Who Needs a Seatbelt? Tale of Last Night's Crash
So yesterday one of those things we go around being so sure will never happen to us decided to pay me a reality check.
My husband and our 3 sons were happily skipping across town to meet up with our friends (yes! I do have those out side the internet!!) to see the new Batman/Superman movie. Not my first choice but tell that to a majority vote of teenage boys!
Everybody was psyched, anticipation was building! (even if I was mostly excited about the nachos with extra jalapenos) Then out of the left turn lane, BAM!
Here comes a genius who wanted to turn left across two lanes without looking. She turned fast, we braked fast, my 9 year old freaked out fast! You can't have yourself a good old fashioned ruin your day kind of head-on collision without some fierce crying from the back seat!!
The best part? Every parent (and I say every parent to make myself feel better, hoping there are other parents out there with this problem) has the one child who tries to dance around the seatbelt.
When their little it goes something like this:
"Mommy, why do I need to wear a seatbelt?"
Mom says: "To keep you safe because we love you."
And that is that. They wear their seatbelt like everyone else, no muss, no fuss, right? Well, that's two of my boys.
With the other one it goes a little more like this:
Mom says "Put on your seatbelt please."
"But I don't need it."
"It keeps you safe. Put it on"
But I don't need it."
Dad says: "Listen to your mother!!"
"Okaaay, I'll wear the stupid thing", then stumbles with it as if putting it on.
Ten minutes later mom asks, "Is your seat belt on?"
"We're almost there what do I need it for now?" with extreme sarcasm.
Dad begins to dish out threats in a firm voice.
"Fine I'll wear it but I don't need it!!"
And we've reached our destination. Imagine that for 14 or 15 years.
There's always got to be one, am I right?
So this genius driver is from out of town and apparently (mistakenly) thinks this is a one way street and that we've driven past her (as opposed to driving right toward her) and turns her car inches in front of our giant tank of a van. My genius son is not wearing his seatbelt!! So he flies from the bench seat all the way at the back of the van all the way past the middle seats of the van to the front window in a snap and SMACK! His head hit with such force all the glass broke and spiraled out!!
I threw my arm out to try and catch him (not sure if it was before, after or during) and asked him if he was okay. he just looked at me blankly with an odd look of, why wouldn't I be, did something happen? he went to the back and sat down, quietly (not normal for my outgoing, smart mouth, bright boy!) but my 9 year old was screaming hysterically, "Mommy I'm scarred!"
So I threw my efforts there. I said, "Look at me. Hold my hand. It's all over. It's done. You can stop being scared, ok?" I had to walk him out of the van and into the convenient store at the corner to really calm him down. Now he says he gets to tell all the kids at school he was in a car crash and "It was wicked awesome!!".
My husband called the police. Then the car insurance. I was standing there looking at that window when it dawned on me that my son did that with his head. Up until that point he couldn't talk to us. Too freaked out? Perhaps. He wasn't bleeding. He says his head didn't hurt. He wanted a soda. He seemed fine (amazingly enough!!)
So I let him go in the store and buy a Dr. Pepper. That's when he started to say his collarbone hurt. He told me it hurt to breathe a couple of times but I don't think he believes me that he said that. He went in and washed off the cuts on his fingers where he tried to catch himself from falling again (I think that's when I stuck my arm out to grab him?)
Then he said his stomach felt funny, kind of like indigestion and he was dizzy. Then he said he wasn't dizzy just spacey and his head felt wrong. he repeated the same thing back to me a couple of times. This is the point at which the little mommy voice inside starts to flip out (quietly so as not to upset the other kids, but my stomach was doing summersaults).
One of the cops suggested we call him an ambulance just from the impact on the window (a lot of force behind that!!) About 15 minutes later an ambulance came. We were a good 5 minute drive from the hospital so that's kind of disturbing, but the ems guy was awesome!
They checked out all the kids and the lady in the other car. The only one they said needed to go in was the 'Seatbelt Wonder' (for a few days this may indeed be his name!!) So first time in an ambulance for us both. he was several inches longer than the stretcher! My budding basketball star!
An hour and one uncomfortable neck brace later, we were relieved to find out he only has whiplash and possibly a very (very very very) mild concussion. They said ice, motrin, muscle relaxers for a day and he'll be good as new. The same can NOT be said of my van. It crawled crying all the way to the body shop. (No, seriously it was towed and the whole front end was crushed!!)
He was hungry and sarcastic (I mean himself and right as rain) before we even got home. My 9 year old asked me, "Mom, is it okay that I'm really bummed that we missed the movie?" I smiled and said, "Yeah, me too."
So the standing plan is movie next weekend. What will I drive until then? I have no idea!! Whose says life isn't full of adventure?
