the fingernail

This story reveals just the latest reason why I know the girls will admit me to a nursing home just as soon as they can.

About 3 weeks ago Erin brilliantly, intentionally, stuck her index finger between the frame and a heavy, industrial door while we were out one day. When the door closed-BAM! Her finger was a mess and so was she, though it wasn't broken. A lot of blood pooled under the nail and though that mostly resolved in a couple of days, the nail slowly began working itself loose ever since. It finally came off last night as we drove in the car.

Erin: "Hey, I wonder how much money I'll get for this if I put it under my pillow tonight!"
John: "What makes you think you get money for a fingernail?"
Erin: "Well...if there is tooth fairy there must be a fingernail fairy. Is there one?"
me: "I don't know, I've never lost a fingernail so I never tried it."
Erin: "Maybe I'll get a dollar!"
me: "Maybe the fingernail fairy is kinda weird and gives kids a roll of toilet paper."
John: "Yeah, or a pair of dirty socks."
Erin: "WHAT?"

So later that night I looked around the house for the most mundane everyday household item I could find and then while she slept I put a travel pack of Kleenex I found in the bathroom under her pillow.

This morning she was not exactly excited but not disappointed with her find either. "Look, look, NOW we know what the fingernail fairy leaves! See! Tissues! (looking a little confused) Hmm...tissues."

cast away

Today's the day, hooray!
Before:

A little concerned about the cast cutter (it was really noisy). The same ortho tech that casted Kate was happy that he was there to remove it. He's really sweet and quite funny.

What a beautiful left arm you have there!

Following the x-rays and awaiting the final check by her orthopedist, Allison thought she'd remind Kate of the value and use of two healthy arms, "Look Kate, now you can make muscles again, like me!"

them's the breaks

Kate was playing on our new play structure in the backyard on monday night after dinner and she fell off the ladder that climbs up to the little fort. She screamed and was lying on the grass, holding her left arm, not attempting to get up. I picked her up and started dusting her off and noticed that her left arm looked kiiiiiiinda funny. Kinda not quite the correct contour, kinda not so symmetrical with the right one anymore. Yup, that's a broken arm for sure. So I took her to the ER where she received some xrays and a temporary cast for her "fractured and angulated" ulna in her left forearm:

Today was her consult with the orthopedist and a final cast, BRIGHT pink and glittery (seriously) which she'll enjoy for about 4 weeks.

John felt terrible about the fall from the playground he built earlier in the summer, but he shouldn't because the same thing could have happened at the park or even hopping down from my SUV. I reminded him that Erin fell and needed stitches in her lip a few months ago, and that fall was inside the house. "So Erin can't play inside, and Kate can't play outside," he concluded.

Kate hated having a cast on initially but she's gotten a lot more used to it. I can't stop myself from thinking of inappropriate things to write on it, like, "If you think I look bad you should see the other kid." Now if I can just manage to keep Allison and Erin from diving off things in an attempt to get a cool pink princess cast too...

G.O.P.

Saturday the girls decided to "have a party" in their elephant tent. This necessary addition to our home decor was an xmas gift from Uncle Jeff & company and the girls enjoy it quite a bit.

Setting up for the party consisted of moving the slowly deflating valentine's day mylar balloons from daddy inside, then adding any toys they could grab, particularly the ones with 10,000 pieces or more, and stir.

This was a pretty lawless gathering. In fact the only party rule I could really be sure of was that there was to be NO looking at the camera at all, ever, no matter how many times mama asks. In fact, if you could manage keep your back turned or your head down, all the better.

As you can see Kate eventually broke down at looked at me. Shortly after that she was asked to leave by the other party-goers. Maybe for looking at the camera, maybe for making fun of Erin's freshly-washed and balloon-plus-nylon-tent-induced statically charged hair.

It was the beginning of a rough day for Kate. She also got in a fight with a doorknob, and lost. Later on she fought with some other item in the home and added another lump just above this one. Then to top it off she ran into the corner of our armoire and insulted the same exact spot. She is precisely the worst height for keeping her forehead intact. She needs to grow about 2 more inches quickly (which would match Allison) or we need to get her a football helmet.