Who's the patient here?

We knew that April was going to test the mettle of our little family but we thought that we were out of the woods. Just like the Minnesota winter, April was not quite done with us. It was a week worthy of a blog post.

Our guests were scheduled to leave San Jose on Tuesday after their ten-day vacation around Costa Rica. So on Monday afternoon I loaded Grandma's suitcase in the rental car to drive her to San Jose. Little did I know that the car had other ideas. We have all heard the familiar sound of a car engine cranking slower and slower and slower as the battery gives its last few electrons up in a valiant effort to start the engine. I guess this is why we gave ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport but c'mon! The rental car place was very professional, they sent a mechanic with a new battery and we were on our way better late than never. But this meant I had to spend the night in San Jose and return via bus the next day. No worries, it all worked out just fine in the end.

We mostly got back on track at school and work but we were all a little tired. Emotions ran high as we transitioned back into our life here. So on Saturday morning we decided as a family to conduct our weekly marketing excursion. We loaded onto the bus at about 8:30, ran to the school supply shop then to the grocery, bank and fresh produce stands to load up on mangoes and tomatoes. It was busy and hot, the packages got heavy and we were all a little weary when we climbed back on the bus. Hot, did I mention hot? It is like hot and dry August here. So when we got off the bus and prepared for the mile walk back to the house we knew we had our work cut out for us. We were doing fine until thirst set in. We needed water. Luckily the school was at the halfway point and they have these beautiful, heavy, outdoor, tiled sinks that would serve as a wonderful oasis for all of us. You know how real life scenes sometimes play out in slow motion? As I arrived at the sink I turned to see Mags running eagerly towards the me, trip, fly through the air and bash face-first into the ceramic corner of the sink. As I scooped up my screaming kid, I knew this was not good. Fortunately, she was screaming (not unconscious) and fortunately I could see cars in the parking lot and a door open where people were milling around. Help was nearby! Janet ran ahead and I held Mags close. Within minutes Janet and Mags were safely in the back of Don Alfredo's car (he is the school principal) and off to the hospital.

My goal all along has been to experience as many aspects of the culture here as possible but I was not hoping that the emergency room would be one of them. The Turrialba hospital is old but staffed with caring professionals who have good equipment to work with. Fortunately the wait was short and Maggie was in the care of a doctor in no time. They irrigated, cleaned and put three stitches near her right eyebrow. As the doctor announced that they where just about finished, Janet let out a sigh of relief and passed out. No really. Hit the floor. Keeled over and everything. Again, fortunately for us help was nearby and she was well cared for. Even if it did mean the doctor had to joke with Maggie about who the real patient was.

We are all back home this afternoon. Mags seems fine, Janet has napped and we are all wondering what surprises are in store for us in the month of May. Stay tuned.