The pain, it's real.

Having kids is painful. And I'm not just talking about the childbirth and labor part, or the emotional "I hate you!" part. I'm talking REAL pain. On a regular basis.

Maybe it's just little boys with their lack of impulse control. A few months ago Ben nearly broke my nose trying to give me a hug.

Oh yeah, he was running at me from across the room, and happened to connect with my schnoz. I literally saw stars. Fortunately, my nose wasn't broken and there wasn't any bruising, but it was tender for a few days. Ben apologized and gave me a hug, and then a couple days later asked if it still hurt, and said sorry again. How can you be upset with such a sweetheart?

Today we had lunch at church, and while I was sitting on a folding chair, Ben was standing between my knees. All of a sudden he boosted himself up on my knees, to get onto my lap presumably. Unfortunately he connected with my jaw. Hard. Saw stars again.

And really, I spent a few moments checking for pain. He must have hit me in just the right spot - I really didn't have any major owies, other than the initial shock of contact.

I was relating this to friend H, and she showed me a quarter-sized peeling mark on her forearm. Apparently, her 7 year old son held a knife between the glass and door of a toaster oven, with the knife against the heating element. He touched it very quickly to his own skin and it "didn't hurt", so he tried it on his mom. (Of course, right? That would be MY logical next step!) And he branded her! Again, a few days later he asked her if it still hurt, and she honestly said that it did. "Sorry, Mom!"

Oy. I'll be stocking up on ointment and bandages now.