She loves the snow so much, sometimes, she just goes outside and lies down in it....like she's going to make a snow angel but she doesn't
She just lays there with her eyes squeezed tight and her mouth open to catch any falling flakes
This kid loves the snow
Lucy has recently discovered she loves ice skating
Sean has been taking her to an outdoor rink up in Lynnfield and she has an absolute blast
So she was over the moon when I told her that during February Vacation, one of the field trips she'd be taking with camp is to an ice skating at a rink
And Lucy loves Karate
Kicking, chopping, kiai-ing, board breaking...she is never so proud as when she earns another stripe for her belt or moves up a color
Her ultimate goal is to become a black belt
I have no doubt she'll get there
Lucy is pretty much in constant movement
This child fidgets enough to power a small country
You know what else Lucy loves?
Playing ball in the house
She loves bouncing the balls off the furniture, the walls, and her Dad
She'll kick a ball across the room and then chase it down with a tackle
She hops on her Yoga ball and bounces
Then lays on her back and tosses it in the air
She is constantly bouncing or playing with a ball
But sometimes, the constant bouncing on the floor or the couch or the wall drives one of us to say through clenched teeth (with loads of love)
Stop.bouncing.the.ball.PLEASE.
One time, a few years ago, the three of us were playing ball in the house
I got a little over zealous and threw it at Sean really hard
He moved out of the way at the last second
The ball missed him and instead, hit a little plaster mold of Lucy's teen tiny 2 year old hand prints
It was a Mother's Day gift she had made for me at Day Care and was proudly displayed on a little easel stand on the book shelf
That mold hit the ground and shattered into a million pieces
As did my heart
I was devastated and sat down on the floor and cried
On that day, I declared, as any responsible mother would and should,
No more playing ball in the house!
But, we've not been great about enforcing that rule
If you look closely at the wall (pick a wall, any wall), you'll see the imprint of some kind of ball:
A splat ball
Or a super bouncy ball acquired out of one of those little dispenser in the lobby of the grocery store
Or a tennis ball
Or a soccer ball
Or a squishy stress ball
Or a playground ball
Or a titanium metal ball
You put a ball in this kid's hands and she can't help but toss it, kick it, and/or bounce it
Last Thursday was a snow day, no school
So Lucy came to work with me
"Her" desk is right next to the window
She spent a better part of the morning watching the snow fall and counting down the minutes until we got home so she could go outside and play
We headed home mid afternoon - just as the snow picked up and visibility dropped
On the drive, she asked if she could change and go outside right away
Her request was denied
She pouted and begged and pleaded
I continued to deny said request
But why?
Because honey - it is too dangerous!
The winds are wild kiddo! The snow actually hurts when it hits your face!
Plus, you can't see anything, which means the plow trucks and other people will not be able to see you (we live in a cul-de-sac, we literally play in the street)
So no honey, not today, maybe tomorrow......
Lucy pouted
It is not too dangerous!
It is pal and I said no so end of discussion please....I'm just trying to keep you safe
We did not go outside and play when we got home
In hind sight, it may have been safer
Instead, when we arrived home, we prioritized what we had to get done (Lucy's animal project, pick up the house, pick up the playroom, laundry, pack for surprise weekend trip to Maine) and got to work
So Sean picked up the living room, I sorted and started the laundry, and Lucy finished sketching out her animal project for school
Then, we all went to the basement to pick up the playroom
And by pick up I mean Sean and I needed to put away the last of the Christmas bins still stacked in front of the closet door
As he and I did that, Lucy was goofing off behind us
And by goofing off, I mean she was playing with a ball in the house
Sean and I were talking when all of a sudden, Lucy lets out a scream and crumples to the floor crying
What the hell happened??? one of us yelled
We checked her for blood - no blood
She's crying so hard she can't answer
We finally get it out of her
She went to kick the ball, missed and hit the chair with her right foot
My toe Mumma!! My foot!! Did I break my bones???
She wailed and cried and carried on
We looked at her foot
The top of it was red as was her middle toe - from impact we assumed
Can you wiggle your toes kiddo?
