Monday, January 19, 2009

Some kick

Around Christmas, I was enjoying a glass of eggnog (non-alcoholic) and Tennyson kept tugging my arm and asking for some, so I let him take a swig. Mid-swallow, he looked up at me with a look of shear terror. He's not accustomed to flavor in his drinks--Suzanne's the gatekeeper of all things that go in his mouth, and she doesn't approve of sugar, spice, or anything nice. Not wanting my son to hate me, I used my best child psychology to divert his shock: I smiled real big and said in my happiest voice, "That's got some kick!" It worked. He decided to go in for another try. This time he took a big gulp, smiled, and said, "Some kick!"

In the end, Tennyson won the psychological battle: I loved hearing him say that so much that throughout the holidays, every time I had a soda or eggnog or juice I would slip him some while Suzy wasn't looking, just to hear that sweet little exclamation, "Some kick!"

Well, about a week and a half ago, Suzanne took Tennyson up to Enterprise, UT (about 45 minute from St. George), to visit her grandparents. Within five minutes of arriving, Tennyson had broken into grandpa Terry's medications and chewed up an Alzheimer's pill. Suzy called poison control, and they told her to watch for a list of signs that something might be wrong. Five minutes later, poison control called back and had changed their collective mind: it was time for a quick ride to the ER. So, Suzanne jumped in the car and sped Tennyson to the St. George emergency room. He vomited for the first time while in triage. They strapped him to a gurney and started pumping black, sludge-like activated charcoal down his gullet. At first he took it like a man, but then it was just too much and he started screaming. When they finally stopped pumping, he coughed and spat to clear his mouth. With black, sticky goo running down his face, he looked up at Suzanne and said, "That's got some kick!"

That's my boy.

3 comments:

Holly said...

It sounds like we both had poison control phone calls this week. Yours experience was much more traumatic though. Only you could make that story into a funny one. I hope he's feeling OK.

Michelle said...

Sounds like a rough time for little Tenny! I'm sure he would love never having that "kick" ever again! We've had a few calls to poison control also--scary when little toddlers want to eat EVERYTHING in sight.
Glad you got to go take in the crowds. I thought about it, but a bike ride down is much more simple than a metro ride down with a stroller in the cold! I enjoyed from my heated living room with the other few that weren't out there on the mall with you!

Brian, Emily, Charlie, and Lucy said...

Stop it. Atw you serious that he said that?!!! I LOVE it! (Of course, we're happiest that Tennyson's okay, but what a great story)