Life Goes On...

Well, the fun just hasn't stopped at our house lately! And by "fun" I mean drama!

Yesterday Mr G was feeling quite sentimental and decided to take the kids to school/kindy on his push-bike, as a type of "bonding" and because he has memories of his dad doing that with him.

Dash was enthusiastic, to say the least, and off they went, no incidents. Then back came Daddy for Round Two (Princess).

At this point I have to say, that as a responsible mother, I came out and said cautiously but without nagging (out of respect for his recent trauma and loss): Babe, I don't think that looks safe... I don't like the look of that!

"Ahhh, it'll be fine. No worries. She'll be right..." or words to that effect, came the reply.

I went back to my task of getting the baby down for his morning nap, when to my dismay I heard distant wails, inceasing in volume, which sounded terribly familiar... like, perhaps it was my daughter??

I walked to the front door, shaking my head in a kind of wry, "I told you so" way. And then I saw her ankle.

I literally had to bite my tongue to stop from screaming! The state of that poor child's ankle.

Apparently she had put her foot into the wheel as they went around a corner - and her foot stopped the bike. All 100kg of Geordie-forward-motion was brought to a halt by a four-year-old sized ankle-in-the-spokes.

There was a black lump the size of a baseball on her ankle, which was also lacerated and bleeding.

I tried very hard to keep my comments to myself as Mr G bundled Princess into the car and dashed her off for an x-ray.

Yep, Fractured. In a cast for 4 weeks. At the beginning of summer, and the Christmas holidays. Oh boy! What a way to round out an already tough week.

Of course Mr G feels awful. I decided to say no more, as he was already beating up on himself, and didn't need my help.

He's back at the doctors' as I write this, for them to check it, then he is wheeling her around St Lukes mall and taking her for coffee and some new (cast-friendly) clothes.

Well, there go my remaining Christmas shopping plans. Looks like it's all going to be online or Late Night!

Princess has been a little trooper. She may have drama-queen tendencies over life's minor issues (clothing, hairdo's) but when it comes to the big stuff, she is so brave.

This is not the first time she has broken a limb.

My first-ever ambulance trip was with her as 20-month-old, when she fell off the roof of her playhouse (copying her brother) and snapped her arm right through. She followed this up with a precautionary cast on her leg, a few weeks later, when doctors suspected a growth-plate fracture (which turned out to be not the case). There's a very sweet picture of her with her two casts on. I was embarrassed to be seen in public!

She has had lovely visits from some of her friends, who have come armed with books, paints, puzzles, home-made cards and cookies. Her friend Max's little brother Ru even lent her his special toy leopard to cuddle. Everyone who knows her realises how tough it will be for her to sit still for the next 4 weeks!

To add to the fun, as well as having a daughter who can't move, I now have a baby who can't sit still! Yep, Scrag is on the move. Practically crawling, but otherwise rolling and moving commando-style all over the house. Nothing is safe. Thank goodness I put the tree up high!

So... its' going to be a very different kind of Christmas than the one I planned. It is all forcing me to slow down, and let the less-important stuff just drop away. Fun huh??!!