Learning the Hard Way

Jack is at a dangerous age, he's old enough to have control of his body most of the time, but every once in a while gravity gets the better of him and it's a WIPE OUT!

Yesterday morning while getting dressed, Jack was on the bathroom counter we use as his changing table.  He was standing up on the counter and protesting loudly about my having taken his shirt all the way off instead of leaving it on his head like a hat.

I was right next to him and he is usually very stable, but just as I turned my head he pitched over backward, smashed his face on the edge of the toilet, and fell to the floor between the toilet and the cabinet.

There was that .000006 second of silence when your heart stops beating and you can't make your body move fast enough to scoop up, and check and comfort. Then the frightened, angry wail cuts loose and relief makes your knees week.  After that you check for blood, make sure all the moving parts still work, stick some ice on ... whatever you can reach and then watch for signs of concussion.

And just like that: instant, violent understanding of cause and effect. Flailing around on a ledge equals risk of injury.

He's fine.  I think I was shaken up more than he was.  After the first 10 minutes he hasn't really mentioned it, except to show off his black eye proudly to whoever will listen to him.

"I fah on TOI-YET!!"