It was a beautiful day today. The sun was shining and there was a genuine chill in the air. Before church this morning I went to CVS and bought a box of bandaids because LMark had cut his finger with a butter knife (while trying to cut a mini-wheat in half). After naps, I took the kids to the grade school to ride bikes. Fortunately I had left the bandaids in the car, because by the time we left the parking lot, we had used eight of them.
Ella had a minor spill that scratched her knee and hands. Max did something to his knee. But Margaret & Ella had a collision that ended our day. I didn't see it, but they ended up in a heap together with Ella rubbing her knee and Margaret holding a knot on the back of her head the size of a golf ball. I carried her to the car and packed up the rest of the crew.
When we got home I put an ice pack on her head and leaned her up against Papa on the couch. The rest of the children, upon seeing the treatment Meggy was getting, presented all of their own injuries, limped around, and groaned like pathetic invalids.
I didn't think that the girls actually needed head gear at this point in their bicycling because they were, at times, ridiculously cautious and slow. Today they were zipping all around the parking lot at lightning speed. Before the accident I mumbled to myself that I should have brought their helmets. So from now on they won't go riding without one. My friend Stephen calls them brain buckets, which is an appropriate name, no doubt.
Initially they'll object that it restricts their freedom. But I suppose they'll soon treat them like seat belts. Max, if he discovers we've begun driving without buckling him in, will scream in terror, "I'm not buckled yet !! I'm gonna fwy out of de cawr!!"
