My Little Hop-Along

August 12, 2009

The kids' dad called me yesterday, and said he was on his way to take Nicholas to the emergency walk-in clinic. Apparently, while hanging out at a friend's house the previous day, he somehow injured his foot. While walking down the stairs, he took a step, and POP--something snapped. Believe it or not, he was not running, jumping, falling or tripping. He was simply using the feet the way God intended--as a means of propelling himself from here to there. Leave it to Nicholas, though, to manage a creative injury.

The verdict from the doctor? Fractured fifth metatarsal. Yup--Nicholas broke his foot by WALKING. Oddly, we're told that this is not all that uncommon. I had never heard of it myself until this happened to Nicholas, but now two of my girlfriends tell me the same thing happened to their sons. Is this a boy thing? Is this a rite of passage for boys at the onset of puberty? Maybe the bones in his feet simply haven't caught up with the growth spurt that has stretched him up to my height. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. This is the same kid who managed to pierce his lip with a fork at the age of three, and the same kid who nearly broke his hip falling through the jungle gym several years ago.

Frankly, I'm surprised it took him this long to break a bone. I'm just bummed for him that he'll be in a surgical boot when he starts junior high in a couple of weeks. His first experience changing classes every day will be compounded by hobbling around, and as of yet, he has not exactly mastered the whole hobbling thing. Here's hoping that a couple of weeks' healing will have him wielding the boot expertly and wearing it like a badge of honor. Maybe it'll give him an conversation ice-breaker when he's meeting all those new kids in his classes this year.