Some things you just have to learn the hard way . . .

My children probably don't believe me, but I was once a kid myself. and I have done a few dumb things in my life. Hard to believe I know. But it's true. I totally know what it's like to make a not so smart choice and have something unfortunate happen as a result.

In fact, let's rewind a couple of decades . . . 

I was a typical eleven year old girl. I spent my summers swimming in our swimming pool and jumping on the trampoline. We did all sorts of things that probably were not recommended in the trampoline owners manual. I mean mostly we did standard things like put the sprinklers under the trampoline and jump (my sister sprained her neck once doing that one) and moving the trampoline close to and doing all sorts of acrobatics into the pool (which was only three and a half feet tall.) It's really a miracle that we didn't get more hurt than we did. Especially seeing as we didn't have enclosures for trampolines back then and didn't even have a pad covering the springs. I don't know how many times I was bounced off the trampoline or landed in the middle of the springs and  the bar. Ouch!

Anyways, one day we decided that we would practice our amazing tricks on the tramp. Only this time we had the bright idea to put the trampoline close to our concrete fence and jump from the fence onto the trampoline. And we did.

When it was my turn I decided I would do a knee flip. So I got up on the fence and jumped from the fence onto the tramp. I landed on my knees and did my flip . . . only I got so much bounce that as I was finishing the flip I couldn't really control the landing and I landed head first mouth open right onto the bar. My teeth hit first. I was bleeding pretty good, but the worst part was that when I went inside to ascertain the damage I saw that my front tooth had chipped in half. It wasn't too attractive.

Sad eh? Well even sadder is the fact that I had to wait for more than a year to fix it. Ya, I learned to smile showing only half of my top front teeth. It was awful. You could say I learned my lesson on that one. No more fence to trampoline jumping for me.

I'd like to say that I am completely through with these kind of misjudgments . . . But . . . 

I mean there is still a kid in me. Should a 30 year old Mom do the slip-n-slide? It could be argued! I for one don't see why not. Seems pretty safe to me. It might not be safe for the slip-n-slide . . . ( I may have broken the last one . . .) But anyway . . . 

This time I asked Drew, "Are you sure you want to let me do it Drew? What if it breaks . . . Are you going to be mad at me?" 

"NO."

"Okay. Thanks!" So off I went. It was so fun. I was doing all sort of cool slip-n-slides . . . knees . . . belly . . . knees to belly . . . belly to back . . . I was amazing. I even introduced the throw the ball first and see if you can slip and reach it move. It was all going fine and dandy until Hayden's friend decided to throw a soccer ball at my face as I was sliding down. 

Not so good. Wasn't planning on that one!

 He felt so bad. He kept saying, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"That's okay bud."

But I didn't even need to look in the mirror to know what happened. All I needed to do was feel the bottom of my front tooth with my tongue. 

"Oh Fart!" (pardon my french)

I called the Dentist, but he is out of town. I hope it doesn't take a year this time . . . but in the meantime if I don't give you the full smile you deserve . . . you'll know why.

I'd say that I've learned my lesson and that my slip'n slide days are over . . . but . . .  I doubt it.  :o) And I admit . . . It's probably a good thing that Lamon won't allow us to have a trampoline! . . .