Three forbidden fruits

There were three things that were drummed into the kids that were absolutely forbidden for them to do! These are not the logical ones like no smoking, no drinking, no drugs, no sex before you get married, don't get pregnant, don't drop out of school.  "Doc" created his own list of taboos based on his experiences putting people back together who had violated the list.

Our gang has the list memorized:

1.  No motorcycles. 

2.  No three wheelers or ATV's

3.  No trampolines.

We have done well with numbers one and two.  Number three, not so good.  "Mini-Me" was good friends with "Mommy's" boyfriend's (now her husband) sisters.  They had a trampoline.  They were also outstanding gymnasts. My daughter was not.  The girls put "Mini-Me" in one of there gymnastic leotards and the girls went out into the yard to play on the trampoline.  The rest is history.

I distinctly remember getting the phone call.  "Mini-Me" was on the trampoline with the girls and fell off.  Her arm is broken, what do you want us to do?  I told them that we would be right there, and then I had to tell her father....  It was not a pleasant conversation to say the least.   We got in the car and drove twenty minutes to pick up "Mini-Me"  It was the longest twenty minutes of my life!!!  "Doc" was furious that she had disobeyed and now had a broken arm.  "Doc" took care of small medical issues like stitches, but we had always agreed that sometimes he should be their dad.  So, he was also furious that he was taking her to see his friend for medical treatment.  No orthopedic surgeon's child should ever be on a trampoline!  I listened to his "upset" for all twenty minutes of the ride.

We arrived at the future in-laws house.  As soon as "Mini-Me" heard our voices she got hysterical.  Believe me, that only saved her temporarily.  We splinted her arm with a magazine and headed to the emergency room.  "Doc" led the way once we got to the hospital.  He knew everyone there.  I still had to answer the registration questions like "are you both the mother and father?"  The arm was "set" and she was put in a long arm cast.  The real fun came once we got her out of the cast and had to get her arm back to full function.  It isn't by the way, because of a bone chip in her elbow.  Tough lesson to learn.

There were bad storms a week or so ago.  The neighbor's trampoline was blown over the fence and into "Mini-Me's" yard.  Kismet?  "Max" immediately asked if she could jump on it.  Her mother explained why she wasn't allowed on a trampoline.  We can now have a conversation with her about it where she recites the appropriate information..."I can't jump on a trampoline because mommy broke her arm and had to wear a cast like "uncle Surprise" has and we don't want to upset Pops.  If I hurt my arm like mommy did, Pops will get upset and we don't want Pops to be upset."  I hope she listens, but she is a lot like her mom was as a teenager, so.....   I hope Pops doesn't get too upset.