Friday, February 27, 2009

Heart Stopping

This morning as I dropped Big Kid off at school, I noticed the safety patrol girls were grouped up and talking instead of helping the kids out of their cars. This is no big deal but Big Kid can never close my door hard enough, so I was hoping they'd turn around and get with the program before he exited the vehicle. I realized they weren't going to, so I reminded him to shut the door hard as he got out.

As I began to pull away, I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that instead of walking into school, Big Kid had hopped off of the curb to get a piece of paper in the road. He was crouched down and a van was pulling forward and I could tell the mom driving couldn't see him and Big Kid didn't see her coming.

My heart seriously stopped. I truly believed I was about to watch my kid get crushed under the wheels of a van.

I slammed on the brakes and covered my mouth as I cried out and luckily the Vice Principal immediately noticed something was up and quickly realized what was happening. He yelled out and threw both hands up at the van to stop, while one of the safety patrol girls pulled Big Kid back up onto the sidewalk.

My heart is still pounding. I wanted to jump out and hug and yell at Big Kid and hug and yell the safety patrol girls and just plain hug the vice principal, but in the interest of keeping traffic moving I drove on.

I will hug and yell at Big Kid when I pick him up though.

26 comments:

Melissa said...

Thank goodness he's OK! Those girls need to do their job! I hope the VIce Principal yelled at them!

Beth said...

OhmyGod! I don't even know how you could drive! Thank God the VP was paying attention!

Piece o' Coconut Cake said...

God, Ashley, how terrifying.

Jen said...

I'd hug the Vice Principal, and then give him an earful to make his safety patrol people to BUCK UP and do their job. Be alert and stop gossiping. All it takes is one SECOND for something to go deadly wrong - and they need to take their job seriously. Ugh - hate to hear this for you.

Jill Ann said...

You need to complain about the safety patrol girls. People do not pay attention in school zones- drivers and helpers. We had a safety patrol lady killed last year. So you think people would pay attention. I called last week b/c a teacher on duty was yapping on her cell and not watching the kids cross.

Give big kid the hugest hug. He is a sweetie!

Shannon said...

How terrifying. I got chills reading that.

Carrin said...

That is terrifying!
I think I would be frozen in the moment.

A. said...

I think my heart stopped just reading your post. I'm soooo glad it turned out ok. Those potential "in a flash" accidents really frighten me.

Susan said...

Thank God he's ok!!

Sassy Cass said...

Thats one of those moments that takes years off your life. I hate the helpless feeling of not being able to get to them. Hugs to you!

Anonymous said...

Oh my god! How horrible! Those safety patrol girls need a kick in the ass! That is such BS, they are there for a reason, not to chat.

Maggie said...

How terrifying! You need to rip some Saftey Girls ass.

I'm glad he is OK.

Jennifer said...

I'm pretty sure I would have just sat there crying until someone made me move.

compulsively yours...for now said...

My heart stopped for a min. I would have gotten out and yelled at them, but you are obviously more in control of your emotions than me.

Desiree said...

Wow, scary. So glad that tragedy was (narrowly) averted. I wouldn't have been so calm afterwards, I don't think. The VP would have been prying my hands off the traffic girls' necks.

Maddness of Me said...

OMG my heart was racing just reading this!

said...

I'm glad that BK is ok and nothing bad happened. When I was teaching in Texas, I saw a kid on his bike get hit by a car in a crosswalk because the crossing guard was late that day. People really just don't pay attention around schools. I'd definitely say something to the VP about the safety patrol not doing their jobs.

Renee said...

That is really terrifying. I'll bet you're still replaying the scenario in your mind, aren't you? I would be too. I'm so glad he's okay.

-The Renee

KatBouska said...

I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!!

We had a similar scare when Laina was almost two and nearly ran into a VERY busy street.

Where was her mother??

Oh, but the picture you just painted is heart stopping in itself!

Anonymous said...

"In the interest of keeping traffic moving"? Seriously?

I know people here love you, and I know there your kids and one shouldn't judge another's parenting skills, etc. etc., I do have to say I'm appalled that you were concerned with traffic's fluidity more than giving the patrol girls a piece of your mind or hugging your son.

Jesus

Unknown said...

Well Anonymous, Big Kid skipped away happily, oblivious of danger and the VP was heading over to the clearly horrified traffic girls right then and there. I didn't see the need to make the 20 stopped cars behind me late to work, and besides, I clearly don't love my kids as much as you do.

Also, it's "they're" not "there your kids". So feel free to judge my parenting while I judge your grammar, genius.

jennyandcompany said...

wow, Jesus commented on your blog! You've made it Ashley!

Anonymous said...

lmfao!!!!! love it :)

Anonymous said...

I would have gone back gave those girls a longggg lecture.

I'm glad Big Kid is safe!

teachergirl said...

I'm thinking that people who comment anonymously and then sign it as Jesus do so at their own peril. Just saying...

Melodie said...

Oh, Ashley, I know how scary that was for you! Hopefully, you won't have nightmares about it like I had with my similar situation. When Emily was in kindergarten, I used to park in the parking lot and walk up to the school to get her after school. One afternoon, this old guy lost his mind and decided to crash his car into another mom's minivan that he was pissed at. This happened at the exact same moment that my friend and I were about to step off the sidewalk to cross the parking lot to our cars. Luckily, we heard his tires squeal, and we instinctively pulled our daughters back as we watched this guy speed through the school parking lot and slam into the other lady's minivan. He hit her so hard that her minivan crashed into my friend's Durango, and the Durango hit into my car door.
For weeks, all of the "what ifs" kept me from getting a decent night's sleep. I couldn't stop crying over the whole thing, either. We had been running late that afternoon because our daughters' class was late getting their stuff together for dismissal. If we'd been already off the sidewalk, the old man could have run us over. If we'd been putting our daughters into our vehicles like we would have been if we weren't late, we would all have been crushed between them when they slammed together. And the dent in my car door was at the exact height and size of Emily's entire torso. The first time I saw her standing next to the dent, I completely lost it.