We had a busy weekend. Grandpa and Grandpa came up for one day and in addition to hiking, visiting many parks and cooking Martha Stewart’s Pinto and Rice burgers and doctored-up Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes, there were trains:
Smiles:
Corn:
Leaves:
Wheelbarrows:
Slides:
And this is where the mishap came in. Jamisen had been going down the slides all by himself, stopping at the bottom, laughing, posing and waving. 
In hindsight, looking clearly at the picture above, you can see that Jamisen is leaning back just a bit; that would be leaning back perfectly into a luge position, in what is apparently the most awesome pair of sliding pants in the history of the universe (who knew that corduroy was the secret sliding awesesome-sauce?!). And whooosh! he was off.
He slid so fast that he practically got air and went into the next slide. Yikes. We were all shocked. But Grandpa apparently has the instinct of a wild game photographer on the Serengeti because he got a snap of Jamisen’s topsy-turvy dismount. Jamisen was comforted quickly by Grandma and Grandpa. I was still at the top of the slide and in a complete moment of irony, tried to throw myself down the slide quickly only to practically have to push myself down the slide. If I had been wearing corduroys, I’m sure I would have gotten there faster.
Not to worry, he was fine. There were a few tears of surprise but we were off and to the sliding races again. But this time, he had a chaperone on the slide. I learned my lesson. No sliding alone unless it’s an obvious slow kiddie slide! If you’ve got a fun child story to share (eh hem, preferably of you being foolish like me), I’d love to hear it! I felt pretty stupid for a few hours until it was apparent that Jamisen was no worse for the quick slide.
I’ve got a busy week planned – and I’m excited about it! The big things I’m working on this week are researching the Safer Consumer Product Regulations proposed in California, heading to Seattle for a Mastermind Business meeting, hosting book club at our house (we read “The Age of Miracles”) and prepping for our monthly management meeting (we’ll talk fall promotions, staffing, inventory, marketing and new products). I hope you had a great weekend – and I’d love to hear any funny childhood mishap stories from when your kids were younger. I was sure feeling foolish for a few hours …
Psst: If you haven’t voted for Bramble Berry today in the Fed Ex Small Business Grant, remember you can vote daily HERE! Go for it! Hit that button to vote for us. You have our eternal appreciation.
My bad mommy moment(s) I accidentally locked my baby in the car *three* times…good thing that firemen are very nice and will break into your car for you and assure you that ‘it happens’ (I still shake and tear up thinking about that!)
She’s 10 now and survived that and quite a few more ‘incidents’ without lasting trauma, so I figure I am doing something right.
Ohhh Anne-Marie- that photo series was amazing.. its horrible enough to think about by memory and now you have pictures to drum it all in. Don’t beat yourself over it though, I think all moms take a turn with this kind of thing. In retrospect I would have loved to have pics of some events with the kids but not with others. I was a home day care mom and had taken the crew to a road side state maintained playground. Wonderful equipment.. well behaved kids.. observant ME – but five young ones and one set of eyes. My own daughter who was only about 18 months at the time, walked along the balcony walkway toward the straight slide and looked behind her at another child.. she stepped once more, actually past the slide entrance and fell 7 feet down to the landing of the fireman’s pole, flat on her back. I saw her stepping into thin air and ran pointlessly toward her general area of projected fall zone, obviously not faster than gravity. She was shocked.. stunned.. breathless..I was scared to death to move her and yet I had to. When she caught her breath she just cried but WOW.. all kinds of thoughts ran through my head and to this day she doesnt walk across the landings, she climbs the firepole. The weirdo.. She’s 13 now. I was thankful it was mine that fell and not someone elses because I would have hated to explain how very incompetent and off guard I was at that moment.
I am so glad Jamisen is ok! (You too mom.:)
The pictures are just wonderful.
My son is 18 now, there were a lot of trips to the emergency room with that boy!
When he was about 2 years old he fell down our stairs that went to the basement. He was ok, but there was a lot of crying to go around.
Oh man, that is a big fear! We have stairs that lead up to his room and there is a baby gate but eventually when he has his own toddler bed (April!), we’ll have to come up with a good solution to keep him from night wandering and falling down the wooden stairs.
Awww…
Looks like his hair went airborn, but at least he didn’t flip over completely & do a faceplant at the bottom!
He must be righthanded, as I see him pointing his right pointer finger in the air in two pics. I especially love the one where he’s buried in the leaves. What a classic photo!
He totally went airborn – little sweet acrobat =)
Yes, he appears to be right handed. His Dad is left handed so there was a question for sure.
