Base Jumping

Recently, my child decided to climb a tree, this is not new to him, he's been doing it for years...

the fact that his sister was kicking buns all over the soccer pitch didn't really cross his mind at all, she's fine she's taking on all the boys just like she does in the backyard. He just wanted to get higher. Yes the tree is on a slope beside the pitch, and not necessarily the largest tree available,but hey, why not?

well he was to find out why not.

I was absorbed shall we say, in encouraging the sister to do her worst to the offending team opposing her - in the nicest way possible, really. Anyway.

I heard the CRACK as the branch broke, I saw periphirally, him fall and smack the ground fairly hard, it must have been the hardness that prompted the post fall comments - I'm sticking with that.

He didn't cry.

I did ask if he was ok.

I said all the motherly things about how you shouldn't be climbing the tree, you should be watching your sister, how many games has she watched you play in? Didn't I just ask you to get out of that other tree? Yes I should have specified that all trees were off limits.

He sat quietly for a thoughtful moment and then said

"you know mum, before I hit the ground it felt really great.... like I was flying."

PAUSE

"it was exactly the same as when I broke my arm, before I hit the ground it felt like I was FLYING." (he was thrown from a horse and managed to hang onto one rein and avoid hitting the fence)

So I know base jumping is in my future, thank goodness I've got time to prepare- mentally that is.

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The arm is NOT broken only badly bruised.

Thank goodness they know him down at the Dr.'s surgery, our Dr. just asked "what was it this time?"

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A Woman's Europe is a snazzy little read.

Whooping Cough?

As it turns out, I wasn't so sore from the soccer match, well my ribs weren't anyway.

I carried myself off to physio to have her sort out the kinks, she asked me a few questions and sent me off for x-rays, broken ribs she thinks, best not to do anything until we know for sure if there are broken ribs in there. So go figure, who knew you could break a rib from whooping cough? Apparently everyone but me. I did think that rib was a little sore, but goodness everything is sore when you cough for weeks on end. And if I stopped every time something was a little bit uncomfortable, well would not much would get done around my house.

Whooping cough.

Happy Dwarfins

My right big toe is swollen and bruised, and has only half a survivng nail, I sport an ice pack the size of Montana plastered to the left side of my rib cage, my right shoulder is tender to the touch and I have grazed my knee.

Why?

Why do this to a body that is aging?

Why run up and down an indoor court trying to stop a fella, much younger than myself, from shooting the soccer ball into the back of the net? I have no desire to score myself, but the stopping of the goals, ahhhhhh bring on the zealous unabashed joy.

My 3rd grader summed it up for me, "IT's those Happy Dwarfins, Mum she just loves them!"

Pretty much.

Relaxed State of Mind

Camping in Australia has its own sedating effects on even the sharpest of minds.

My friends with their 2 boys and my 3 rowdy children and myself, spent 3 days at Harvey Bay, camping at the Scarness Caravan Park. My friends in their self-contained 8 seater caravan and the kids and I in our tent. (Thanks Mom and Dave by the way - we love the tent, it is fabulous and withstands HIGH WINDS.) We had travelled together for the nearly 7 hr drive north to Harvey Bay in the campervan, the 5 kids in the back and 3 adults up front, half of the kids had to ride facing backwards looking out the back of the caravan.

After days next to the ocean with the mind lulling waves rolling in and out, the sand therapy, it does in fact cling with the tenacity of superclue on a squatty body, an eventful trip yabbie-pumping, and oodles of sand flinging in the surf we packed up and headed home.

5 and 3/4 hours into the return trip to the big city, Brisbane, a very relaxed 7 yr old asked the grownups sitting up the front "hey, what's that big yellow thing following us? I can just see it out the back."

It was the canoe.

Sitting on the trailer which we had pulled all the way to Harvey Bay and nearly back.


So next time the Dr., friend, or random Joe tells you you need to relax and forget your troubles, head to Harvey Bay on the Queensland coast in Australia.

Results assured.