Think of a time you let something slide, only for it to eat away at you later. Tell us how you’d fix it today.
It wasn’t so much a sliding as a tipping.
It was 1991. Tory Boy was about ten months old.
My younger brother was staying with us in our Johannesburg flat. The Hub, Little Brother, Tory Boy and I decided to walk to the nearby SPAR to pick up a few bits.
The Hub pushed his beautiful baby boy in his beautiful bright-blue-for-a-boy pram. We got about twenty yards from the building’s entrance when a wheel of the pram caught on the gravel and Tory Boy tipped right out, face first into the ground.
I swear it was nervous laughter on my part.
My brother laughed because I laughed (I’m very infectious). The Hub wrestled with the pram, swooped up Baby and yelled at me the terrible mother who laughed when her baby fell face-first into gravel, all at the same time.
My response (I swear it was nervous laughter on my part) has always eaten away at me. Mostly because every time Tory Boy brings it up the Hub glares at me and refuses to believe that it was nervous laughter on my part. Tory Boy doesn’t actually remember the incident but the story impressed him first time he heard it and he likes to remind me of it. Often. At least once every time he comes home, as if I don’t have enough guilt just bearing the title, ‘Mother’. I wouldn’t mind, but he doesn’t even have any scarring from the facial gravel indents.
To fix it, I’d have to have a do-over. Next time, they can go shopping without me.
The Laughing Housewife 
Next time, remind them who it was who tipped the baby out.
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It was the gravel…
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good point vivin.
ugh stuff happens 🙂
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And it’s so funny when it does 🙂
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I do the nervous laughter thing too- or maybe we both have very warped senses of humour?
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I’ll admit to the former and strenuously deny the latter. Unless we’re alone.
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I’m a nervous laugher too. It’s awful.
I took our pram down the steps and it tipped to the side and I dropped it. Luckily there was no baby in it. But an old couple were walking past and they almost died with the shock.
I also dropped a squirming baby when I was a teenager (my mother was showing his mother around our house) as he fell his eye caught on the metal bit of the baby bouncer and so when the two mothers returned her 6 week old son had a black eye.
I also fell down a full flight of stairs once with a screaming child in my arms (again I was a teenager this time babysitting).
Another time when I was lifting my son into his car seat I smacked his head against the roof of the car and his nose bled so much we thought he might need a transfusion.
And I laughed hysterically.
I hope you feel better now.
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I do. Or I will, as soon as social services have paid you a visit 🙂
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😀
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Thankfully the Office of Children’s Services wasn’t standing nearby…. 🙂
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Phew! But you should read Sarsm’s comment on this post…
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oh my, that’s funny. Nervous laughter? I would have thought that was hilarious! Nah, the poor kid. Scarred for life!
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I found this really funny, and it brought back memories of the helpless fit of the giggles that my sister and I couldn’t control when we were told that out grandfather had died. The family were horrified, and definitely didn’t understand the phenomenon of “nervous laughter”. 😦 🙂 I’m so glad that Tory wasn’t scarred for life. Naughty gravel.
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Oh dear! You poor girls.
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I am so guilty of nervous laughter, you can’t help it. My hubby reacts the same way as yours when I get caught in the nervous laughter. Now it isn’t the case because the kids have grown, but in the past, oh boy. Tory boy is the same age as my baby boy and baby girl is a 1994 baby. We have oldish children so we did a grand job keeping them sound and all.
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It’s a miracle mine survived me 🙂
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I am still trying to catch up…but I read you daily and adore you. Your stories & sharing is wonderful. Thanks!
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So glad to have you back, Ann!
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It is difficult not to giggle at what some children get into and/or do.
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OMGoodness! I am so laughing I suffer nervous laughter and or tears. I was once brought into my boss’s office for an evaluation and he told me I needed to improve my people skills and I burst out laughing so hard all he could say was ‘exactly look at yourself and this response” the old fuddy got his comuppence when 2 yrs later I was given his position…based on my ability but the extra comment was my wonderful interaction and trust among my coworkers for being honest! Loved it!
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Good for you!
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Poor baby. (I mean, YOU, as our habit of saying ‘poor baby’ can apply to anyone we sympathize with.) If it makes you feel any better, I actually dropped my child once, while falling down some stairs. He’s fine, an overpaid accountant, these days. But I still feel exactly how you described and still get similar glares over the incident. The son does not know it happened, though. I am thankful for that. Bless you, Tilly.
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Good grief! I suddenly feel like a model mother 🙂
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babies are so precious, including this one!!!
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I may be biased but I have to agree 🙂
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Between you story and Sarsm’s, I’ll not be able to sleep tonight for laughing! 😆
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Music to my ears 🙂
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A friend of mine was in hospital after having her first baby and the nurse brought a tub of water for her to bath the baby on her own for the first time. As she lowered the bub into the tub, she lost her grip and the baby disappeared under the water. To this day, I’m disturbed to acknowledge that we both started laughing before rescuing baby Mariana (who’s now 11 and none the worse for her dunking :))
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Gasp! Slippery suckers, those newborn babies!
Thanks for the chuckle 😀
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Do over granted – hahahahahaha
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Isn’t nervous laughter one of the strangest physiological responses? I can understand how the Hubs would find your reaction very strange and think it insensitive, but I do get it. I’ve had a habit of laughing inappropriately many times–often in church. It’s so embarrassing! What a funny story, and I feel for you! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve laughed out loud in church; usually when the hymn singing goes wrong.
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Frankly, it wasn’t your fault. 😉
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