Yeah but it hurts
I pressed on her foot
She winced
I pressed harder, she yelped
I pushed on her toes
She cried
But I declared You're fine! Hop up! Walk it off pal, you'll be OK!
But Mumma it hurts! she yelped as she tried to take a few steps
Honey come on...it's not like its broken! Look! You're moving your toes just fine!
Because yes, I am not sure if you heard, I am now an MD....Mom Doctor
Plus, as all Mums know, if we speak in a bright, chirpy, positive voice, nothing is wrong!
How can anything be wrong or broken or hurt when my voice is this fucking bright, chirpy and positive?!?!?
So Lucy hobbled upstairs and we put ice on the top of her foot
And we made her work on her animal project for the next two hours
When she'd get up to walk somewhere, she limped
At least three times she lamented about how much her foot hurt
Sean and I would look at each other, roll our eyes and chuckle at how dramatic she was being
By the time she went to bed, we noticed a little bruise on her foot
We grimaced a bit but told her it was fine
By the time she woke up Friday morning, the top of her foot was black and blue and swollen
Her middle toe was also swollen and had a ring like bruise around it
It was another snow day so I took her to work with me
At work, I had her elevate her foot and kept ice on it most of the day
She winced every time she put weight on her foot
At one point, she accidentally hit her right foot with her left
She fell to the floor screaming in pain
So I called the doctor
And we took her in to be checked
And they took x-rays and referred us to an orthopedic doctor
We went to the ortho doc early Saturday morning
He looked at the x-rays and confirmed what they saw:
Lucy fractured her toe in spectacular fashion
And there is a slight little hairline on the top of her foot but not really worth mentioning as its more bruised and swollen than anything
So they taped her toes together
Gave her a little boot thing to wear (really to protect her foot and keep her from bending it)
and gave her crutches to help her walk (because she is supposed to try and not put weight on it)
Then they gave us the following instructions: No activities, ice and elevate, limited weight on the foot
What do you mean by activities we ask?
The doctor asked Lucy what she did for activities
And then repeated the list back to us word for word:
No gym
No recess
No sledding
No playing in the snow
No ice skating
No running, no jumping
No playing ball in the house
No karate
And try to keep her from bending her foot
And keep her weight off it
Elevate and ice it while you're at it
We do not want her to re-injure or injure the foot more than it is
For how long we ask
I'm thinking he'll say a couple days, three tops
Two - three weeks
You mean days? I ask
No, says the Doctor, I mean weeks
Days?
WEEKS
No activity for two-three weeks???!?!??
That's right he says
There is not much else to do in situations like this; you just have to rest the foot and let it heal
It'll get a little worse before it gets better
And the more she uses it the longer it takes to heal
So no activity and we'll follow up in a couple weeks
Sean and I exchange a look
A look which says how in the name of all that is sacred and holy are we going to keep this child inactive for two-three weeks?
This child moves as much in her sleep as she does when she's awake
Lucy?
The doctor is now directing the conversation to her
What?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
She cocks her head to the side
You can't do anything until this foot heals OK?
No activity - I don't want you to hurt it worse than it is
So no gym or recess
No sledding or ice skating
No playing in the snow
Try to keep your weight off it and rest it
Karate? she asks
No! says the doctor, especially board breaking and kicking
No activities for two-three weeks Lucy, you need to rest that foot
And be extra careful at school OK?
No horsing around, running or jumping with your friends
OK she says as she hops off the bed
We all react
Lucy! You have to be careful honey!
She grimaces as she smiles
I forgot she says sheepishly
We left the hospital and stopped to get coffee for us and a donut for Lucy
She and I waited in the car while Sean went inside
Hey Mumma
Yes honey
Remember that time I broke my leg and you told me to walk it off?
You did not break your leg Lucy!
I could have!
Well, you didn't!
Hey Mumma
What honey
Remember that time I fractured my foot and you told me to walk it off?
LUCY!
Just kidding Mumma!
*sigh*
Hey Luce?
Yeah Mumma
Sorry I told you to suck it up Pal...
It's OK Mumma, you didn't know ....
Well, I am sorry honey....
It's okay Mumma....but I bet you wish you had let me play outside.....
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