(excuse any typos, please!)

we had a lovely time with two christmases on friday. we had an intimate morning at our house where we spent all morning opening gifts. santa delivered the kids wishes. a few tears were shed when alexander opened not one but two broken toys! i promised we would return them for new ones as soon as possible. there was still plenty to keep him occupied! i got some martini glasses from vixen and santa even gave me my very own elph! we had a much needed relaxing morning before heading off to celebrate with my husband's family. another lovely christmas followed. we didn't arrive home until sometime after 10pm and didn't get to bed until nearly 11:00!

getting up to have the house prepared for our third christmas, was proving difficult! my parents were coming from newport to spend the day with us. there was much rushing and tidying to do. i got dressed (would wash hair and soak in the jaccuzzi in the afternoon.) meantime there was a dishwasher to empty, floors to vacuum and clutter to put away.

as i was getting dressed i heard a yell, a crash and another yell. alexander was at the top of the stairs. daddy was on the floor, nutcrackers scattered and broken, coffee mug scattered and broken -- coffee all over the place. i wasn't sure what had happened but somehow figured that alexander might have been to blame.

daddy then shouted out for a towel as he was lying on the ground. he had somehow hit his head on something... and well, we know how head wounds are... as i ran down the stairs i skidded on some of the coffee and went down in such a way that i managed to dislocate my shoulder i knew immediately and ran off to find a phone before i knew i wouldn't be able to move. rebecca got the towel. what a scary sight for the kids to have to witness... she amazed me despite her daily drama when it mattered she was stoic, calm and helpful. she really did amaze me.

i called 411 and said i would need an ambulance. the moment i hung up i called back per daddy's request. after he had cleaned himself up he knew that he too would need to go and get stitched up. timing couldn't have been more perfect. parents were on their way and were already in new haven, about 30 minutes away. meantime the police came. hoards of them. because really there is never much for them to do in this bucolic town landscaped by farms and horses. they initially were concerned about the "head injury" but when they saw he was ok they tended to me, the one with the less serious injury, but in more pain. we were a sight!

we live but a 10 minute drive from the hospital and amazingly we got there before the mayhem and crowds appeared. i was checked in and seen first so they could get an iv in me to administer my drugs. the nurses who were on duty were wonderful, compassionate and speedy. after my vitals were taken they administered something to take the edge off. made me sleepy and loopy but really didn't diminish the pain. after my xrays they found me a bed and topped me off with some more. meanwhile daddy was already getting stitched up. he was finished long before i was and eventually met me in my room with my father who had accompanied us so that we could have a ride home. i had to be put under for them to be able to place my arm back in place. i had them try without knocking me out but then came to my senses!

once my arm was back in place i was immediately better... of course my cocktail of medicines were helping!

we were in and out in just 3 hours. i was so grateful to have had my parents nearby... i was glad that my father was able to keep me company... i was glad that moo was able to be with the children... so it could have been worse on so many levels... now i just have a messy house to try to clean. i am grateful to roomba! the laundry can wait and perhaps i will use this time to actually slow down due to the fact that my good arm and hand are out of commission for a while.

turns out what happened was this... daddy told alexander not to dangle his leapster over the stairs at that moment alexander let go. daddy reached up to try to prevent the toy from falling and smashing on, and breaking all the wooden nutcrackers directly below. he slipped and brought the nutcrackers with him, and since he had a cup of coffee in his hand he had nothing to brace his fall with. the mug broke into pieces and coffee went everywhere. he is still unsure as to where and how he hit his head. i fell as i was trying to help him. slipped on the coffee. used my left arm to brace my fall. (i am left-handed) and that's when my shoulder dislocated. all this over a stupid toy!

of course i maintained my sense of humor (it would be ungraceful and unpreppy of me not to!) and, when in the hospital, the volunteer came by to see if we needed anything my request for a glass of champagne was met with laughter all around! they thought i was kidding, but i wasn't!

the final sad news of the day was that we had to flush Comet late last night.

but the leapster survived the flight down and works as well as ever. go figure.

i need to break open my new christmas present from vixen. i need a gimlet. this one hand typing stuff is for the birds!