The Accident

So, in the year of the supermom -  2014 -  I drove all of you and some other younger folks, to your perspective schools every morning.  It is one of the many skillz I have - driving.  I do three stops in the Lehi area and then we take McDowell through the reservation and up the hill to the schools.  

Monday morning was a great day, we were singing Madonna's Borderline as we were sitting at the stop light on Gilbert /  McDowell.  I am a pristine driver ya'all.  I have razor sharp focus and I take the lives of the children VERY SERIOUSLY.  I am like a well trained school bus driver X100.  

When Carter gets in the front seat I turn to him EVERY MORNING and say, "Now son, I love you and want you to stay smart and that involves you wearing your seat belt.  Please do so or I will do it for you."  This is done in a sugary sweet Texas accent.  He always complies and I always think - "Saving lives everyday peeps."   If I see a kid even slightly raise his bum off of the seat while I am driving I use my STERN bus driver voice and say, " Sit your rear down Mister."  This is BUSINESS - Superheros sometimes have to use tough love.  

Back to the morning at hand.  Borderline, sitting at the light, waiting for the traffic heading South off of McDowell to get their red arrow.  They do and I get a green light and proceed with caution.  It helps that my Gigantic superhero van takes a bit of time to gain speed.  Tis a tank and I like it.  As we are in the middle of the intersection I have a keen eye on the road in front of me and I remember thinking,

"Is there someone out of it and starting to drive next to me?  This is a single lane that crosses.  This is weird.  Wait a car is about to hit us."

I YELL - OH GEEZ

(on a side note: I yelled Oh Geez.  How cool is that?  I thought that in a moment of drama/trauma I would have yelled something horrible.  I kind of want to train my brain to yell "LADY FINGERS" or "DIRTY CUPCAKES." Oh geez is good, but something for all of you to remember for the ages would have been better.  Oh wait, I did say something after the accident right?  Something that you will never forget? Wait for it.............................................................................................

The dumbass who ran the red light hit Carters door first and then his truck slide into the side of our van and slid us across the intersection into another car.  HERE IS THE SUPERHERO PART.  I totally grabbed that steering wheel and turned toward the direction we were flying and focused on NOT braking.  I did not wish to flip our van little ones.  I know SUPERHERO.  I remember flying and thinking 

"Please let everyone in this intersection stop and not keep driving."

Guess what - they did.  Round of applause for everyone around us.  Kristen Long was right by us and saw it all happen.  She was the first one to the van.  I was in shock for one second and then I turn around in my seat and say.

"I TOTALLY JUST SAVED YOUR LIVES." and I fist pump the air.

Yep, I was a wee bit proud at that moment.  I called 911 and Carter, you called your father and Sue. 

I get off of the phone with 911 and I'm asked by several of the boys in the van if they will be late to school.  Everyone in the van was rad.  Seriously, they hurt their heads, knees, shoulders, fingers, etc and were still quiet, respectful, kind - it was like a PBS special of how to act when you are 7-15 yrs old and get in a car accident with 11 children. 

There were fire fighters, police, and ambulances everywhere.  May I make a note that they were soooo good looking.  Paige, you said, "I think they have a program where they send really hot firefighters to distract you from the fact that you were just in an accident.  I think that is a thing."  There was a ginger firefighter that I took your picture with Miss. A.  

Carter, you and Sophie took the brunt of the force.  We were stuck in the van for 10-15 min, being corned in by another car.  Here is the picture of the red light runner out of your window C.

I called Dr. Hill while we were on the corner.  He was amazing enough to stay longer than normal to fit us in for x-rays and such.  Carter and Paige = concussions.  Yuck.  The rest of us are so stinking sore.  

I just got the rental van and we were all back together again this morning.  It was therapy.  The kids all talked about their injuries and why the accident keeps playing over and over and over in their heads.  They thought they were the only one this was happening to.  We are bonded forever and ever.