One of my favorite topics to scrapbook are the everyday moments that make up my life. Yes, holidays, vacations, and birthdays get lots of time and attention and "real estate" in my albums, but the layouts that I go back to the most are those memories that tell the complete story of my family's life. This layout is one of those memories. . .
Zach struggles so much after his daddy died. He was diagnosed with PTSD and given his developmental delays, he had so much trouble processing what was happening. One change in his personality that was almost immediate is that he developed a real and terrifying fear of doctors and hospitals. In his little mind, all he knew is that Daddy was hurt, went to the hospital and never came home. He's doing much better now . . . especially as he has seen Caleb as a patient and come home from the hospital, but every now and then the PTSD rears its ugly head, and you never know exactly when that might be.
These pictures were taken when Zach was in third grade. It had been a normal day. Zach had gone to school, come home. He did his homework, ate dinner, and played video games. In hindsight, he was probably quieter than usual, but I did not think much of it until bedtime.
As Zach got into his pajamas and was literally "crawling" up the three steps up to his loft bed, he asked me if I could call his teacher and tell her he couldn't do PE (physical education) the next day. When I asked why he said his foot hurt. I asked to see it and was upset to see a very swollen foot and ankle when I took off his socks!
I called for Jim and after taking one look he immediately agreed we needed to take him for an x-ray. His foot was so swollen we were afraid there might be a fracture. Then it "clicked" with us why Zach had been so quiet that night, and not running, jumping, or bouncing off the walls as he typically did after a day spent at school. He could not tell us what had happened or what he had done, only that he didn't want to go to the hospital. Caleb was already in bed, so Jim stayed with him as I loaded a very upset Zach into the car, along with Squiddy, his beloved stuffed octopus he slept with every night.
Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long to be seen. As I explained to the triage nurse, and everyone who came in after, that I had no idea what had happened and when they questioned Zach all they got was an, "I don't know. . . "
Then they questioned why I had waited so long to bring him in for an x-ray if it happened at school! I felt like a complete idiot of a parent when I said that Zach only told me at bedtime, and I hadn't seen any visible signs there was a problem. I had to explain that he had PTSD, was terrified of hospitals, was in a contained special education class and had developmental delays on top of a high pain tolerance, etc. . . . After my little speech, they understood I was not an abusive or neglectful mother. (This was also not the last time I would have ER visits with Zach that needed similar explanations!)
Zach calmed down when they turned on cartoons for him, and he settled right in enjoying Spongebob, so much so I took pictures and sent them to Jim. You would have never known this was the almost hysterical kid who had left the house! By 11 pm we were home with the diagnosis of sprained ankle, and doctor's note saying no PE for two weeks. We talked to Zach about the importance of telling us right away if anything ever hurt him, and not every injury would merit a trip to the ER.
At the time I felt like an incompetent mother, now I can laugh, and this memory definitely earned a place in our family history. . . . along with Zach's other ER visits. The life of a boy mommy is never dull.
Scrapbooking Tips:
This layout came together so quickly and with mostly scrap pieces! I used an Allison Davis sketch and pulled out an Echo Park boy paper collection and within minutes had the layout created. I added two lines of hand stitching, but the part of this layout I love the most (other than the pictures of Zach in his Ninja Turtle pajamas with Squiddy) are the band aid embellishments I made.
I didn't have stickers or paper that was hospital themed, but I had a Stamps of Life stamp set with bandages and I pulled them out. After playing around and stamping the image, it didn't quite work with the page, and I was disappointed. Then I created bandages using just the dies, and it worked perfectly!
I even loved the little smiley face drop in you could add to the die - it gave it a much more youthful look.
I love the final look of this layout and I'm grateful I created it, because the memory does make me smile now!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Bazzill and The Stamps of Life
Pattern Paper and stickers: Echo Park
Embroidery Thread: Hobby Lobby
Dies: The Stamps of Life
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