Neon Necklaces and Rubber Bullets

We've been to casualty with all three of our kids, actually more than once and mostly it's a scary experience. With Nathaniel, who's a spirited kid to say the least, both times have been most amusing!

The first one, nearly two years ago was when we'd gone to see an England match at Old Trafford and the kids had all been given those neon necklaces that you snap to make glow. I was reading a magazine in the car on the way home, as my husband drove, and feeling pretty relaxed (as much as you can with three kids in the back of the car, but they were watching a dvd!).
Suddenly Nat started screaming, ear piercing screams that send shock waves through your whole body. I turned round and will never forget the sight I was greeted with.

He was glowing. A lovely yellowy green colour from his hair down to his fingers! He'd only gone and bitten into the neon necklace, punctured it and the slimy liquid had splattered all over him. My concern was his eyes, they were a yellowy green colour too!

I shouted at my husband that we needed a hospital, and luckily we were close to St James's. I carried him in, by which time he'd stopped crying but he still resembled a miniature Incredible Hulk. They took us straight in to a booth and a nurse took details. We had the packaging from the necklace and it was checked and all ingredients non toxic, thank goodness. They cleaned him up and we went on our way. Panic over!

A few weeks ago, we had to go again. All three children were at Grans for the day; they love it with my mum, it's like their second home. I got a call, and could here the screaming in the background before my mum spoke. Nat had pushed a rubber bullet up his nose and wouldn't let her get it out!

I dashed round, we pinned him down to have a look and sure enough we could see the bullet lodged up high in one of his nostrils. He wasn't in pain but was screaming because he didn't want to go to hospital.

We went non the less, and had to wait over two hours as it was, quite rightly, deemed to be a non emergency. In this time Nat had the time of his life playing with a little boy with a giant egg like lump on his forehead, and forgot all about the bullet.

A nurse eventually called us into a booth and typed his details into the computer - alarm bells must have rung somewhere as he turned to me and asked " do you have a social worker Mrs Goodwin". My mum wanted to punch him; I just laughed politely and prayed Nat doesn't have any more 'accidents' in the near future, otherwise we probably will get a social worker.

Another nurse got a pair of tweezers and Nat sat calmly as the offending article was removed, swiftly and with no pain. When she asked him never to do that again, he just grinned from ear to ear.................yikes!