The details

We don't know how Meimei broke her leg - happened at daycare, but it's clearly from twisting. Could be she caught a leg in the crib at nap time and tried to yank it out, or pitched one of her fits during a diaper change and twisted away. We don't think anyone did it intentionally and we will probably never know what really did it..

She is very angry that she can't walk and has a fiberglass splint on her leg. She wants it off. She didn't sleep last night AT ALL, but is starting to get used to it. She napped today and is down in bed now with not too much fuss.

I am also getting used to it. It was quite a blow last night to take her in for what we really thought was nothing because toddlers DON'T break bones. We thought maybe she had turned her ankle, or hurt her foot in some way.

The Nurse Practitioner said it was always a concern when a kid won't walk on a leg and that it probably wasn't an ankle, they're the most elastic joint in a kid's body. She ordered a blood draw to see if there were any inflammatory markers and x-rays of the whole leg to be sure.

Then I have to watch them try to take blood from Meimei's arm and keep moving the needle around because they couldn't get the vein. And have to hold her still for 4 x-rays while she was screaming and writhing in fear. And then be ushered into a scary room and have the NP shut the door to tell us it was broken and make veiled accusations about our daycare provider. Who I know will be crushed when we tell her and whom I would never EVER suspect of injuring her. And my MIL apparently picks up the veiled accusations against me and Pants because she starts defending us as parents.

Don't get me wrong, the NP was a very nice lady. They just have to be suspicious because toddlers rarely break anything - they're too elastic. I think she got that we didn't do it. I'm sure it was the broken, deer-in-the-headlights look on my face and the tears welling up in my eyes.
And the stammering.

She was very nice about cherry-picking an Ortho doctor and the medical assistant was normally a nurse in Ortho, so she got us a good appointment for Monday, which is pretty quick. She was very gentle with the splint and taped over the Ace bandage clips so Meimei couldn't pull them out. She was also very thorough in showing us the x-ray and what they had seen and told us that she had someone else look at it too, just to be sure.

So, the staff was excellent and very nice (phlebologist excluded), we got through really quickly, but major trauma and the weekend from hell. We hope that a regular cast will allow her to walk a bit and I hear that you can get them wet now. I think it's a fairly short cast time because the break is so minor and because little ones heal so fast. I don't know if I should try to skate out on Monday for the appt or if I should just let Pants take her. I'm not sure I'll be able to sit at work, even with the VERY engaging Brit in town that I have meetings with.

O. M. F. G.

Meimei broke her leg.

Her tibia. Spiral fracture. Means it's from twisting.

She's splinted right now and has an appointment with Ortho on Monday to read the x-rays again and be sure. Then, probably a cast.

Killing me

Kitten went to the doctor yesterday and it's official - NO MORE NUKKIE. The Dr. talked to Kitten very seriously and told her she couldn't have it anymore.

So we had her color a bag this evening and put her nukkies in it and wrote a note to the fairy that she was a big girl and would try to be brave.

And then it was bedtime. She has been crying and screaming now for 90 minutes and I'm not sure how much longer it will go on before she just falls asleep. This is nearly physical pain.

Oh, the angst

So, I'm searching for a new avatar in the "Girly" section and I am suddenly so thankful again that I am not 17.

Some samples:

You said you'd never let go. ...you lied.
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.
I'd wait until the end of time to hear you say you'd love me like you mean it.
I am just a girl that hurts.
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste.
Will you be my best friend if I offer you my heart, cuz' it's already yours.
It hurts so much to love you the way I do, and then look at you and realize how much you don't care...
I wish I was as invisible as you make me feel.
A tear falls forever inside a broken heart.
You asked what was wrong and I smiled and said nothing, but then I turned around and said everything.

But, ok, some are amusing.
I love you. don't EVER fucking question that.
My life is like Gisele's (sometimes I run around in my underwear too.)
Straight males are evil. You should all be shot and we'll use gay sperm.
I wish I had saved all the tears I cried ...so I could fucking drown you in them.


But yeah, still haven't found one.

You're blaming an inanimate object?

Syl: "Why is Buppy all wet?"
Silence.
S: "Why is Buppy wet?"
Kitten: mumbles something ending in "closet"

After inspection:
S: "Who spilled milk all over the floor in your closet?"
K: "Buppy did it."
S: "I don't think that's true. Kitten, tell me who spilled the milk."
K: "Buppy did it."
S: "I know that's not true, Kitten. Did you spill the milk?"
K: "No."
S: "Yes, you did. Was it an accident, or on purpose?"
K: "On purpose."

And we proceed to have a discussion about what truth and lies mean and why you shouldn't lie. And that lies get you a time out. For three minutes now that you've turned 3.

Mark the milestone, my kid's first lie.

Maple Grove

Check out my new growth forest. In MY FRONT YARD.

Not mine

Now, I love getting mail. Especially packages.

But today, I got three boxes for someone I don't know, but with my address on them. I tried calling the number on the return address on the box, but it was just a busy signal . What company has a busy signal?

I tried to look up the last name of the woman on the package in Yellowpages.com, but there was no listing in my area.

I looked the company up on the web and tried calling, but they were closed for the day.

I put in my address to find a consultant in my area (it's a home-selling company for scrapbooking that I haven't heard of before) and emailed one and asked her to see if she can find this girl and have her call me. I haven't heard back yet.

So, what to do. I guess I'll wait a couple of days I guess and see if I hear back. I guess I'll try the company again tomorrow during business hours.

Hardier than I would have guessed

We finally got out Sunday night to do some lawn work - rake up the massive number of sticks from the *&(#$^&^ willow tree in the front, pull up a couple of weeds, etc.

Oddly enough, it appears that a couple of my plants from last year actually lived through the winter in their plastic pots sitting on top of some okay dirt. Weird.

An inventory of what lived:

• 3 Coral Bells
• 4 Astilbe
  
• 1 Choke Berry bush
• something in a bleeding heart pot that isn't bleeding heart

Now, the question is where to place them.

Here's the fun part - Kitten and Meimei desperately want to help me use the Weed Hound to pull weeds. It takes a little longer that way (they each have to come put their foot on it and "push it down"), but it keeps them in view and they're so excited when it comes up. Keep loving it girls - one day it will be your job!

Commercial response

Commercial: And why is that the second coolest feature on a car? Two words. Ejector Seat.

Syl: Why would anyone want an ejector seat?
Looks sideways at passenger seat containing Pants.
Syl: Unless it was yours.

New Camera

2 fun things today - a new Nikon Coolpix (8 mp, 3x optical zoom) and a trip to Como Zoo.

Seen on 49th Street overpass from 94E

Wednesday: "Starve the Poor: Drive E85"
Thursday: "Starve the Poor: Drive E85"
Friday: "Trooper Took Sign"

Guess the corn lobby caught wind and called it in.