When It Rains, It Pours

Well we had a successful move.  The positives:  MORE SPACE!!  The kids each have their own room, they actually have a play room, there's plenty of hallway to run around in, big sliding glass doors that lead out to a screened porch and oh, yeah...the completely fenced in back yard equipped with play set and a little thing I like to call GRASS.  We have only ever known weeds and something that wants to be grass.  The kids love it.  While the unpacking isn't going as quickly as I would like it to, we're happy.

Since November has taken a turn on the warm side lately the kids have been able to go out and play on a regular basis.  So this morning wasn't anything out of the ordinary.  They ate breakfast, I bathed Riley, cleaned the kitchen and sent Ella and Aiden out to play.  They had been out for about ten minutes and I was getting ready to get Riley down for her nap.  I went to tell them I would be feeding Riley and they were already running towards the door.  Uh oh.  I know that look.  I've seen this look before.  Sheer panic is written all over Ella's face.  Ants. 

I immediately stripped her down (and Aiden too) and sent them upstairs to the shower.  I quickly scooped up Riley, plopped her down in Aiden's room with a toy, closed the gate at the top of the stairs and started the water for the kids.  Just as soon as I had turned the shower on I heard Riley crying (her pain cry).  She crawled into the bathroom and I saw blood on her hand.  I rinsed it in the sink thinking she had cut it on something and then (as it usually goes) I saw that it wasn't her hand...it was her mouth.  Oh, these are the worst.  I rinsed her mouth and the blood just kept coming.  I gave her a rag to chew on.  'Where is this coming from?'  Did she bite her tounge?  No.  Her lip?  No.  I turned her upside down and saw that it was that skin above the two front teeth that connects to the lip...you know the frenulum labii superioris.  My husband will be so proud!  Nah, who am I kidding...I Googled it.

In the midst of my 'every child a victim' moment, these were my thoughts:  Am I really alone right now?  Is it possible that Brian will magically appear and help me?  I don't know what to do!

In the mean time, Ella was crying because of her bites, Aiden was crying because Ella had the tiger and he wanted it and thankfully Riley was sitting quite contently drinking the sippy of water I had given her.  Can I just mention too that I was able to remove her dress without getting blood on it?  That's always a plus. 

I was able to get everybody bathed, dressed and Riley down for her nap all  in a matter of 30 minutes, although it felt like forever.  It doesn't matter how many times these types of things happen I still feel like I have no clue as to what I am doing.  These moments feel chaotic and I don't know who to help first.  It's funny how your brain can quickly access the situation and put your body into action.  I feel like I'm just here watching my body work and when it's over I feel surprised that I was able to pull it off, ALONE.  It's amazing these kids are still alive.  What's also amazing is that neither of them have had any sustainable injuries or ER visits.  Who knows though.  It's only 11 and they are running in circles around me now.  A fall or crash or head on collision is bound to happen here soon.