"Claire has a black eye!" I announce.
"What?" George says, trying to figure out what I'm talking about.
"See there…at the corner of her left eye…It's, like, all black and purplish," I trail off waiting for an explanation about how it got there.
"It wasn't there yesterday," George says, nonchalantly. "She probably ran into a corner of a door or something."
"Uh-huh," I say, half listening to him, half imagining my daughter running into a wall.
Thinking of my daughter hurting herself is horrifying by itself. Add to it the idea that no one was watching her closely enough to have witnessed what happened to her. Then I worry about how this disaster's going to reflect on ME.
"What's everyone going to think?" my mind races. "That bruise positively screams 'Mommie Dearest'. It might as well spell out the word 'ABUSE' in black and blue!"
Just as quickly as I get myself worked up, I come to another realization.
"Wait, what's going on here? I'm more worried about myself than my daughter! 'Mommie Dearest' redux," I think.
Now, I feel even worse. I imagine my daughter at the therapist's office circa 2040 talking about how she lived her childhood as an extension of her mother. Or worse, writing a tell-all book about it.
At this point…Claire has a black eye, I look like I don't take care of her, and an adult life on the couch awaits my daughter.
"A triple crown day for me," I think. "Oh, wait. Reminder to self! It's not about ME…"
Noooooooooo! Just the fact that you posted this at 4:44 am tells me you need to take a deep, deep breath. She's fine, you're not Mommie Dearest, and we ALL end up on the therapist's couch sooner or later. :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your support!
DeleteOH we must give them something good to talk to their therapist about or else they just wouldn't get their money's worth, you know? =) Hang in there you.
ReplyDeleteStopping by to say hi and how sweet it is that you joined us for An Aloha Affair last week. We are live now and are looking forward to spending the weekend mingling. I'd love it if you'd join us again.
xo,
Nicole
localsugarhawaii.com
Ha! I've definitely gotten my money's worth then!!
Deleteawwww, i feel your pain, hehe. maybe she can sweep some bangs over half her face? ;) take of a smiling pic of her with it! for posterity. and evidence for the therapist. ;)
ReplyDeletefound and following via the hop
I haven't wanted to cut her hair, so it's definitely in her eyes! I like your spin on the whole thing.
DeleteI am sure she is fine, too . . . but AHHHHH that picture brought back horrid memories for me! I hated that movie - because it was SO freaking horrible to watch when I was little. I totally appreciated my wonderful parents all the more after seeing how bad some Mommies can be!
ReplyDeleteOf course, my mom always threatened us that she was going to put our dinner back in the fridge and we would get nothing different until we cleaned our plate . . . but it never happened.
Thanks for linking up with the Mixer this week! :)
Yes, I'm terrified of ever being Mommie Dearest!
DeleteI am with you! It's funny how that reaction happens to me, sometimes for the dumbest reasons. Like when my daughter, then 3yo, started to dress herself and looked like crap every day. I wanted to wear a shirt that said, "My daughter dresses herself!" Funny how we get caught up in how our children reflect on our parenting!
ReplyDeleteNice to find you on the #MTM Mixer!
But you LET you child dress herself! That says something, in itself.
DeleteHi, I'm your newest follower from the Aloha Affair blog hop, would love for you to come by and follow back, and join my weekend blog hop?
ReplyDeleteErica
http://www.ericastartwalking.com/2012/11/im-blogger-girl-in-blogger-world-blog_16.html
It may be the first bruise but it most assuredly will NOT be the last...don't stress, kids bump into so much stuff. And Nicole was right, all kids need things to tell their therapists..
ReplyDeleteI am visiting form the blog hop....molley@amotherlife.com
My daughter will assuredly have stuff. All she'll have to do is read this blog to find material!
Deletekids always have a scratch on them somewhere! sucks but true!
ReplyDeletethanks for linking up on Friday Chaos!
it was awesome co-hosting this week!
new follower :)
http://www.theeclecticgrabbag.com
Yes, can't seem to get used to that idea quite yet!
DeleteHi Rachel! Yes, we always care what other people think. That's just "poop" thinking. I watched my little boy grow into a young man of 15 (in a few days he'll be 16). He climbed trees higher than his friends. I let him with a few reminders to be careful. The time he broke his arm was when he was awake, looking for a matchbox car on his top bunk and fell. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up on my Saturday hop! I was following you with GFC and now I've added Google+.
Tina - American mom raising 4 kids in South Africa
http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com
Sorry to hear he broke his arm, but your story is ironic, indeed!
DeleteHey there! New reader from the Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteWe are sooo in that stage too! The baby looks like a poster child for abuse because of all his recent tumbles.
Also, if its any consolation, my child is being raised by a former therapist (moi). He is totally going to end up on a couch one day :)
Many, many tumbles...
