Joseph Kip (Part 2)

Oh tis a sad day at the Delaney household. The mighty USC Trojans went down to defeat and were beaten by one man only. I had to borrow a crying towel from a Texan to dry my tears.

Joseph Kip is a loving person in spite of all his problems. When his little brother Pat was alive they played together constantly and it really had an effect on Kip when Pat died. I found out then that it is hard for a parent to explain to a 5 year old just what had happened. Thank goodness for the innocence of children and how they readily accept what we adults teach them.

I made a mistake on yesterday's blog. I was going to tell about the tree falling on him but Cheryl said my time line was not correct.

We moved to Ohio in the second year of our marriage, why I don't know, grass was greener I guess as well as my wander lust kicking in. We had some friends that liked to water ski and asked us to join them one day on Lake Erie for some water skiing fun. We were having a blast. The kids were all playing on the beach with one another and so we had a tendency to not pay as close attention as we should be. After a while I noticed Kip by himself playing with something and then he would put it in his mouth and chew on it. Curious I approached him and found he was chewing on a dead fish that had been lying there. All thoughts of food poisoning and other bad diseases popped into my mind. I yelled at Cheryl and we rushed off to the house to call the doctor.

The doctor instructed us to just put our finger down his mouth and make him regurgitate then watch him for a few hours but all should be well. Well, when we stuck our finger down his throat he bit it like he was having a steak banquet. The yelling started, the blood started and the frustration mounted; he did not throw up! Another call to the doctor. This time he said have him drink some milk. Got the milk and do you think that kid would drink it? No sir! That character usually liked milk but not this time, oh no.

Another call to the doctor. Have him swallow a raw egg. Okay, we can do that. Went and got the eggs and popped his mouth open; oh he swallowed it all right, he swallowed one and wanted another. He must of thought it was a real treat. By this time the yelling had subsided, the blood had stopped flowing but the frustration was still mounting. Called the doctor again and told him about the raw egg senario. His advice; put him to bed, watch him and all should be okay. He figured if the kid could survive all the attempts to make him throw up, plus liking a raw egg, he would be all right; the doctor was right.

I am sure there are more stories about this kid that I have forgotten. His mother can remember them all as any mother would. When he was 6 we lived in the small town of Riggins, Idaho. Our home was located about 10 - 15 miles out of town and on the banks of the Little Salmon River. Out back was a well house that covered the water pump. One day Kip and his sister Katie were out there playing on the roof of the well house when he slipped and slid off. Wouldn't you know it; a nail was protruding and as he slipped off he managed to tear the skin from his back. Now this was not a small tear, no sir, that kid would not be that kind to his parents. The tear went from shoulder to waist and he now bears a lovely scar across his back.

Tomorrow, unless Cheryl reminds me of another traumatic situation with Kip I will tell about the tree falling on him.