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!
