".......and they have taken her to A & E ......."

The camp was apparently fantastic for the first 6 days....... then came the mountain biking activity and as per a previous blog, riding is a SERIOUS business.  At least she would have had her helmet on, fitted properly and strapped up, feet in position, hands at ten to two.......

She crashed!  In spectacular fashion!  Apparently landing on the bottom of the pile, under another child (miraculously unhurt) and two bikes (one wreaked beyond repair)  and mostly on her face.  On the road.

The school rang doing their best to be calm when they knew nothing about her damage, after all we ARE talking 'one egg, one basket' stuff,  be careful when you talk to the parent of an only child!!!!!

She was checked out, no breaks, teeth okay, slight concussion and released back into their care for one more night.  The staff, bless them,  woke her every hour and she was obviously okay when I spoke briefly to her in our code "how are you on a scale of 1 to 10?"  Since she has been little this is our secret code to tell me how she is feeling without anyone else knowing.  ( 1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest)

Her monotone voice told me "9"
Jeez are you for real??????  You just crapped off a bike, have concussion and your abrasions didn't need stitches???? Don't you need me?????
"Okay, so you are okay?"
"Mum" came the flat voice "I told you, I am okay, its a 9"

She arrived home the next day.

When I saw her, sitting in the chair at home I couldn't believe the damage.  She looked like the son in the Cher movie 'Mask' (google images and find out!!!)  She was so swollen on the right that you couldn't even see the beginnings of her black eye and the reason she was monotone was that her lips were so swollen that she couldn't move them and vaguely, she resembled Angelina (only more beautiful and more moral)

She ate for two days through straws!

She hobbled round that house on bent knee and sore elbow.  She was a trooper!

What is the teenage irony, I hear you scream???

Had it happened to me I would have been on a Zimmer frame for months if not years!  We are not even two weeks later and she looks amazing!  Only a couple of pink spots on her face where the scabs have healed!!  Back to rowing, back to running, back to normal.

My basket has one tough egg!

Many a Twix

Many a Twix

 

Alex is away at camp this week.  She had a list of things that she needed which included the treats (many and varied) that were essential and in actual fact the difference between life and death for any budding teenage camper.  Several times last week, I was reminded by email and text to make sure I remembered to pick them up.

Of course, being Mother of the Year, I did remember.  The down side was that I had to go to a meeting in the evening prior to camp and left Alex and one of her friends here, alone, with the loot.  This loot included a mini pack of Snickers and a mini pack of Twix.

Clearly Twix were the favourite!

When I got home, late!!!  The kids were in bed.  The first Twix packet (empty of course!!) that I found, was just inside the door, the second, on the floor next to the sink.  A further 3 almost in the rubbish bin, but not quite. 'Aim accurately', means nothing.

I sat down with a glass of wine- yet another empty Twix packet down the side of the chair, I put my wine down and low and behold, stun me maybe?! A Twix packet on the coffee table.  I picked up my laptop, oh my Lord!  What is this?  Surely not another empty Twix packet???

It went on.  It  did not make me happy.

There is a beautiful irony as I am discovering, that lies in all teenage hell interactions.

 The next morning when I asked 'why wasn't the dinner (I had slaved over and organised the night before when sleep, for me, would have been a far better option!) eaten?'

"Oh, Mum we just weren't hungry"

Seriously???!!!