OUCH!

The boys were outside sledding. They were following their normal path. Down the small hill on the side of the house, across the driveway and continuing down the hill to the edge of the ravine. Over the summer Mark and our neighbor cleared out a bunch of brush in the ravine in order to enlarge the area where we dispose of leaves and other such debris, so the boys were having a blast speeding over the ravine's edge and dropping into the huge pillowy pile of leaves. I, of course, questioned the safety of this due to sticks and other things possibly poking and/or scratching but was assured by my darling husband that all was well. I watched as they did this over and over and over and it looked like so much fun that I decided to give it a try.

That was my big mistake.

I hopped on a sled and followed the exact same path the boys had used over and over again. I came to the edge of the ravine and the next thing I knew my butt hit something hard enough to knock some wind out of me. I just sat there unable to move. Mark had been standing at the edge watching and I heard him ask if I was ok. I think I uttered Ouch Ow. Ow. Or something along that line and I heard him yell to the boys - "No one come down here".

Mark was at my side in a flash. I was embarrassed to be unable to hold back tears. I can't remember ever feeling pain quite like that. I was determined Mark was not going to have to carry me up the side of that ravine and into the house. Though it took some time, I managed to make it inside. Mark and the boys helped me get my snow pants, boots, coat and all that stuff off and even got out crutches!

Sitting there on the side of the ravine, I couldn't move and I hurt, but I could still giggle. There was one small stump sticking up through the leaves. It couldn't have been more than three or four inches in diameter, but my butt found it. The sled is broken, my tailbone is certainly bruised and the boys have lost the privilege of something fun all because Mom didn't act her age.