Thunk

There are moments when the words "I told you so" get swallowed in the overwhelming desire to turn back time and change one tiny thing.

It wasn't because of her softball match, where her team won (although we're not counting - YET) with only 6 turnups against a very professional team of 10.

(Even though she did have a stint behind the plate, with armour built for a taller player and an old mask that obscured the vision. She looked a natural.)

It wasn't because of our trip to the library, despite her eager participation in some extreme book selection with a friend she found there.

She certainly wasn't deliberately placed in any danger by our mad dashes in and out of various grocery stores in search of as much sustenance as possible for the shekels at our disposal.

In the flash back scene in the movie of our life, ominous music would start way in the background when I rang a friend and offered to collect a few things for her.

There would have been some "don't do it" staccato thumps when we pulled in to her driveway.

When I blithely said "sure she can stay here for an hour before you drop your kid and mine over at ours", the sky would have darkened and the viewers would have KNOWN it was not a very good idea.

She didn't show up until 20 minutes past the hour - which I must admit did tickle my concern buttons, as my friend was scheduled for a massage at that time and I don't know about you, but if you have the offer of childminding while you are having a massage, the tendency is to take advantage of the childminding at the earliest moment - I would have thunk.

But instead it was 'Salina what thunk - against a rock (!) when the swing she was standing on (!) broke and she fell onto the compacted earth and rocks - she saved the rocks for her head.

The good news - no broken skin or bones.

The bad news - slight concussion and 72 hours of high alert for any further head bangs.

Other interesting facts learned:

• I don't have so sensitive a stomach I can't hold my daughter's hair from her face when she throws up - hooray, I CAN be my daughter's girlfriend.
• There is a free service called 13 HEALTH who offer triage over the phone. In my dealings with them thus far (i.e. one call) a nurse will advise you to seek medical attention when you are in the dilemna of the "should I/shouldn't I" moments. It helps to have someone say that to you when you have the "over-protective mother" doubts.
• 'Salina can talk in a small and shaky voice when she is unwell as well as when she is putting it on.
• Once stomach contents are emptied, a bowl of soup will make a little girl feel a bit better.
• A good night's sleep can be achieved after sleeping all afternoon (except those moments when your mother wakes you to see you are okay) and will lead to the same vibrant, active, curious child you were used to.

Thank goodness.