DeleteI just watched Mommie Dearest the other day ;)
ReplyDeleteAs my 5 kids have grown past the stage of mysterious bumps and bruises, I have to say I don't miss it much lol. Thanks for linking up with the GtKY hop!
What a funny coincidence!...We have just started down the bumps and bruises road. I know I need to steel myself for the ride...
DeleteMy first whose now almost 21 paved the way for many things to come including almost knocking out his front baby tooth at
ReplyDelete1-1/2, and then breaking his collarbone at 3. Talk about freaking out while your kid yells "ooooow my neck!!!". I won't bore you with the rest, but with two more kids after that the list goes on. And on, and on lol.
Paula
lifeasweknowitbypaula.blogspot.com
Oh, my gosh , Paula. You have a 21-year-old?! That does not seem possible from your icon photo!
DeleteOh, sounds like she's a tough one though!
ReplyDeleteYes. A lot tougher than her mama!
DeleteI know how you feel, I feel so embarrassed when I go out and my daughter has a cut or bruise. I feel like her teachers judge me too. But seriously, kids get hurt, it's inevitable. If anyone can't understand that and judges you, that's them being overly critical!
ReplyDeleteI was a teacher. If it makes you feel any better, I was more judgmental of the parents who didn't get their kids to do homework than any bump or bruise I ever saw on them!
DeleteHow old is your daughter? Because if she is anything like my little girl, the bruises will be plentiful. And none of it will be your fault!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is four, and is a daredevil. The more frightening to me, the better she likes it. I'm shocked we haven't had more injuries than we have. She's all girl, but loves to roughhouse and get in the dirt too. Her brother is quite the opposite. I'm quite unsure how that happened!
I found your blog through the Friday Blog Hop. BEST BLOG TITLE EVER! :-D HA HA!
Daredevil = Bruises. I'm just going to have to get used to it!
DeleteHa ha. Well I used to care about what people thought when my eldest son had bumps and bruises...now with two boys who wrestle and just are generally rough and tumble, I'm all like "shake it off dude". Anyone who asks, I'm like "hey he's a boy. Thankfully no broken bones yet! (knock on wood)
ReplyDeleteYou have a good attitude about it! They should get into it in life!
DeleteAwww, this exact thing happened to my daughter this week. A bruise on the corner of her eye showed up and I have no idea how it go there, oh well. I keep telling myself she is learning to walk and bruises are bound to happen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to Raising Imperfection!
Leslie
www.violetimperfection.com
Yes, all these comments are making me feel better. I'm beginning to see that I'm not the only one!
DeleteYou definitely are NOT the only one. It happens to everyone. I feel you about the whole therapy thing. I can only imagine what those sessions will be like :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking to Raising Imperfection. Please come back Friday to see if you were featured!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lanaya
http://www.raising-reagan.com
Misery loves company, I guess. Thanks for the hop! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
DeleteEveryone who has a kid is going to realize things happen. You're in the clear w/future therapy bills, lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting you from the No Rules Weekend hop.
Yes, my controlling self has a hard time being zen about it!
DeleteRachel, I'm dying reading this. My daughter just gave herself a black eye over the weekend--while we were literally heading out the door for our family pictures. I was thinking the same thoughts you were! Pretty sure we were going to be hauled away as child abusers ;)
ReplyDeleteVisiting via the Sunday Sync!
Meredith
www.themomoftheyear.net
That's quite the coincidence! I'd be super bummed out if picture day included a black-eyed child! I feel your pain.
DeleteI do think you have a right to be freaked out anout how you look in such situations though. True abuse tends to be under reported, and crap reports are created everday. Sad, really. Hard not to be paranoid as a parent these days. I have never seen Mommy Dearest. Guess I should check it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking with Raising Imperfection.
Yes, it's so hard to truly know what happens behind closed doors.
DeleteBruises make me so sad for my little dare devil, but they are a way of life. Found you from the MMM hop and just wanted to say hi.
ReplyDeletewww.adventureswithcaptaindestructo.com
I know you are right, but I can't wrap my overbearing, controlling mind around it sometimes!
DeleteYou haven't had a real childhood if you haven't had a play induced black eye :-)
ReplyDelete"Play-induced"...love it!
DeleteWith all the bumps and bruises my little girl gets, I could drive myself into a frenzy every day. Isn't it terrible when our littles get hurt? Here in Costa Rica, the mamas put honey on bumps and bruises, which really seems to help with swelling and keep them from turning purple. I was an "ice-it" person until I tried honey. Maybe that can help you too.
ReplyDeleteYes, I use honey on her scrapes. Didn't know it worked on bruises, thanks! I think it is a miracle cure. I was thinking of writing a post about it!
Delete