Grace

Last night, as I was making supper, Mouth comes limping in the house and plops herself down on a chair. I turn around and ask her, "what did you do now?" her answer? "crashed Beans' bike". there is no tears. no wailing. "can you throw me a rag?" she asks me. I turn and get a good look at her. She has blood dripping off her arm. Her hair is a mess. She has dirt and grass all over.

Yeah. she sure did crash Beans' bike. She snapped off the one hand brake. all the paint is scratched off the front forks.

I guess she went head over heals. One man was in his apartment and saw it happen and went running down the stairs and out the door. He was positive she had to have broken something! (As far as we know she hasn't.) She got up. Brushed herself off. Got back on the bike and rode across town to get home. No tears shed. No wailing. No fussing. That's Mouth. Its the reason we really never know how badly hurt she is.

She split open her chin a few years ago. Stopped her sled on the neighbors car hitch. With her face. She had 2 girls behind her on the sled. Over 150 lbs stopped. with her face. Not a tear was shed. No wailing. No fussing. She smiled and I thought I was going to see teeth thru the hole in her face. Thankfully HH was home. He brought her in. I called ahead. The nurses were expecting a hysterical little girl. Nope. Then they figured, "aw, it can't be that bad." then Mouth smiled at them and they panicked. Yep. 3 stitches on the inside of her mouth. 10 stitches on her chin. 3 hrs later a few stitches were loosening up. Back in she went. restitched. without any pain killers. (couldn't use any more without worrying about nerve damage). Not a tear shed. no wailing. no fussing.

Last summer. She had fallen down some stairs. No tears. no wailing, no fussing. So I didn't think anything of it. 4 days later I notice that her foot is swollen. then I notice that she isn't walking quiet right. (she was very pigeon toed when she was little, and I still notice it sometimes, so I didn't really think anything of how she was walking) bring her in. they x ray her foot. 2 hairline fractures in her foot. already healing.

When she was 2 she had her hand shut in a screen door. someone pulled it shut and latched it. not knowing she was behind them. her finger was IN the door. I noticed her standing there and not moving. Her little face was very pale. her shoulders were squared off. (that's usually the only way we can tell that she is really hurting). I asked her what was wrong. "my finger hurts mommy". no tears. no fussing. no wailing. I look at her hand. her finger is in the door. blood is running down the door. I open the door. pick her up. carry her in the house and ask for a rag. she still is not crying. the ladies turn and look at her hand and FREAK out. You can see the flesh. and the bone. HH brings her in to the ER. the nurses spoil her. (how can a 2 yr old go thru that without crying at all????) she comes back with beanie babies. stickers. coloring books. candy from the snack machine... the nurses were so impressed with her that they kept giving her things. her finger is broken. and she's on meds because they were concerned that the bone could become infected. no tears. no wailing. no fussing.

When she goes to camp in the summer I am a nervous wreck. Beans works as a helper when Mouth is at camp. Beans has a fully stocked first aid kit with her and she has her cell phone to let me know if Mouth falls, or bangs herself up. The camp nurse would probably look at this girl and think, "she's not even crying, she's fine." and that might not be the case.

I cleaned out my first aid kit this morning. It needs some major restocking. I have a feeling it is going to be a long summer of scrapes and bruises.

HH says her nickname should be 'Grace'.