Good Mama Guilt

Summer in Connecticut means a lot of things - more free time, beautiful weather, days in the backyard sprinkler pool, cook outs, parks, and extremely unpredictable weather. 

Zoey (Raspberry) is 9 months now, and Liam just turned 2 at the end of May.  Every day this summer has been a wonderful, exhausting adventure, even if we're stuck inside with torrential downpours.  Today the plan was to meet friends at a park in a neighboring town for a morning play-date.  About an hour before, other mama had decided it was a no go due to all night crib parties her son was throwing (lol, I just love that expression she uses...crib parties...!) and also it was raining where she lives.  It was not yet raining here; I said we'd probably still go (getting out of the house for a bit is always good.) 

Fast forward an hour, kids are still playing in their cribs, and I am lounging, in no rush since we aren't meeting anyone (seriously, if they're happy playing in their cribs, some days a late start is fantastic!)  I get another text, she's putting her refusing-to-wind-down toddler into the car and going to head to the park.  And...it's go time!  A flurry of activity including washing my hair in the sink, packing food, changing diapers, finding clean clothes for all, and getting everyone buckled properly in the car, and we're off to Dunkin for coffee, and to the park. 

Traffic traffic traffic, then cranky toddler (hers not mine) and dark clouds, and we left the park 30 minutes after we got there. 

But...I remembered a bounce house place not far from the park!  I used to take the kids I nannied there!  (Insert angelic heavenly music here!)  GPS, several wrong turns and turning around about 5 times sure that I missed it, and we were there.  (Then tantrum because we didn't have reservations for the water slide bounce houses outside, and no anyway because he's only 2 and the big kids are crazy!)

I mentioned Liam is 2, right?  I wonder if anyone told him.  After he got the idea of the place, no bounce house was too big, including the 2 and 3 story giant slides.  When I say he climbed up and slid down 100 times, I may not be exaggerating.

He bounced and slid for nearly 2 hours, and at one point said "ow, knee".  As there was no obvious injury to his knee, and he didn't fall funny or anything, I offered to kiss it an make it better, and he was off again and fine. 

In a feeble attempt to still have afternoon nap be a thing we do in this house (Zoey was an extremely willing participant), we left at 2:30, came home, had lunch, and then...

...then the limping starts.  Same leg that his "ow, knee" was.  He's never limped.  Yes, yes I am freaking out.  We had such a fun day playing at the park, on the bounce houses, and then a cute lunch just the two of us in the living-room (Zoey was out already), and Dr. Google seems to think he may have a "toddler fracture". 

Tomorrow if he's still limping, or if it gets worse, we'll be trekking over to the doctor's.  I'm so glad Rob (hubby) is so even-keeled.  If he called me at work (yes, I did.) because one of the kids was injured, I'd be packing up the party and rushing out.

Then again...as he didn't nap, and I put him in the pack-n-play in my office while I type this and send out some client birthday cards, I hear "Mommy!  Me!" 

Perhaps he's fine after all.

xoxo,

Happy Mama