the trouble with boys

school started this week, big move into juniors for S and O starts reception class - all very grown up. today after school we took Basti and Elliot to the playground and they were climbing the spider web, playing on the swings and whistfully watching the icecream van. Its a sunny, blue sky afternoon warm and delicious. I was training our mad dog and looked over to see Elliot screaming and running to the bench where I had been sitting. I ran over and tried to calm him - something that I am becoming accustomed to with this boy.
Incident 1: the first time he came camping with us we went riding in the forest (Unbekownst to me had just learnt to ride his bike), he came off his bike hitting the gravel hard as his bike death wobbled down the hill. Hours of screaming I wondered if he'd broken his arm, turned out he was petrified of grazes - we took him home that afternoon - age 5.
Incident 2: he was over at our house and he was running onto the deck, his foot slipped off the edge and he slammed his head into a metal chair, splitting open his eyebrown. Blood spurting everywhere, with 4 other horrified children I had to make another dreaded call to his mother and a trip to the hospital - age 6.
Incident 3: Today, age 7, Elliot was playing with the boys, he was provoked, he responded with force and then trying to escape the inevitable he was pushed while climbing over the railing. He landed flat on his face and broke both his arms!!!!!! Arrrgh - he lay on the bench bawling and wailing for his mummy. She came and we both thought it was just grazing on his face and arm(which he really doesn't like), his Mum took him to the Dr and then to 2 hospitals. Poor little Elliot, his 2nd day of school - he can't write, he can't eat, he can't go to the loo....oh I feel so so so badly for him. AND, I feel like I am jinxed looking after him, he has had too many accidents while in my care - In future I promise to be very careful and watchful and closely supervise Elliot.

I wanted this Blog to be funny renditions involving the children - there is just nothing funny about this incident. Boys play full on and as the mothers of the two boys involved said: boys will be boys, but why, oh why, do they get hurt in the process?