Cast and Crew

I consider myself a good mother. After all, how many people can make it through twelve years of child-rearing, with six kids and say that this is the first broken bone, this is the first sustained injury of any of my children, that this is the first time that anything like this has happened. Well, I hope there are lots out there, but I know of those that have much smaller families that have regular ER visits and are probably on a first name basis with the ER staff.
So, I am counting my blessings. They are as numerous as the bruises I have from my now casted two year old daughter. She has learned how to use it as an effective weapon. Luckily she is much smaller and one can tell when she is getting ready to strike. The trick is paying attention at all times. Which, I obviously do not do. So, needless to say, I failed to pay attention to the moment when she stripped off her clothes and diaper and gingerly climbed into the bathtub with her sister who was taking a bath at the time. Now, don't get me wrong. I am a stickler at making sure my children are constantly supervised in the bath tub. At least when they are young. But Anika was old enough to be alone. I had shut the door and figured Kathryn, my two year old would never know. Well, my first indication to trouble was when I heard a splash thud, thud again and a cry. I rushed to the bathroom to see that she was sliding on the floor and dripping wet. I picked her up and held her in my arms and as I wrapped the towel around her, i laid her down and lifted her broken leg and water poured out of it like a pitcher.

So....back to the hospital to get it recasted. Now, when we went to the hospital, I had an extra kid with me. So a mother walking into the hospital with 7 kids seems to merit quite a few looks. But mostly kindness and smiles. Many gentlemen held the doors open for me, which I graciously accepted. Many women came up to help with the baby when she would cry. Only once was i asked if all of them were mine. But I don't really mind that question, as I love to say, yes, these children are mine. But this time I had to admit that one was borrowed for the day.

Anyway, I am glad that she only has one week left to wear her cast. I am also glad that we have had the opportunity to watch someone so young go through something that adults dry over. She was wonderful. She doesn't complain, but keeps going as long as she wants to. She has learned to run, jump, kick, and climb in her cast. She never acts discouraged. She even wedged herself into a tubular basket. Which proved very funny, as she stuck her butt in first and than curved her good leg in next, than tried to no avail. to bend her broken leg in. So, in the end it effected an image of someone being stuck in a garbage can with their heads and feet sticking way up in the air.

Well, I am going to end this entry in exchange for peaceful dreams.