A E.R. Visit and a New Job

It has been a while since we posted anything of “merit” so I thought I would post what has gone on with us in the past week.

(I'll tell you the story as best I can, but I know I'll leave something out - but that's OK)

Last Tuesday Elizabeth took Caroline to the park after school. Caroline was on the slide when Elizabeth heard her start crying, Elizabeth rushes over and thinks that Caroline hit/bumped her head or something because she was leaned over. Elizabeth took Caroline back to her folks house to get Daniel and take them home. There is a first time for everything, both kids were screaming and crying all the way home (I’m sorry I had to miss that to be at work)

When Elizabeth got home she put Caroline down for a nap to see if that would help calm her down. When I got home at 6:15 Caroline was “all fired up again” so I thought that she just needed a nap. So I took her to her bedroom to lay down with her to help calm her down. 30 minutes later, she calmed down enough to go and have dinner with us. Caroline was in a much better mood then. After dinner I picked her up and went to put her on the floor when I noticed that she didn’t put any weight on her right leg. So I picked her up and moved her up a few feet to see if she would do it again, which, she did.

I asked Elizabeth if she had walked since she got home and she said, “come to think of it, no she hasn’t.” I showed Elizabeth what Caroline was doing and we decided to see if she was still doing it after our trip to Hobby Lobby.

When we got to Hobby Lobby we got the kids into the double stroller and took off. We got to the back of the store and I got Caroline out, only for her not to put weight on her right leg and she sat down on the floor. We called the “doctors” (Mimi and Aunt Lolly) both told us to go to the ER. So, we called the “REAL Doctor” thanks Jason. When we got home we called the medical exchange and they suggested that we go to the after hour pediatric clinic…which we were going to do anyways.

We get to the after hour clinic at 8:30 – well, after three hours and two sets of x-rays, there was nothing wrong with Caroline. About 10:45 after the second round of x-rays Caroline fell asleep on my chest…that girl can put off some heat. So the doctor told us to schedule an appointment with our doctor on Thursday to see what they want to do.

Well we got home and got the kids to bed and we slid into bed about midnight. And the next day Caroline didn’t do much walking but as the day went on, she would walk some. Over the next few days she started walking, with a limp on the right side. We are going to take Daniel in today for his one month check-up and we are going to have our doctor check Caroline out. Dr. Jason told us Sunday that there is nothing wrong with Caroline and there shouldn’t be any “long term damage” and that she should be back to normal soon.

Flash back to last week also. Last Wednesday I (Patrick) got a phone call at work and was offered a job. I told Jimmy that I had always told Elizabeth that I would discuss a “job change” with her before I accepted anything. Jimmy understood, but I told him that he “knows” what my answer will be and that I would call him back after lunch.

I went home for lunch on Wednesday to check on Caroline, Daniel and Elizabeth. When I got home Caroline was getting up from a nap and Daniel was eating. So I picked Caroline up and told her that I was glad she was up and that we needed to have a “Family Meeting.” At this time Elizabeth gives me a look of “what’s up????” I then made the announcement that I was offered a job with the Department of Human Services.

Elizabeth looked at me and said, “Well?” I told her that I had told Jimmy that I wanted to talk with you first and let him know this afternoon. It wasn’t a hard decision and it didn’t take us long to agree on it. I called Jimmy and told him that I was going to accept the position and then I went and filled out the paperwork.

My “Official Title” is Program Manager (or something like that). I will be responsible for all of the investigators in the Food Stamps department statewide. What I will be doing is making sure that the people that are receiving food stamps are complying with what the policy is. I will have 20 people under my supervision, 18 investigators and 2 secretaries. I’m going from being “Second Man” to being “The Man”. My first day will be on Monday May 19th. It will be hard for me to give up my Friday’s off, but I think I will enjoy working Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30. So on Thursday I submitted my letter of resignation to my supervisor and then I informed my staff of the decision and that my last day would be on the 15th. Two of my staff are still on “suicide watch” but they are starting to come around to the fact that I’m not going to be here anymore and that I won’t be “obsessing and compulsive” over most of their work.


Patrick's Public Service Announcement: For those who are new parents who need some help with the dos and don’ts of newborn babies