Children are amazing.

Tabitha in particular. Why? Well, she fell off the arm of the sofa at daycare on Thursday and sustained a fairly nasty bump on the head. She cried for perhaps 10 minutes and that was that. She was a little clingier than usual that evening but that was really it. As I went to put her pyjamas on I noticed she was hesitant to use her right arm. Hmmm. Not ideal. So put that one in the "alert" basket. When she came into my room in the middle of the night and wanted to sleep in my bed I told her that of course she could. When she told me she couldn't get in, that's when the alarm bells really started ringing.

So the next morning I dropped the others at daycare and proceeded on to the hospital, wherein they gave her some painkillers, watched her walking around (mid scream mind you) and then jiggled her arm around with the conclusion that she had dislocated her elbow.

After half an hour she was bright as a button, moving the arm, and all was good, and it was felt that the jiggling relocated the elbow to its rightful place. I told them that I thought she had fractured it. She was exhibiting the exact same behaviours as she was after breaking her leg. But no, apparently not, because she was moving the arm, using it a little, and was not "put out" by anything. Okay, you're the doctors.

She slept the rest of the afternoon, was groggy in the evening, then crawled back into bed with me that night. Sounds fine yes?

No.

She was not using her arm this morning. At all. And it was swollen. And hot. And mummy's gut instincts should ALWAYS be trusted.

Xray revealed a supracondylar fracture. For us lay folk, that is a fracture in the bone just above the elbow. Tabitha screamed any time anyone even looked at her. And was still happy enough to play in the waiting room while we were waiting for our turn to be seen. I think that is part of the reason why it took over an hour to even get seen, considering there was nobody else in the waiting room at the time. And three others went in ahead of us as they came in.

However, we finally got to see someone. Tabitha screamed (what a shock) and I told him the whole shebang, and also told him that I thought it was broken, and it was hot and swollen and the rest of the story. Xraying her proved challenging. That is putting it mildly. And after it had finished, and the xray technician said "I've seen that before" or words to that effect, my response was "well it's over for you now though isn't it........". I think he understood.

Anyway, back out to the tv area (which became our "bed" zone because the kids didn't all fit in the cubicle without tripping over each other, and the doctor came out and told me that yes it was fractured and they were just working out how to set it best. Funny thing is it was 100% not surprising. Because I knew it was fractured.

Doctors are doctors. They do know their stuff. But I don't think they put enough weight upon the 'testimony' for want of a better word, of the mother. I know Tabitha in and out, back to front. If she even sneezes a different way I know. Because I am her mother. Won't harp. Just a bit of a bug bear.

Plastering. Yes. Well. That was going to work wasn't it? But guess what? I am giving myself genius status, because when they brought out the collar and cuff (measuring it up on Lexi because the girls are basically the same size), I told Tabitha that they were giving her a new bracelet and necklace to match the bracelet she got from the hospital yesterday (the other hospital gave her a blue bracelet saying "Great job" on it). She was still as. You could not have believed it. Amazing. Truly amazing.

So then it was done. Mini chick was all set, casted up, and ready to go.

And I do think they appreciated that their dad made an appearance at the hospital too. He was supposed to take them from lunchtime for the afternoon and when things turned awry it seemed logical that he come there as he very rarely sees them.

So the morning was spent as I described, and they have had a wonderful time with their dad celebrating early father's day this afternoon, about which I am truly rapt as I would love him to spend more time with them, and now they are all asleep. And I'm hoping they stay that way until morning.

So when you say "I wonder what next weekend will bring", just remember, it may bring fractures....but it also may bring immense pride as you see your second child exhibit qualities of bravery and strengh that would rival the strongest man.

<3 my babies.