DD's Shiner

DD's Shiner

It's always a wonderful thing when you go to a friend's wedding.

Especially the wedding of an old and dear friend.

You get to see all the people you love and miss from years gone by, you spend a wonderful night catching up, you witness the vows of wonderful people, you wish them nothing but joy for the rest of their lives.

And... these days... you show off your kids.

"He was so cute during the ceremony!"
"Look at their curls!  Wonder where they got those?"
"He looks JUST LIKE YOU!"

DD in back-up clothes after spilling juice on her dress

"Is she sleeping through the night?"
"That doesn't look like an allergy or... did she get in a fight?"
"Guess we should see the other kid, huh?"

Wait- what?

You read that right.  I brought my sweet, curly-topped moppet to one of my best friends' weddings with a black eye.

A real beaut, too.

Grandmommy and Poppa, God bless them, had one again offered to watch the girls overnight while M and I stayed at a hotel (no gigantic iPod this time, though).  When we arrived in the morning of the wedding day, DD was so excited to see us walk through the door that she climbed on Aunt Genocide's couch and started to jump.

And jumped.

And jumped.

And before I could stop her and make her stop jumping on the couch, which she knows perfectly well is NOT allowed, she had begun to fall.  In slow motion.

It took ages.  First, the look of surprise.  Her feet weren't landing where she thought they would- how odd!

Then, the moment of paralyzing realization.  She was falling, falling, oh crap she's falling.

Then, the bind panic.  SHE'S GOING TO HIT HER HEAD ON THAT COFFEE TABLE!

"Show me your mean face!"

The impact- DEAR GOD WAS THAT HER EYE??????

The ricochet followed- SHE SMASHED HER DAMN HEAD AND SHE'S STILL FALLING!!!

And finally, the finale.  THUD.

I already had her in my arms when the tears started, but good lord was she one lucky girl.  The sharp corner of the table missed her eyeball by less than half an inch.  She has a bruise stretching across her entire face between her eye and her ear, and the corner only broke through her skin a little bit.  The swelling has even started to go down already.

You ever tried to put ice on the eye of a screaming toddler?  Doesn't work so well.

So eventually, she calmed down.  And eventually, she ate a bit of breakfast.  And eventually, she took a very short nap.

But when I tried to leave her with her Daddy for a few moments so I could deliver a toast to the happy couple?

Oh, woe betide the mommy who tries THAT stunt.


For a bit of comparison, here is my daughter before her terrible ordeal:

She's saying, "Draw me a heart please!"

And here she is now:

It puts the block onto the tower or else it gets the hose again.

...and one more shot, from the wedding itself:

"Hey Mommy, this little lady botherin' you?"

Ugh.