A list of recent heart attacks

#1 This last weekend while on the wonderful YW High Adventure backpacking trip I lost my wedding ring!
But I found it!
Amazingly!
Before I left for the trip I contemplated leaving it at home. Next time I will.
While hiking my hands got hot and swollen so I took it off my ring finger and hung it from a carabiner on my pack. It lived there happily for two days until I loaned the carabiner to one of my girls. Then I wore my ring on my pinky on the hike back out the last day. After a wonderful 7+ mile hike we had lunch at the cars and were getting ready to leave when I noticed my ring was missing.
I was filled with a feeling of dread!
If it wasn't close by I would have no hope of finding it.
As it was my chances were slim.
I looked on the ground near where we had sat to eat.
I looked on the ground where we had made sure our packs were ready to put in the trailer.
I looked on the ground near the trailer.
There it was!
Hooray!
I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, so I just walked silently to the outhouse, grateful for my ring, and the merest hint of a toilet.


#2
A couple of weeks ago while swimming with friends at a near by water hole Taz nearly drowned.
Yep , this one never stops scaring me.
One of the people we went swimming with had brought a little blow up raft. They had life jackets for kids who wanted to use it. When they were pushing off for their maiden voyage none of my kids seemed interested in going so I didn't worry about the life jackets.
Apparently at some point Taz changed his mind and got in with out my noticing. I believe he must have jumped in hurriedly at the last minute and lied at the bottom of the boat so I couldn't see him.
It didn't take long at all for that little boat to get out into water that was over my head.
In the mean time I was doing my beach scan. WG, Princess, where's Taz? WG, Princess, WHERE IS TAZ?!?
The next moment we all spotted him at once. "Is that him?" "Can he swim?" Me- "NO!"
Taz was out in the deep water near the raft bobbing frantically up and down in the water.
Luckily I was already down to just my bathing suit and sunglasses. So the sunglasses took a flying leap on the beach as I sprinted down to the water dove in and swam for Taz.
The worst part was swimming out there and having to stop to look around before going any farther. Luckily when I stopped he was right in front of me. Also Luckily I regularly practice swimming while holding my children cause I'm worried they might try and drown. But I didn't have to swim too far before I could touch, plus I'm sure there was some adrenaline rushing.
We got back to the beach and I just held him for about twenty minutes, which we were both happy with.
I also got the story of what happened.
Apparently once they had gotten quite far out in the water, he had decided that he wanted to go back to shore. So not thinking that he couldn't touch, he had simply jumped out of the boat.
And now we don't have problems with that any more.
When we go some where to swim now Taz establishes exactly where he can and can not touch before heading out to play. And it broke him of the running as far along the dock as he can and jumping in before I can get to him. Apparently I was always to fast for that to be any kind of a learning experience.
But I am proud to say that although he was shaken, after sitting on my lap for twenty minutes, he did go right back out and play in the water. Gotta get right back on that horse!

#3 Princess drowning. Cause they can't all learn from each other.
I have to start out with the high light here. I now have three children who are less likely to drown. Taz and Princess both have a healthy fear of the water and a greater understanding of their abilities, and WG of course is just more sensible, plus he can swim now (with his head above water - Taz and Princess are still working on the head above water thing). I have to qualify, lest you believe all those swimming lessons a waste, that Taz and Princess can swim. They just still struggle with the large ehad top heavy thing, and can only stay afloat if they don't try and keep their head above water.
Princess' experience wasn't quite as scary, but memorable none the less. She was in swimming class. The teacher left Princess sitting on the stairs while she took another student to practice a stroke. Princess decided the stairs were a boring place to be so she jumped into the pool and started bobbing up and down. Now she can do this for a good thirty seconds before she starts to sink, unfortunately it took longer than that for either of the nearby teachers, and myself, to notice she was in danger. WG's teacher and I saw her at about the same time. Luckily he was already with in arms length of her and plucked her out of the water. After only a minute of snuggling she was all better, and she waits patiently on the steps for her teacher now :).

#4 Taz again. Of course!
This last week I had a babysitter for a couple hours one morning. When I got home Taz was very upset. The babysitter explained that while running water down the playground slide he had slipped and hit his chin. His mouth was bleeding and she thought he had a chipped tooth.
Great!
Why do these things always happen with a babysitter?
I don't think it's her fault. I let them run water down that slide all the time.
But why the accident when I'm not here? I worry about this, a lot!
Then she tells me it happened an hour ago?
What?
You didn't call? That is what that cell number I left you is for. Stuff like this!
I look at Taz's tooth. Yeah, there is a chip.
AND A CRACK!
ALL THE WAY FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE GUM LINE!
We call the dentist. He's out of town! Once again I have to ask why?
Why the one and only time I've ever had to call a dentist for an emergency does it happen when he is on vacation?
So they send us across town. The dentist informs us there are no good options at this point. It is a bad break. Luckily it is a baby tooth and he is almost to the age where he will start losing them anyway. Well that's some consolation. He 'bonded' or as I said 'glued' it back together. But he didn't seem that optimistic that it would hold. So maybe the tooth will die, maybe it will fall out, maybe Taz will walk around for a year or two with out a top front tooth. Nice!
At least he didn't damage his incoming permanent tooth, which apparently is a concern.

So yeah for crazy kids! Yeah for summer! and Yeah for school starting again in two weeks. Cause I'm just not sure how much more we can handle!