What do you do when you have a small emergency and you don’t own a car?
We tested our Emergency Response System last month when Henry face planted onto the floor (and possibly a toy) and got a bloody nose. I’m still in new mom mode so it freaked me out to see him screaming with blood running out of both nostrils. He was pretty shocked too.
Once he calmed down I saw that he wasn’t bleeding profusely. And he seemed okay. I called the nurses hotline and, because it was considered a blow to the head, they recommended I take him to the hospital to be checked out. We could have walked to St. Paul’s, the downtown hospital, but parent friends have recommended going to Children’s Hospital – they are great with kids and it’s a friendlier environment.
As Aunty Katy was wracked with guilt because he fell on her watch, she quickly booked a ZipCar and insisted on paying for it. By the time we arrived at Children’s ER the bleeding had stopped and Henry was in a pretty good mood. It was a 30 minute wait to see the doc, he checked him over and pronounced fine but if there were any concussion symptons like vomiting of excessive sleep we should come back stat. He’s been fine since and his button nose is still buttony.
We took Skytrain home (I’d sent Katy back because there was no need for both of us to wait around). ZipCar was $25 but Katy insisted on paying for it.
So, we faced a minor emergency this month and from our spreadsheet, we’re up $287.50.
I’ve had some great comments and emails from other families living car-free. If you’d like to share your car-free with kids story please email me (rachel jonat at gmail dot com).
links I liked this week
Hobo Mama gets her start! So excited to read that Lauren of Hobo Mama is getting into minimalist mode before the arrival of her second child. If you’re stumped on how to begin your journey check out this post. Excellent run down of donating, selling and recycling options.
What to do with kid art: fun story from the NYT on how parents deal with the overwhelming amount of art children produce. Yep, I’m going to be one of those recyclers they talk about.
150 Friends and Possessions?: Meg from Minimalist Woman has a great post up right now on Dunbar’s Number: 150 is supposedly the maximum number of meaningful relationships we can have (I guess I was close to this on Facebook but they were definetly not all meaningful). Meg asks the question: does this number also apply to possessions? Interesting look at our relationship with stuff.
Ultrasimple Life: sweet story from USA Today on Tammy Strobel of RowdyKittens and her ultra simple life. Most North Americans think you need a lot more than $20,000 a year to live the good life. Tammy is proving them wrong.
Me on TV!: many thanks to Amber from Crafting my Life for hooking me up with a copy of my news appearance. Crafting my Life is an e-course on finding your passion and creating a plan for it. It’s specifically geared towards moms on the go that need flexibility. The Monday discussion on here about working vs. staying at home was heavy but very enlightening for me. I really enjoyed reading stories from women farther ahead of me with kids and a career. If any of you are in limbo – like me! – and looking for some next steps, check out Amber’s course.
And here I am…. on the news… yes, I should have worn some colour to show that us minimal-istas are not so somber in dress. Please be kind – I’m not media trained so this was a big scary deal for me.
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I’m glad Henry was OK.
And thanks so much for the shout out! I’m feeling the love. 🙂
Thanks, Amber. Following your Crafting Your Life updates – sounds like it’s going very well!
Well done Rachel, that was a long interview and you did fantastic. Well done!
ps – my car went kaput on Friday so I am enforced car-less. I am actually pleased…I have got to try it out now for a few days!
Just checked out the bus timetables to get Daughter to swimming tomorrow night – it’s going to be tight!
Good luck!! I’m bad with buses myself. They are a bit more work if you are taking a stroller.
Let me know how it goes. Just read about bus for swimming. Do you have something like Zipcar or car share where you are?
Unfortunately not – no idea what ZipCar is! The UK are pretty behind in most things like this (public transport – car share etc…)… There’s a train but times aren’t good. A Mom at the school has offered to help out tonight. Luckily after Easter I am planning on moving swim to the village where I live as I simplify further…
Fabulous Rachel!! You look amazing!
Thanks, Shelly!! That was Shell-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
It happens, it happened, it will happen again.
I’m glad that David is your brother. 🙂 “Six and a half or seven” is pretty stingy…
You were very composed, and I think you did a great job representing minimalism! Thanks for sharing the video–
Thank you. He’s my older brother so… you know how they love to give advice =)
Glad to hear that Henry is no worse for the wear!
My husband and I (still car owners) have had this discussion. We cannot give up the car yet because of where we live but we are moving. I would like to give up the car when we do so, he is worried about an emergency. I came down on the side that if we needed to get the hospital or urgent care, a rare taxi is still going to cost less than year-round car ownership and if it is such an emergency that we can’t wait for the taxi, that is what ambulances are for.
We had our own medical event this weekend that almost put this to the test. My husband had his first seizure since we’ve been married late at night in my children’s room after taking my son to the bathroom. While I ultimately decided not to take him to the hospital (past experience has taught us that it is just a lot of waiting around for nothing as long as he doesn’t have an injury as a result of the fall) — but while I was making that decision, I was trying to figure out how to manage it with my 2 scared and disoriented children and very disoriented and agitated husband who was not comprehending anything I said to him. I would have happily been relieved of the job of driving if we’d had to go to get stitches or something even if I had ended up waking up the neighbors to keep the kids.
Glad everything is okay with you and yours. Sounds scary!
People ask a lot of what-ifs about not owning a car. For us it is a lot cheaper to get a taxi or ZipCar if we are in a crunch than to own.
Thanks, Rayna! And more thanks for the 10 Benefits to Minimalism post.
You did great! Way to get the word out there for minimalist moms everywhere!
Thank you. Hopefully some locals saw it and it piqued their interest or inspired them.
I thought you seemed very natural. There was definitely some nervousness but your message was clear. Too bad they messed up your url. I’d give it a 6 and a half or 7 out of ten. Well done.
Thanks, bro.
What? Were we watching the same thing? The one with the beautiful blonde woman sharing an important message with eloquence and poise?
7 out of 10? Give your head a shake, caller 😉
Agree about url, surely they check these things?
You would think, right? Oh well.
That is so neat, Rachel! I’m so proud of you too! That would be a huge scary deal but you did great.
Much preferred the radio interviews – no one could see my nervous red face! They were also longer interviews so it was easier to get more of the why and what details in.
Thanks, Faith!
My son (almost 2) comes home from daycare every day with a report sheet and often at least 1 item of “art”. Lucky me, I have put my large recycle bin just inside the garage where I park the car. Most days the sheet and the art never see the inside of my house. But some of them are too cute to pass up. So I bought one of those cheap plastic poster holders and made a collage of my favorite ones. My company is moving to a new office and I am taking this with me to be my wall art. Not only is it colorful –which is very helpful on dreary days –it makes me happy to look at. I can look at my son in my house and be happy, but he can’t be with me at my work and this is my way of keeping him close by.
Thanks sounds like a great way to preserve and enjoy kid art.
We already received Henry’s first piece of “art” over Christmas from daycare. It was an ornament made out of popsicle sticks with a picture of him in the middle of it. I have a feeling he got a lot of help on it from the daycare workers.
I have serious Mommy guilt when it comes to tossing kid art work. I have been better lately but a solution I found was after I pick my favortite pieces to display * I put ones I like and can’t quite get rid of in a magazine holder (on the corner of my desk) Then when ever Alice sends a thank you, a Hello or a birthday card we go to that stock of custom stationary. We write a appropriate note on the back and pop it into a regular envelope! That way I can get rid of the extra art work and I don’t have mommy guilt because we are recycling and sharing her art with friends and family. I am plesently surprised at how many of our family and friends have an Alice original hanging on the fridge or in their office. They even call and thank us for sharing her art work!