Slice of Life #11

On my Slice Friday, I made a topic list to think of things that can write about in the future.  One of the things on my topic list was about my daughter breaking her collar bone.  Betsy from Teaching Young Writers commented on my post about being a "Betsy" and breaking her collar bone.  She said she would love to hear the story, so thanks to Betsy's encouragement I am writing about my daughter's experience tonight.

My daughter Betsy has broken her left collar bone not once, but twice.  The first time she was four.  The second time she was seven.

My husband had just left to pick up my new car, the date was March 31, 2006.  It was a beautiful spring day and we had spent the day new car shopping.  I was excited to be ridding myself of a car I didn't like and getting something more family friendly.  I decided to stay home with the kids while my husband went to pick it up.  I was in the basement on my computer when I heard a big thud proceeded by a loud screaming.  It was the kind of scream that you know instantly something is wrong.  I few up the stairs to find my daughter laying on the floor holding her shoulder.  Betsy's crying was inconsolable.  I knew immediately that our first emergency room visit was in order.  Betsy had been doing front rolls off the couch onto the floor for a couple of days.  That night she decided to try a flip.  Fortunately she didn't land on her head, but instead her shoulder took the brunt of the impact, breaking her collar bone.

Almost three years later in March of 2009, Ben and Betsy were play wrestling in our great room.  My husband and I were watching something on t.v.  The fun they were having was making lots of noise and after awhile the noise got to be too much.  My husband told them if they wanted to keep playing to go upstairs.  They were only gone for a few minutes when once again, we heard a thud followed by a scream.  The screaming wasn't as bad as the first time she broke her collar bone.  When Betsy came downstairs with a wash cloth on her shoulder and that undeniable hanging arm and sloping shoulder, I knew it was broken.  Before our second emergency room visit, I made a horrible mistake.  I suggested Betsy raise her arm just to see if she could.  The sound her collar bone made is enough to make me nauseous still today.  That rates as one of my finer "mom" moments!