running and bathed the kids under the idea that he could go to the store while I started making the Frog Eye Salad and the kids played in the tub.

At one point of making the sauce for the Frog Eye Salad, I have to stay at the stove and stir. At said point, Bug comes running out of the bathroom, stark naked and announces that he is done with the bath. I tell him to get dressed then. While Bug is downstairs getting his underpants, Goof Ball started crying. I assumed it was just because Bug wasn't with him anymore. They are brothers, and as such get on each other's nerves frequently... but they are also best buds. So, still glued to the stove as I was, I holler down to Bug to come back up and keep Goof Ball happy. Bug does, only with underpants on. After a few seconds of Bug going back to the bathroom, he comes back to the kitchen.

"Goof Ball has blood everywhere!" (or something to that effect...)

My heart on overdrive, I direct Bug to get a chair to the stove so he could stir the pot. I should have just given up on the stupid thing, but I guess I wasn't really thinking properly. After quickly directing how to do it (he has done it a little bit before anyway) I rush in to find Goof Ball standing in an empty tub, blood all over his face, in his hair, down his belly, on his leg, and all over his hands. I can't believe I didn't fall down right then and there and start sobbing hysterically. Somehow, miraculously, I kept my cool and went up to him to find my razor that I always keep on the shelf thing hanging from our shower head in the tub with him also with blood all over it. I directly take that and put it back where it goes. I can't for the life of me think of how it got down there.

My body operating almost completely on shock, after Goof Ball puts his hands on the side of the tub, wanting to get out (go figure, all he wanted was to get out) I get a toilet paper and wipe up the blood on the side of the tub. Trying to keep calm, I think, I should get him cleaned up at least... Almost a funny note, I remember thinking to myself... What would Pro Boxer do right now? I had no idea where he had gotten hurt, so I figured trying to wipe him up would be a good step. So I turned the water on and a couple of inches filled the tub again. I tried to get him to sit down, but he didn't want to. I at least got him to put his hands in the water and they got rinsed alright. Then when he stood back up I noticed a large amount of blood on his thumb.

Keep in mind that I was unable to think coherently at this point. I was just trying to be busy so I wouldn't start to freak out. Through my numb haze of a brain, I remembered - Pressure. I grabbed the toilet paper I used to wipe the tub and put it on his thumb and held it tight. Goof Ball didn't cry one bit once I got in there which just leads to believe that he just wanted to get out of the tub. I called up Pro Boxer (thank heavens his phone hadn't lost batteries until AFTER the phone call) and he was in the check out line. If he hadn't been that close to coming home I would have told him to screw the food and just get home. He can operate in these situations with much more calm....ness than I can.

After talking to Pro Boxer, I yelled out to Bug if everything was okay, and started to doubt my previous decision of having a naked 5 year old boy watch a pot that was supposed to be stirred constantly. So, seeing that Goof Ball's feet weren't bloody, I take him out, still holding his thumb and we walked to the kitchen and I take over the stirring responsibilities. I allowed Bug to eat the small marshmallows that we were going to use for the Frog Eye Salad, making sure that he gave some to Goof Ball as well who was, by this point, trying to get me to take my hand off of his. I once took a chance to see what the wound looked like. It is several (some pretty deep in his small thumb) cuts in the tip of his thumb. The one time I tried to look at it, blood flowed instantly to the area and I almost started to freak out, so I covered it up quickly.

After a while the mixture seemed thickened enough, and I asked Bug to get a bowl for me to put it in. After that happened Pro Boxer got back and his eyes got just as big as mine probably were at seeing such a small boy covered with so much blood. And of course, when he got there, I completely broke and told him everything that happened, sobbing, almost hyperventilating while he (like I knew he would) calmly took over the situation.

Under my better judgments, Pro Boxer insisted that I take a picture of Goof Ball's face before he washed him up (though I know I will be glad of his insistence in coming years). So here you are... If you look close, you can see his hair caked in blood too.