the sun was calling

I've been somewhat under the weather for the past week or so. It's the first time I've been (physically) sick in quite some time. By yesterday evening, I was pretty well shut of it. I slept a truly ridiculous amount of hours. I really needed the sleep and I rarely allow myself even just enough sleep.

Today, after I came to pick up Cardo and Pic, we stopped for lunch and then went for a walk. Well, Cardo and I walked as Pic practiced her bike riding skills. She showed us how she can ride with no hands, which made her Papi nervous. She showed us that she could ride while basically standing. She rode for a good long while, with a stop to play at the park halfway through.

All was going very well until we were nearing our return to the car. There was an unusual amount of school kids out on the street. We encountered a group of boys running down the sidewalk toward us. (Pic is doing really well, but she's still in the learning phase, so we allow her to ride on the sidewalk.) Cardo, Pic and I realized there was going to be a collision and Cardo and I yelled out, but one of the kids ran head-on into Pic. She fell off her bike, which has training wheels so it isn't that unstable, but I managed to make sure she wasn't trampled. Cardo, Pic and I were all started and Pic's lip has a small split in it. She was crying, mainly because she'd just had the crap scared out of her, I think. Cardo yelled out at the kid who, with the rest of the group, continued to run off. He didn't even stop. I know Cardo wanted to grab him and, at the very least, shake some sense into him. He didn't. He did yell again once more, though, which didn't have any effect. We calmed Pic down and walked the last couple of house-length's back to our car.

It turns out that there was a fight at the park. Just after Pic was knocked off her bike, a couple of police cars drove over to the park and the officers got out and started checking for the aftermath. We heard one other passing kid state, "She really f*d her up." What gets me is how bored she sounded. No, that and the fact that she was walking away. I wonder what she meant by that? Was there another kid laying on the ground behind the park bathrooms, bloodied and sobbing?

We're sending Pic off to kindergarten in just over six months and things like this make me nervous. Well, things like everything make me nervous. I worry. I always have and I always will, and I accept that about myself. I don't want Pic to be beaten up. I don't want her to instigate fights and beat anyone else up. I don't want her to revel in someone else being punched and kicked. I know I can't put her in a bubble, but, really, sometimes it sounds almost appealing.

Anyhow, I didn't mean to dwell so long on the negative here. Sorry. I'm really, giddily glad that we got outside today. It doesn't feel at all winterish today and I'm sure that at some point we'll be blanketed with snow again, so I relish getting out in just a light jacket and soaking up the sunshine when we can.


"Sunshine Day" [It was stuck in my head. Sorry.]