My sister, Kate, was here for a few weeks (this is Joe writing...Emily doesn't have a sister Kate). She helped us out a TON. Emily and I are both trying to wrap up our PhDs and write dissertations, and that can be a touch time consuming. As can having a near-two-year-old (kudos to everyone who wrangles more than one child, my respect for you grows as Lizzie does). Kate would help watch Lizzie so both Emily and I could work. Again, huge help.
Now, the life of a toddler is filled with bumps and bruises and occasionally a more substantial owie or two. That's just part of the package deal. Kids sign up for it, parents sign up for it, we know it's inevitable. So, up front, I want it clear that Emily and I in no way want Kate to feel guilty about the story that's about to be related. She should have a clear conscience.
Kate actually wrote up the story on her own blog, so I'll just copy and paste the tale in her own words:
Let me just start off with this and make sure it's known.
I DID NOT MEAN TO BREAK MY NIECE'S ARM.
But break it I did. According to 2 doctors at least. 2 other doctors when viewing the x-ray say it is in fact not actually broken. Who knows what the truth is. I still feel guilty/horrible/like-a-child-abuser nonetheless.[*]
My precious niece whom I have been watching everyday for the past 4 1/2 weeks enjoys spinning. As in twirling around. As in me picking her up and swirling around. Also as in playing Ring Around the Rosie. (over and over and over again...) It brings a huge smile to her face every time. And really, I feel as her Aunt it is my duty to always bring out such a smile no matter what.
Mistake.
We were spinning. Joy was had. Lots of smiles and laughter. (she has the cutest little laugh you ever did hear. so contagious.) I may have possibly been lost in the moment as we were spinning and lifted her up off her feet by her fragile little hands/wrists and spun around. She did in fact love it. Enthralled by her smiling face I kept spinning her probably what was a smidge too long and she cried out in pain. I brought her down. She got over it. We played ring around the rosie immediately after. She went to "all fall down" and I didn't quite anticipate the correct timing to let go and held on. You get the picture. There were tears.
There could not have been a worse day for this to occur. Once she settled down she clung to me for the rest of the day, and semi-regularly had an outburst of tears as if in utter pain. However, the day before she had received a flu shot, and I myself tend to feel like complete crap the day after receiving one. I had anticipated her not feeling well. I simply assumed she was just feeling sick. [it was probably a combo of both] I had not put together that it was her arm that was causing the pain. (although it was probably there in the back of my mind being pushed away for want of being able to remain blameless.) If only she could have communicated to me what the pain was. Oh verbal ability, how I take you for granted.
I don't know which is worse. That I caused a broken arm in a 2 yr old. (tragic) Or that I failed to recognize it for an entire day. (unforgivable)
Maternity instincts = failure. Am I a disgrace to all women?
It would appear that Joe Bro and Emily do not blame me at all for the broken state of their daughter. Very kind. But I mean come on, I broke your child. Not even the littlest twinge of worry as you step out the door every morning, leaving me alone with your beloved toddler for 8 hours? Have you not great anxiety at the thought of coming home and what you might find? One must wonder...
Perhaps now would be appropriate to mention that I am retiring my time as a glorified baby-sitter/sort-of-nanny/live-in-child-watcher (ew creepy much?) and am moving back to home sweet home Utah. I am in hopes of finding a job out there, saving money, and if the stars align can go to grad school in the near future -- don't hold your breath though, it would appear my awesome luck in life ran out the day I graduated college.
[Sidenote: my moving back to Utah has no relation to the above event. Just a humorous way to let anyone who cares knows. Lack of job being the main reason for the change. And no doubt Big Bro and Sis In Law grew tiresome of my constant presence. Can ya blame them? Throw in the fact that I broke a child, I don't think they'd take me back.]
So Adam, brother of mine, still want me to come visit your delightful bunch in Texas? Sissy, still trust me to watch your beloved youngins? A question to ask yourself before placing your own flesh and blood near me.
ps. Lizzie and I. We spin no more.
*We got some follow up X-Rays done a week later and they said there was an injury (probably a compression fracture) but with the astounding ability of young bodies to bounce back, it has already pretty much healed completely.
Kate is also convinced that Lizzie may have gotten some revenge on her. I, of course, think my daughter is too innocent for such a thing, but the circumstances are intriguing. To appreciate the purported revenge, it needs to be known that we carved some pumpkins before Halloween. Lizzie helped Kate clean out the pumpkin:
And also wanted to decorate her own:
Here are the finished carved pumpkins:
Kate carved the Boo pumpkin and I carved the Superman one (surprise!).
Anyway, we'll copy and paste from Kate's blog again for the supposed tale of Lizzie's revenge:
I didn't think she was mad at me. Lizzie didn't seem to hold any grudges against me for the incident involving her arm.
In fact she seemed to love me even more. She still wanted to play with me and still wanted to sit with me. And even tried to get me to spin with her.
She was just bidding her time.
Plotting her next move.
Earlier this morning Lizzie was playing in the front porch-like-thing area. (there's not really a name for it) Where the newly carved pumpkins are kept. Lizzie plays there often. Its like her own little sanctuary.
I heard a small thud. A strange little noise. I went to investigate.
I found Lizzie looking up at me, a small hint of a little smirk on her face. Uttering a slow, low, almost a whisper-- Uh-oh.
She had shoved my carved pumpkin off the table, thus causing it to break. Not her dad's pumpkin that was right next to mine, but just mine. She knew. I know she knew what she was doing.
She understands life very well for someone so young. Her logic: You break me, I break something of yours.
You might think she didn't do it on purpose. That she had no clue, and it was just an accident. Oh so naive. This little girl has proven on a number of occasions she is capable of great trickery and is not afraid to use it.
I warn you, never cross this sweet-face little girl.
And that's Kate's version of events. I'll leave it to each of you to judge if Lizzie knowingly took out Kate's pumpkin in retribution for the arm incident.