On the upside, I don't think I will ever hear again, "But mom I don't need the stupid seatbelt!!"
My husband and our 3 sons were happily skipping across town to meet up with our friends (yes! I do have those out side the internet!!) to see the new Batman/Superman movie. Not my first choice but tell that to a majority vote of teenage boys!
Everybody was psyched, anticipation was building! (even if I was mostly excited about the nachos with extra jalapenos) Then out of the left turn lane, BAM!
Here comes a genius who wanted to turn left across two lanes without looking. She turned fast, we braked fast, my 9 year old freaked out fast! You can't have yourself a good old fashioned ruin your day kind of head-on collision without some fierce crying from the back seat!!
The best part? Every parent (and I say every parent to make myself feel better, hoping there are other parents out there with this problem) has the one child who tries to dance around the seatbelt.
When their little it goes something like this:
"Mommy, why do I need to wear a seatbelt?"
Mom says: "To keep you safe because we love you."
And that is that. They wear their seatbelt like everyone else, no muss, no fuss, right? Well, that's two of my boys.
With the other one it goes a little more like this:
Mom says "Put on your seatbelt please."
"But I don't need it."
"It keeps you safe. Put it on"
But I don't need it."
Dad says: "Listen to your mother!!"
"Okaaay, I'll wear the stupid thing", then stumbles with it as if putting it on.
Ten minutes later mom asks, "Is your seat belt on?"
"We're almost there what do I need it for now?" with extreme sarcasm.
Dad begins to dish out threats in a firm voice.
"Fine I'll wear it but I don't need it!!"
And we've reached our destination. Imagine that for 14 or 15 years.
There's always got to be one, am I right?
So this genius driver is from out of town and apparently (mistakenly) thinks this is a one way street and that we've driven past her (as opposed to driving right toward her) and turns her car inches in front of our giant tank of a van. My genius son is not wearing his seatbelt!! So he flies from the bench seat all the way at the back of the van all the way past the middle seats of the van to the front window in a snap and SMACK! His head hit with such force all the glass broke and spiraled out!!
I threw my arm out to try and catch him (not sure if it was before, after or during) and asked him if he was okay. he just looked at me blankly with an odd look of, why wouldn't I be, did something happen? he went to the back and sat down, quietly (not normal for my outgoing, smart mouth, bright boy!) but my 9 year old was screaming hysterically, "Mommy I'm scarred!"
So I threw my efforts there. I said, "Look at me. Hold my hand. It's all over. It's done. You can stop being scared, ok?" I had to walk him out of the van and into the convenient store at the corner to really calm him down. Now he says he gets to tell all the kids at school he was in a car crash and "It was wicked awesome!!".
My husband called the police. Then the car insurance. I was standing there looking at that window when it dawned on me that my son did that with his head. Up until that point he couldn't talk to us. Too freaked out? Perhaps. He wasn't bleeding. He says his head didn't hurt. He wanted a soda. He seemed fine (amazingly enough!!)
So I let him go in the store and buy a Dr. Pepper. That's when he started to say his collarbone hurt. He told me it hurt to breathe a couple of times but I don't think he believes me that he said that. He went in and washed off the cuts on his fingers where he tried to catch himself from falling again (I think that's when I stuck my arm out to grab him?)
Then he said his stomach felt funny, kind of like indigestion and he was dizzy. Then he said he wasn't dizzy just spacey and his head felt wrong. he repeated the same thing back to me a couple of times. This is the point at which the little mommy voice inside starts to flip out (quietly so as not to upset the other kids, but my stomach was doing summersaults).
One of the cops suggested we call him an ambulance just from the impact on the window (a lot of force behind that!!) About 15 minutes later an ambulance came. We were a good 5 minute drive from the hospital so that's kind of disturbing, but the ems guy was awesome!
They checked out all the kids and the lady in the other car. The only one they said needed to go in was the 'Seatbelt Wonder' (for a few days this may indeed be his name!!) So first time in an ambulance for us both. he was several inches longer than the stretcher! My budding basketball star!
An hour and one uncomfortable neck brace later, we were relieved to find out he only has whiplash and possibly a very (very very very) mild concussion. They said ice, motrin, muscle relaxers for a day and he'll be good as new. The same can NOT be said of my van. It crawled crying all the way to the body shop. (No, seriously it was towed and the whole front end was crushed!!)
He was hungry and sarcastic (I mean himself and right as rain) before we even got home. My 9 year old asked me, "Mom, is it okay that I'm really bummed that we missed the movie?" I smiled and said, "Yeah, me too."
So the standing plan is movie next weekend. What will I drive until then? I have no idea!! Whose says life isn't full of adventure?
On the upside, I don't think I will ever hear again, "But mom I don't need the stupid seatbelt!!"
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