Because You Care

Emails, phone calls, and case worker visits are but a few of the consequences of posting pictures of toes on sinks. Perhaps a public update is in order.

Lila is fine. Her normal toddler jog has a conspicuous dip to it and her natural tendency to wail piteously is a bit more pronounced, but she's fine. The doctor has told us that her nail and all the surrounding parts should theoretically grow back, but he didn't look ready to place a bet on it just yet. He did have some targeted words to say on the subject of barefoot brick-laying, but my wife was not in attendance to hear them.

Next, the photo is real. That said, it did make the flap of skin (and that's really all it was) look a hell of a lot like a whole toe, didn't it? I myself was horrified to see it on my computer screen and could not resist the temptation to post it without explanation. If The Mom hadn't chimed in early that there was "no bone or muscle" damage, I surely would have left it up to the imaginations of my readers for much longer without comment. You should thank her. Then tell her targeted words about barefoot brick-laying.

This morning we went into the backyard for the first time since the injury. Lila was fine and went around the yard (fully shod) pointing at various paving stones saying, "I not picking it up, Daddy! I not picking it up!" For her part, Victoria spent her time sitting across from me at our patio table, occasionally asking for a sip of my coffee. When I finally acquiesced to her badgering, she gave me a distrustful look and said, "No, thank you. It's awfully bitter."

Comments

[Trishfreak]

at least she isn't screaming when she sees a rock or brick. When my son got the screen door shut on his achilles heel (super yikes owie) he screamed whenever it came within a foot of him (no pun intended).

That being said, the photo was awesome. I showed my squimish father in law. The reaction alone was priceless.

[Nicole]

Thanks for the update/explanation. After I foolishly, foolishly clicked the picture, I specifically warned my husband and my mom not to do so. Of course they did. It's irrestistible, really.

I do hope you were kidding about the DCF visit. No way should a toddler accident be grounds for that, said the mom whose three-year-old son had a cinderblock dropped on his hand at preschool resulting in the loss of his thumbnail, visited the emergency room for an asthma attack, and chipped his tooth all in the span of a month.

[The Dad]

Nicole: Actually there were two non-truths in the post above. 1) No caseworkers appeared and 2) I did actually modify the picture a little. I cropped out a big ol' pubic hair that was on the sink next to the toe.

[The Whole Jackson]

I find it hilarious that you post a photo of a bloody dismembered toe, but you balk at a pubic hair.

[Mort's Mom]

Pubic hair on sink? How? Why? Sack your Butler forthwith.

[magpie]

Did you tell Victoria that coffee would stunt her growth?

[Jennifer]

Duuuuuude, I can't believe you said "pubic hair"! Your MOM reads this blog!

[Wendy]

Since you brought it up...Don't you hate when you find a pubic hair in your house and you have no idea who it belongs to? I mean, we do have a lot of guests in our house throughout the week (parents, therapists, friends). Playing "Guess Whose Pubic Hair This Is" is NOT my idea of fun. It's gross!

Okay, back to the post...Your girls are very smart - Lila for refusing to pick up anymore bricks and Victoria for realizing that coffee is bitter. Geniuses.

[Petunia]

So glad Lila's comfortable and up and around again. You need a parenting break.

[Gdada]

Heeding the warning, the Gmama and I have refused to look at the picture of the toenail plus. Lila's vocal end and charm have stayed intact. Maybe after we are given a personal view of the toe in question by the apprentice mason we will consider clicking through to the offending picture.
Gdada

[Jess]

I'm still calling shenanigans on the photo (maybe it's just that I wish nothing this horrible happened to kids). The blood is awfully bright... wouldn't it darken as it sat on the sink? I'm assuming you wouldn't rush the toe into the bathroom and take a picture of the fresh toe without taking a few minutes to do some basic first aid and emotional damage control. Also assuming a brick wouldn't slice a straight line through toe flesh. Regardless I hope everyone in the family has a less dramatic weekend.

[Wendy]

Thought better of my comments and came back looking for the little trash can so I could delete it. Which is more gross - pictures of severed toes (okay, okay, it was just the nail!) or finding someone else's pubic hair on you?

Okay, now I've talked about it again! Sheesh..when will I learn?!

[Loren]

Those damned pubes! They show up at the worst times. Like on the candy counter top right after you ordered popcorn at a movie theatre. They're everywhere!!!

[Not Erin]

Wendy,
It depends on whose pubic hair it is....
Does Chewbacca have pubes, do you think? How about those Geico cavemen?

[Greatexpectations]

Glad she's OK, glad you're OK enough to sit casually on your patio and drink coffee ... and take in the fresh Jersey air.

Oh, and I'm linking to you in a post that hopefully we'll be up sometime between noon and the year 2019, depending on how my twins cooperate today.

[You can call me, 'Sir']

Without that cropping, my reaction to the picture would've been something like, "Oh look, a child's severed toe, wow, that's OH SWEET MERCIFUL JESUS IS THAT A PUBIC HAIR DEAR GOD I'M BLIND!"

So, y'know. Thanks for the cropping.

[Laura]

okay did she really say that or are you paraphrasing?? "awefully bitter" doesn't sound like something a toddler would say. Not that I know your children. Maybe they're more well spoken than other toddlers.

[The Dad]

Yes, Laura, she actually said, "It's awfully bitter." It's from a book we read. The more surprising thing is that a 29-month-old said, "No, thank you."