I am laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes! Of course I am not laughing at your poor little Jamisen. I know it was pretty scary for him, and for you too. It’s just that you have a way with words to make the whole thing so comical. I love that your dad was snapping pics the whole time, and I can just see you throwing yourself down the slide after Jamisen and getting stuck! 🙂
My son is 15 so I have many “foolish” parent moments. 🙂 I just can’t remember any at the moment. I’ll keep thinking on it and get back to you. Meanwhile, thanks for the laugh (glad y’all are okay) I needed that today. 🙂
We laughed too. As soon as it was clear that he was fine, I laughed so hard that I was in danger of peeing my pants. It was so funny. I mean, 3 able-bodied adults and we totally did a terrible job. =)
Thank you for reading. Your comment made me grin from ear to ear!
So sweet, I can’t stop looking at the pics!
It’s a good thing kids are so resilient! Glad he wasn’t hurt and wasn’t scared of going down the slide again.
He is amazingly resilient! I am surprised at what he manages to do and be all smiley in the next 10 minutes. There are always tears, but I think there are more surprised than painful tears =)
I love that you got the play by play on film! It’s such a cute series of pictures–since he wasn’t hurt, of course!–definitely one for the memory album!
Grandpa was the real rock star there! It happened so fast =) And once he was okay, we all got a good laugh.
Boys will be boys & considering how active he is, it won’t be the first. Just don’t beat yourself up about it. When Andrea was 2 at a water park, the plan was for her to be on one slide & dad right next to her going down. When he reached the pool he was going to spin around & catch her. The attendant at the top said, “You ready?” Andrea spun around to see who was talking to her, she went down the slide backwards and dad forgot he needed to catch her & just waved at her as she went down. Thank goodness for life vests. I was on the sidelines “guarding” the stroller & stuff & watched it all in slow motion. I insisted on renting lockers every vacay after that incident!
This is so getting forwarded to my Dad (Grandpa) and my husband. My Dad (Grandpa) totally forgot he was watching Jamisen a few weeks ago and I found Jamisen outside the store we were all in, trying to push the ‘open’ sign like it was a lit button. Those little oversights happen. But yes, thank goodness for life jackets. And thanks for sharing the story. Note to self: do not trust Chris on water slides with Jamisen!
Oh, Anne-Marie. If I had a dollar for every near-heart-attack C has given us over the years… and he’s no daredevil! There was the bloody nose from leaning on my make-shift bed rail – apparently firm enough to keep him from rolling out of bed at night, but not strong enough to prevent a mid-afternoon faceplant :/ Then there was the day his entire car seat toppled to one side as I turned a sharp corner – guess who forgot to lock the seat belt? And there was the day he bumped the table & dropped a very large stainless steel bowl onto his head. There were tears on all occasions, a fair amount of Mommy/Daddy guilt, but no lasting harm done. Except when we tell the bowl story at family gatherings & the room erupts in laughter 😉
Oh wow! The car seat one is new. Thank you for that hint! I don’t have the new-fangled-clicky-thing in my car so it could easily happen to me too! =) I agree, lots of laughter as long as the tears dry up with no lasting damage. =)
Love all the photos! So natural and so lovely!
He has a lovely personality to match too. We are so lucky!
Jamisen looks like he survived just fine! Phew, eh mommy? I was in a mall with my husband and three of our kids. The youngest at the time was in the stroller, and had just learned how to undo the clasp (back in the days when they were easier to undo). He kept undoing it, and I kept catching him and doing it up again. I should have tied something else around him because the next time he literally jumped over the side of the stroller, onto the floor and promptly gave himself a bloody nose. I felt like such a lousy mommy!! We even took pictures when we got home. He still had a stunned look on his face. Poor little gaffer!! 🙁
Oh man! That’s definitely one of my nightmare ideas. Jamisen has gotten to the point where he leans over out of the stroller to touch the rolling wheels, and ONLY the seatbelt is holding him in. I always worry about that.
Glad your little guy was okay after his little fall =)
Jamisen is so cute!!! A lot of blessings!!! : )
Aw, thanks! We think so too! =)
When my oldest was about that age, we went to the park–just the two of us. I climbed up with him and let him slide by himself—he came very close to falling off. If he had fallen off, it would likely have been a brain injury. I thought he was “big” enough to do it by himself! He didn’t get to slide alone for probably another 6 months to a year!
Ah, it’s good to hear that you too had a case of ‘slide confidence.’ =) Glad to know it’s not just me! I’m glad that you’re little guy was okay (as was mine). I know he won’t be going on that slide alone again (!).