The Family Table: Nothing gets in Josie’s way
This year’s vacation was an adventure that included a child’s fractured ankle and lots of duct tape and garbage bags.
It started three days before we were to leave, when the babysitter called as I was driving home from work. I heard 7-year-old Josie crying in the background as soon as I answered the phone.
Seems the dimpled sweetheart was playing Simon Says outside, and stumbled in the yard. By the time I arrived home, her ankle resembled a bruised balloon, and it was apparent something was wrong.
One trip to the ER later, little miss Josie hobbled home looking like Tiny Tim with news of a fractured ankle, a set of just-her-size crutches and a slip to go see the orthopedic doctor the following day.
While we fretted she’d have to get a cast (which would make her the second child in the family to head to the beach with one in as many years), the doctor opted instead to give her a boot. He also offered instructions that Josie — who is a moving ball of energy even while sleeping — should avoid walking on it as much as possible.
She was also to avoid getting it wet as much as she could.
These things certainly presented a challenge given that we intended to go to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg on Saturday, before spending a week at the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
Josie, however, is a headstrong trooper. There was no way she would forego the amusement park, so we handled that by pushing her around the park in a cart, and we got her a wheelchair to ease the ache of walking when we arrived in Nags Head and went to the aquarium.
We faced our biggest challenge at the beach, knowing there was no way she’d stand for completely avoiding the water. We’d already realized that the waterproof cast cover that her uncle had rush-ordered us wasn’t going to fit over the boot, and while it did fit over a secondary brace we had for her, that brace was less stabilizing, so she couldn’t use it to walk on the sand.
And so, with trial and error, Josie became the most fashionable little lady in Nags Head thanks to the duct taped garbage bag on her foot. Because just plain silver duct tape would be far less fun, her grandparents found her colorful rolls — some even with designs — to make her homemade cast saver more palatable.
The getup wasn’t completely waterproof, but it was waterproof enough to get her and her walking boot into the water. We modified the waterproof covering we used for Josie when a friend broke her toe playing with the kids in the ocean. Alas, that injury is a tale for another column.
Despite the bumps along the way, vacation was a lovely respite from the daily grind, and a reminder that no matter what’s in your way, the bulk of how it turns out is your attitude toward it. Josie-Bean could’ve gone into vacation with a sour outlook, upset about her foot and all the things she couldn’t do.
Instead, she went into vacation looking for a way to do all the things she wanted — and mostly figured out a way to do them all.
When it was our night to cook dinner, she proudly told anyone who would listen that she did all the heavy lifting when she squeezed all the oranges, lemons and limes for the marinade on the chicken for 22 people. She’s right — she did lots and lots of juicing with those little hands.
But that’s Josie: Nothing around her gets in her way.
Citrus Marinated Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon juiced
1 lime juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt/pepper
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil, depending on how tart you want the marinade
Combine the marinade ingredients and toss with chicken thighs. We vacuum-sealed ours and refrigerated it for about 3 hours. Grill the thighs until done. We sliced ours and served them with tortilla shells, salsa and lettuce.