Something humbling and lovely

Yesterday, someone Google searched the phrase

do helmet laws infringe on personal freedom of choice

and found 74,800 responses.

My post was number one on the list.

I took a deep breath in and felt grateful to see that. In other combinations of terms, my post is further down list. I am good with that and mostly pleased to see the pool of responses widening out beyond the conservative publications and big newspapers. Whoever searched this term was asking an important question and honestly, in a wave-my-hand-at-the-person-with-the-microphone-way, it feels gratifying to be one of the respondents.

When I chose to write about my brother's motorcycle accident and then was asked to cross-post it on another site, it was one part cathartic and one part goodwill. I talked to my brother about it and we decided it was important to put the story out there for many reasons, one of them to connect to kids writing paper, parents grieving, people on all sides of the controversy. Every single day, someone finds Sassafrass and that story from a search like this, and that tells me we were right to put my words on the screen.

There's a lot more to be written. If you or a loved one has experienced a brain injury, I hope you will leave a comment or share whatever you are comfortable sharing. If you found us from one of these searches, please feel free to speak up too.

Of course, one of the beauties of blogs is the ability to lurk quietly from behind your own computer. But know that the welcome mat is out to all of you wanting to read more about motorcyle helmet lobbying, traumatic brain injuries, the life that can follow or even just one family's trip from roadside through rehabilitation and beyond.

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Scratch that...You can call him Lil P now

Ever since Lil E has leaped into potty-pendence, he's carried himself, at least in the path toward the powder room, with a confidence and pride and excitement that I find delightful and amusing. Is it wrong to be so gooby about your boy going Number One upright?

OK, maybe. Is this, as my mom would say with her talk-to-the-hand up, "T.M.I!"? Sure. But I think we can all agree that it is entertaining. So I will just keep going until, one day when he Googles himself as a break from writing out (hahahaha, writing out...who knew I was so old school already?) college apps, the first thousand hits on his nickname will be categorized under the urinary tract.  Not to worry, I already have a therapy trust earning a hefty interest rate as I type. Back to the bathroom...

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The boy's taking a stance

There has been a surge of independence in the household, especially for the boy. Especially for the boy in the bathroom.

In the flick of a flusher, he can -- and more importantly for a preschooler with big opinions, he will -- GO POTTY, MOMMY, ALL BY MYSELF AND YOU STAY IN THE ODDER ROOM BECAUSE I CAN DO IT ALL BY MYSELF COMPLETELY!!! And let me tell you, mamas, there is nothing that can highlight the discomfort of perching on the side of the bathtub for long periods like not having to perch on the side of the bathtub for long periods of waiting to wipe. All the steps, from pants and Elmo undies removal to hands washing, are covered. Life is good.

For Lil E, a little potty-pendence also means standing to pee. Ohhhhh, ladies, I hear you sighing along with me. Of course, I think all boys should stand tall when they let it flow. Of course. I was just really hoping my dad would be back from vacation to help the boy finesse his technique before we entered the splash zone.

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