Lots of Weight, and Then a Break (Well, a Fracture)

The past week and a half, my heart has been heavy, my mind swimming, and my days filled.

Here's some of what's been going on (in no particular order):
-Two field trips at work (being responsible for 32 other people's kids in public)
-Finding out that next year is a "good opportunity" to go back to teaching full-time
-How much is going to change in our lives when I go back full-time
-A family at my school losing their 6 month old baby
-The silent auction basket for Ashlynn's class that I'm in charge of  (turned in yesterday)
-Carter starting kindergarten
-Carter really being pretty ready for kindergarten, but knowing that many kids are much older
-Finding out on Thursday afternoon that Carter's Family Fun Day is next Friday (I need to get a sub)
-All the things I'm going to miss when I go back full time
-Babies being born to friends
-The Spiritual Parenting class Eric and I are taking 
-It has been 5 years since Eric's mom died
-A 23 year old guy from our church suddenly dying
-Getting my class ready for the 4th grade CST writing test that is next Tuesday
-St. Patrick's Day, our anniversary, and Easter coming up in the next few weeks
-How I need to make the most of what I've got left of this year
-Dealing with crazy parents of my students
-Grading
-That I am way behind on laundry
-How messy our house has been getting and how much worse it will be next year
-How behind I am on replying to emails
-End of the 2nd trimester at work
-Doing report cards (still to be completed)

I'm sure there's more, but it is probably best to not stir up the old brain any more, because I'm just looking for trouble.

So, all those things have been plaguing me, and then...

Friday as I ate lunch before heading back to my classroom to wrap up my report cards, Eric called.  He reported that Ashlynn had fallen off the monkey bars at school and couldn't move her arm.  My dad (and Carter) had picked her up from school and they were going to be meeting Eric at urgent care.  Initially, they both thought that it wouldn't turn out to be much, but after being examined and an x-ray, it was determined that she had fractured her wrist.

My dad took a few photos of Ashlynn being wrapped up by her school nurse.  I must say, I love her nurse.  She is so sweet with the kids.  She called to check on Ashlynn on Friday night (but we were at my parents'), and called again on Saturday.

My dad and Eric were really proud of how well she dealt with everything.  By the time I saw her in the late afternoon, she was her normal, cheerful self.

My favorite quote from Ashlynn came on Friday night as we drove home from my parents' house.  She said, "You know, Mom, I think that wearing a splint and a sling is a lot like the way you said it is with braces; it's only fun for the first half hour."

Since Friday, so much has been a learning curve.  Even though it's not that huge of an injury, there are so many things we've have to figure out: putting on a seat belt, eating, getting undressed and dressed (and that some clothes are not going to fit over the splint), how to write (fortunately, she fractured her right wrist and she is a lefty), how to wash her hand, and bath time.  Yesterday Ashlynn had her first bath with the splint. I wrapped her arm in a kitchen trash bag and insured that it was water-tight by wrapping the top with blue tape (Eric's idea).  It did the job.

For the most part, it is a pretty fortunate time of year for the injury to have happened.  She should be healed before summer, so she won't have to miss out on pool fun, and it is getting warm enough so that she'll be able to wear short sleeves (long sleeves are pretty hard to pull over the splint).  But, we've also realized that she will need to take an extended break from gymnastics, that she's going to be spending a lot of recess time in the nurse's office at school, that we'll need to give up the whole learning to ride a two-wheel bike thing for a while, that she won't be jumping in our trampoline any time soon, and that she won't be able to take pre-summer swimming lessons.  We'll have to let those things go.

On Monday we should get her in to see an orthopedist and find out if they are going to put on a cast or if they will just keep it in a splint.  I'll keep you posted!