Mezuzos Check in 3... 2...1...

What a day. I'm still reeling. It started out pretty typical... I don't remember what happened in the morning anymore. I sent the kids to clean up their toy cars before we go outside. Then I heard a shriek... a breathless scream. Those are all to popular with our little squabbling siblings, but this was something else. Zusha smashed Gedalya's head.

Poor Gedalya runs towards me screaming, "Zusha pushed me!! He made blood!!"
I took one glance at Gedalya and OMG. His whole head and face was COVERED in blood and it was dripping all over the floor. I whisked him away to the bathroom and tried to wash his face and head and find the source of the wound. I was shaking thoroughly and thought I'd faint. I just couldn't wash off the blood. It kept pouring and Gedalya was screaming that the blood is going in his eyes. It was like a curtain.
Within a few seconds I located the source of the cut- a few inches above his forehead- and put lots of pressure on it with a wet towel.

Then I called Hatzola. First thing I did was put on shoes for me and Gedalya, because when Zusha had to go to the ER a year and 10 months ago, we neglected to put on his shoes, and I went with slippers. Hillel ended up carrying Zusha the 2 miles back home. (Interestingly, Zusha was the same exact age then as Gedalya is now!)

Anyway, all I had time to do was put on our shoes and ask Zusha to go down and open the door and the Hatzola workers were here. Under 2 minutes! They cleaned him up and kept trying to find the cut, but it was hard under his hair. They asked how it happened. I told him his brother pushed him on some toys. They asked, "Did he push him back?" (Well, if he did, you'd be attending TWO victims now.)

They consulted each other and decided it doesn't need stitches, B"H. So we didn't go to the hospital. When I was about to call Hatzola Gedalya was begging me not to because they will take him away to the hospital. I told him that I'd go with him, so he calmed down. By the time they came, he was all into it.
"My brother pushed me like THIS and I fell on the cars and then there was all the bloooood..." [Hand motions of blood pouring down and bubbling creek noises...]
"And then the Hatzola came... WaaAAaaH!!!!"

They left us with instructions of observing the wound and keeping it clean, using an antibiotic cream if necessary.
I was left with two blood-soaked outfits to change (since Gedalya is okay, I can consider trivial things like clothes and say B"H that the blood washed out!) and a traumatized little kid to comfort. B"H it wasn't more serious. B"H it wasn't his eye.

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And then... we went to the park. Stopped in at The Children's Place to nurse Adel in their dressing room where she took a dive out of my lap. I caught her in time, but not before she banged her head on the wall and got not one, but TWO bumps. I felt horrible.

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And then... we headed home and inadvertently got to participate in a Hachnosas Sefer Torah. It was so beautiful. What a special thing to see.

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And then... a few months ago I was getting strange phone calls. Someone was calling late at night and not saying anything. I'd call back, thinking someone had an emergency, and a drunken-sounding guy would respond. He called over and over again and I just ignored. Eventually it stopped.
Now it seems to have started up again, but this time he sends text messages as well! I searched online for instructions to block incoming calls and messages and B"H was able to do it. Hopefully it will work.

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My house is a major wreck. I have no energy and time to take care of it. And I can't even find a day that is good for both me and the cleaning lady because of the myriad appointments! I will really try to get her to come before Rosh Hashana.

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It looks like I will be "homeschooling" Zusha for at least another week. So much to take care of.

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Oh, and tonight/tomorrow is my birthday. (Friday, 22 Elul.) I only know it because I happened to glance at the date on the bottom of my computer screen this morning. How old am I? I think I'll need to do a little subtraction to determine that. There's simply too much going on in my life for me to be expected to remember my birthday and how old I am.