Yesterday was a beautiful day here in PA. The weather was so warm that we spent the whole day outside, playing on the driveway and in the backyard. My husband stayed home to get some things done around the house and to fit in an afternoon bike ride. My mother came over to give the kids Easter baskets before she leaves on a 2 week trip.
I was excited and nervous to start a running class. I've NEVER been a runner. I'm not even athletic. But in the spirit of trying new things and shedding my old way of looking at myself, I signed up for the 12 week "Learn to Run" program offered by a local running gear store. My husband is quite the athlete and has been trying to get me to do this ever since I met him. I've always liked to walk and actually can walk at a pretty fast clip, but running makes me feel like I'm going to die, or at least throw up.
At about 5 pm, when we were starting to get dinner together, all the kids came into the backyard. My neighbor and I had our backs to the swing set when Jane fell. Nobody saw what happened. We heard her cry and you know how a mom just KNOWS when it isn't OK, well the fear shot through me. I swooped her up and took her inside and tried to assess the situation.
No blood. No visible limbs unattached. No big bump or bruise. Where did you get hurt, sweetie? On the swing set! No, I mean, where on your body? On my head! And my arm! And my leg! Then she just whimpered and shuffled around. I could tell her one arm seemed limp. So we sat together and she calmed down some. We snuggled with her lambs and watched TV while I tried to figure out what was wrong. I learned during my years at the day care that you should just move the kid's arms around and press on them to see if they wince or cry. Asking them straight out what hurts can be futile as in - does it hurt here (pointing to an arm)? Yes. And here (pointing to head)? Yes. Here too (pointing at the lamb)? Yes.
But here's the thing: I had the running class to go to. So I started to get ready and my husband made dinner. Jane cried as I was leaving. It occurred to me that if I was doing ANYTHING else, like going to book group or card club, or even if I was obligated to go to a meeting, my husband would tell me there is no way I could leave with her so upset and clearly injured. But not a word from him, because it was RUNNING class and he completely supports this endeavor, probably more than any other I've done in our time together.
So I went (more on the class later) and then I left as fast as I could and rushed home. Jane was waiting for me in her PJ's. She told me her arm was all better. Then she said it still hurt a little. I put her in bed and ate my dinner and wondered if she was OK. As I was about to go to sleep, I heard her crying. I went into her room and she was in that not-really-asleep-or-awake state. I couldn't get her to respond or calm down. We realized that she was having trouble getting her beloved thumb in her mouth! So, a quick call to the Grammy (who fortunately wasn't leaving until the next day) so she could stay with Scott and off we went to the ER.
The end story is that Jane fractured her wrist. They put on a temporary cast and she managed to get that little thumb back in her mouth. I took her to CHOP today and now she has a pretty purple cast for the next 3 weeks. She should be alright. She already climbed the swing set ladder with one hand.
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