Our first playground accident

Yep--it happened! I know there will be many more to come so I just need to chalk this up as a learning experience--but I am hoping with the rest of them I am not stuck watching it in slow motion and then having it replay in my head over and over again!
I have been watching Austin and Caleb a few days a week for the past few weeks and for the next two weeks, so its been all about trying to find something to entertain BOTH boys at the same time. A favorite of ours is going to the park for a walk and some times playing on the playground.
Well Thursday when I took the boys it ended up being windier than I had thought--so I decided to cut our 3 mile walk short and play at a playground--not one that we usually play at...that was my first mistake.


One thing with the boys is that they rarely want to do the same thing at the same time--so basically you have to determine which child could be in the most immediate danger and stay closer to that one---although there is always that feeling that you feel extra responsible for the child that's not yours, so I tend to stay closer to Caleb. ( also because I can predict what Austin will do usually and am not so sure about Caleb since he is not mine!)


Ok--so this playground is really cool--lots of fun slides, lots of climbing walls, a fun "sway seat" thing that rocks, etc... Well Caleb loves to just walk around and has a homing device for the sidewalk and eventually the street. Austin is the opposite--he likes to climb to the tallest parts of the playground and either slide down or climb back down. So Austin is heading up the equipment and Caleb is heading towards the sidewalk. At that moment I look at the side of the playground equipment and read that this equipment is recommended for children ages 5 and up....hmmm, I think...most of the others that we play at say younger ages. This little voice sounds off in my head....

At that moment--I turn to see Austin is up on the tallest part of the playground-- I yell to him to stay there, that mommy will come up. I turn to check on Caleb and see he is indeed heading for the sidewalk which leads to the street--in my head I think "Ok....Austin always climbs up on high things and is really good about getting down, BUT he is up way higher than he has ever been without me--I need to get him. BUT--Caleb is in my care and although he probably wont make it to the street before I get him--I am not willing to risk it."

I begin to head towards Caleb and do one more glance at Austin--and my heart drops as I see he is coming back down the platform "stairs" but that these DONT have a vertical rail to keep him "in" and he is on the edge of one with one foot hanging off and about to place his other down too, thinking that there is a another stair there.

Seriously--I think in that split second I thought millions of thoughts and also felt like I was going to vomit. I yell to Austin--"Austin NO--wait"--just as he swings his foot over--I see his head kind of bobble as he realizes he has lost his balance and down he goes, with me yelling " oh my gosh, NO!". I dont remember how I got to him, dont remember what he was doing once I got to him--all I knew was my baby was flat on the ground, silent and looking VERY scared. I picked him up, put his head on my chest and sat down--and then he began crying. Then he just started whimpering --and in my mind I am thinking--broken arm, broken leg, what?? I checked all his parts, talked to him and within about 3 minutes he climbed down out of my lap, went over to the stairs again and started back up again!! I am crying, trying to keep Caleb from going up( which in the craziness of the moment I am not even sure how I got him to me, except that I know while I was holding Austin I was corralling Caleb close to us.) and thinking in my head--no more kids at the playground EVER again!!! =)

Alright so a few minutes later I had calmed down, took the boys to the "sway" seat and we did stay and play for about 15 more minutes.

And then yesterday Jessica and I walked the path and took the boys to ANOTHER playground that I am much more familiar with. I did realize that this playground we usually go to also has really high places BUT it has vertical rails on the stair platforms ---big difference since kids cant fall off or through the sides.

****Note to self--make sure that the playgrounds we go to, especially with the two boys, has proper railing!! Austin is really quite fearless ( hmm... wonder where he get that?? From his motocross jumping daddy I am pretty sure!) and he will climb up anything.


The Playground--Austin was on the far left part near the slides.
He fell off right where the stairs turn.




This is what he fell off of. I measured it and it hit at head height for me--so it was over 5 ft up. See how there is normal horizontal stair rails but none vertical?? Yes--the other playgrounds have rails going vertical to keep kids from sliding through the rails!



This is After the fall, on our way back to the car...they both look content because now they have snacks!