The Thanksgiving Thumb Fiasco

Random Memory Story:

Munchkin was almost 6, and in Kindergarten.  To set the scene, we have Thanksgiving at my house every year.  Not a huge family, but still, anywhere from 10-15 people show up.  My house isn't very big, so it always feels packed.  This particular year, we had eaten, cleaned up, napped, watched football.  All the normal Thanksgiving fare.  Most of the family were gone.  It was just me, my mom, and her sister visiting in the kitchen, while Munchkin played in the living room and my Uncle did some paperwork on the couch.

All was peaceful until I heard a thump and a bloodcurdling scream.  Coming from my 6 year old daughter.  She had been playing with/on some folding chairs in the living room when one of them folded up on her (hence the name).  When it folded, it trapped BOTH her thumbs IN the chair.

Suffice it to say, I moved faster than I think I ever had before.  Faster still was my Uncle.  He had her up and out of that chair before I could get into the room.  Frankly I don't know what would've happened if he and my Aunt hadn't been there.

Cause people, I FREAKED.  (Yes, with big, bold, capital letters, italics and all.) Mentally I'm having visions of lost thumbs, learning to write with toes, tying shoes with her teeth....you get the picture. What my EYES actually saw were two FLAT thumbs.  I'm not talking a little bit squished.  I'm talking FLAT.  Between the tip of her thumbs and the first knuckle.  Two little thumbcakes  pancakes.

{Back to the freaking...}  My mother gave me a verbal slap in the face and told me NOT to do that.  Meanwhile, my calm, cool and collected Aunt and Uncle already had Munchkin in the kitchen.  One of them held her and ran cold water over her thumbs and the other was readying an ice pack.  And yes, all the while, my kiddo is crying, and I'm still freaking (but only on the inside.)

We calmed her (and me!) down and determined that the thumbs would stay put and there was no need for an ER trip on Thanksgiving Day.  And since I'm anal  frugal that way, I already had Christmas presents bought and wrapped.  So we decided to unwrap one of her DVD's and watch it to hopefully take her mind (and mine) off it.

I'll never forget the first time I watched Monsters, Inc., that's for sure.  We popped popcorn and watched it, with her sitting on my lap, both thumbs on an ice pack, and me feeding her popcorn.  (Incidentally, both thumbs puffed right back up.  The only evidence was on her right thumb, which was a little more squish-ed than the left.  It looked like someone had taken a fine point sharpie and dotted the pad of her thumb repeatedly.  I guess that was from the ends of the blood vessels bursting.  EW.)

Anyway, after things calmed down, would you like to know the only question my child wanted answered?

"Mommy, can I still go to school?"

Really?


Happy Saturday!