Monday, February 27, 2012

Add-END-um


A few weeks ago, I wrote about my large posterior. Well, I will never complain about it again. You see, it saved my little girl's life last week...at least my genes did...

Anna, Elizabeth, Barnes, Big Barnes and Frosty the Unicorn Monster Snowman
We were in the mountains with our friends the Harrises. It had "snowed" in Winston, but Sparta had gotten 3-5 inches, still hardly anything in the mind of this ex-northerner, but hey, you take what you can get. Anyway, I've been eyeing some hills and I convinced some friends to try them with me. 

It was a warm day. By the time we got our snowpants on, grass was already starting to poke through. But these hills were pretty epic. Miniature ski runs...not so miniature actually.... Barnes and I took turns riding with the kids down. Little Barnes finally convinced us to give him a turn, which ended with a smooshed briar patch, tears and a bloody lip. 

Not to be outdone, Anna Rose wanted to go it alone. So I ran down the hill to catch her before she careened into the aforementioned briar patch. Elizabeth was up top. The next thing I see is Anna Rose shooting off like a bullet - the wrong direction!

I yell/tell her to jump off. But there's no chance. She has no understanding that bailing out on a run is sometimes the smartest thing to do. She's holding on for dear life. So I take off after her. But there's no getting to her in time. She's flying straight for the woods...fast...

It's then I see, out of the corner of my eye, the gigantic log she is going to hit. "Jump!" I scream. No chance. The sled slams into the log. Anna Rose flies. I mean SOARS in the air. Full air cartwheel head over feet, feet over head, flip-a-doozie-land-in-a-heap like a ragdoll. I was sure something, maybe a lot of things, were broken. 

She's crying. She swears that she will never sled again as long as she lives. (I might not let her!) I make sure she can feel her toes, her fingers. I check her arms, legs, nothing seems broken. It's a miracle. Then I realize, no, it's her big-old-Erickson-booty! By the grace of God that's what she landed on!

She was a little stiff the rest of the day. But after lunch we were able to make a snowman together. 

We made a friend for the Unicorn Frosty.
Then the kiddos took a well-earned nap-to-a-movie in the basement. 



The next day, she was back to her running, jumping, full of life self. Thank God for big tushies. Not to mention the fact that my girl is one stinking amazing tough young lady.

1 comment:

Rich and Renee Erickson said...

Praise God she lived to tell that tale, and you didn't have a heart attack trying to head her off. In case you are ever at a loss for something to thank God for . . . . .