Bruises and a Picture

But don't worry, it's not a picture of the bruises.

We were at the library, oh, a month and a half ago?  First thing we always do is return the stack of books that we have read, in preparation for taking home another stack of books.  There are always a handful of Clifford books, the odd assortment of books for me, and maybe a Clifford DVD or two.  Hallie likes to help.  I put the books on the little shelf next to the drop box, lift her up high so she can reach, and then she slowly, one by one, drops each book into the box.

Hanna wanders all around the library, touching people, touching  books, eating things off the floor, and all I can do is watch while Hallie takes her sweet time.  I think the librarians pretty much all know me by this point, and the children's librarian in particular loves Hanna, and it is a mutual thing. But I keep a close eye on her just in case she does something that I would have to respond to.

So my attention is always divided between making sure Hallie is continuing on with her job (she is easily distracted) and making sure that Hanna isn't getting too deep into anyone's personal space (she is easily lured into personal spaces).  On this particularly fine afternoon, I was wearing flip flops and Hallie lost her grip on one 300 or more paged hardcover book.  There is a law of gravity that dictates that heavy books when dropped by toddlers hovering just above their mother's feet that the book will land on its corner, on the delicate bone structure of the upper foot.

And, not one to defy the laws of gravity, this book did just that. I'm not sure what I yelled, I don't think it was coherent, but I can tell you that it was vaguely reminiscent of what I yelled just as Hallie was born into this world.  Every single person in the library turned to stare at me in time to see me drop Hallie** and try not to cry.

Ever since, whenever I wear flip flops my left foot really hurts, and it took me a long time to connect it to the book dropping incident. A month and a half later the flip flops still hurt, and I'm wondering when this will heal.

On Saturday we went to a home improvement store, and Hanna was perched safely high up on the cart seat.  She was playing with a small can of PVC pipe cement. Anything handy to keep them happy at the store on Saturday morning, know what I mean?  I really should know better than to wear sandals by now, but crashing down onto my right foot was, you got it, the heavy can of PVC pipe cement.  And for whatever reason it doesn't hurt when I wear flip flops, but tennis shoes are unbearable.

So thanks babies. Now flip flops and my sneakers are no longer options.  How long will this go on?  Shouldn't bruises heal eventually?

**I didn't really drop Hallie, but she was not put down as gently as she has become accustomed to, that's for certain.

And, as promised, a picture.

Grandpa and Bubbles waiting patiently for lunch.