How we added drama to a simple family outing.

This year we only planned to go to one NC STATE football game as a family. We only have two season tickets so Mr. Pink takes a mini or me, but not all four of us. So yesterday was the day we had all planned to go together because we got our free junior wolfpack club tickets for the kids for this game. The weather was mild, but the clouds were looming and rain sprinkled off and on pre-kickoff. Just prior to kickoff I took mini#2 to our regular (read: 45 yd line primo seats we buy from our friend with more seniority every year)seats while Mr. pink and mini#1 scaled mountain elevations to reach their free seats. We had settled in and even saw the canons blasting off fireworks to draw attention to the Wolfpack team barreling out of the locker room onto the field. All was good.

First quarter was underway and we were happily munching popcorn when the PACK scored the first touchdown. Mini#2 couldn't see so he stood on the seats beside me as we cheered the touchdown. And then, before I realized it, we had another down. Mini#2 was down. Off of the seat and resting not-so-comfortably against the cement back of the seats behind us (no one was in those seats). He started crying. I grabbed him up and then I saw red, not of NC State fanwear variety. Blood was gushing from the back of mini#2's head! The lady behind that row said "Do you know where first aid is?" Uh, no. I didn't. Never really knew my fine university had that service at football games. While others watched us, she lead the way up the stairs while I applied a wad of napkins to the back of his head. He, by the way, was no longer crying, but I was fighting tears back. We arrived and 3 or 4 nurses/hospital administration people took action. Ice packs for him, a sink for me to wash off my child's blood. Our friend called Mr. Pink and minutes later the rest of our family arrived while I was answering questions like "When was his last tetanus shot?" What? Then the paramedics arrived to transport him for stitches. WAIT! We can take him. Then another nurse looked at his head and, once the blood stopped, it was determined that no stitches or staples were needed. He just had a goose egg on his head and sticky, bloody hair around the gash. Once we were calm again, or had normal heart rates (me, not mini#2), we all returned to our seats with various ice bags and ice packs. We weren't going to let something like a LOT of blood send us home. Uh, hmm Mr. Pink. No, it really was ok. Mini#2 kept saying, "Mommy, it's ok. It doesn't huuurrt." One of our seatmates and friend had sent a text to Mr. Pink when it happened saying "You better get down here. Child protective services is looking for Mrs. Pink". Not so funny! Nonetheless, we survived and even sat in the rain for the last half to watch NCSU win a much needed conference game. Mini#2 was happy. We got home and cleaned the bloody head and it looks alright, but they told us it would bleed again and it has. This kid is 3 1/2 and it's his second bloody episode. He had stitches on his face Oct. 30, 2007 at 2 1/2. Both times, Mr. Pink was away. Maybe I should be concerned about child protective services! Or maybe I should just keep mini#2 inside for the next 15 or so years!