Mama's sick...

A Type A Mom's worst nightmare. But while Mama's sick the kiddos and hubby shall play... Sunday was spent completely indoors (a sin considering that it was Memorial Day weekend, but understandable due to the fact that it was about 30 degrees outside, which should be another sin). More cartoons, than I care to know about were viewed. The only person who go out of their pajamas was Daddy-O, because he couldn't handle the thought of living in his pjs all day. No one ate a single fruit or vegetable, in fact Mama has NO CLUE what was consumed during that day. I am not so proud to admit that I let my 5 year old watch New Moon with me (PG-13- YIKES) and that we both kind of liked it. Daddy (the germ phobe) disappeared for a couple hours as have 'time to himself"- aka- not catch whatever I had. Dishes didn't get put away. Garbage was barely picked up. At bedtime, Abby told me that it had been "the best day" because she got to do whatever she wanted and stay in her pjs all day. I think it was my worst.

Sicko...

So Jack was scheduled to have his flu shot today, the annual return to school visit to the doctor to have liquid shoved up your nose appointment is more like it. This morning he woke up with a runny nose and a fake cough. He felt warm but Bad Mommy sent him to school. You can't miss your 8th day of 3rd grade right? So at the doctor's office he coughed and ran all over the office - lovely! When we finally got put in the room the nurse took his temp and then asked me how long had he been sick. Seriously?!? Less then 16 hours. I bit the bullet and asked for a Dr note to miss school "just in case" . Little Big Ears didn't miss that! Especially after Bad Mommy made him still get the flu shot and in the form of a shot, rather than the more desirable "mist". Guess who is milking the "sick" diagnosis for all it is worth... I can't tell if he is really asleep or faking it. I guess missing day 9 of 3rd grade is okay.

Day 3 of the sick kid forecast...

I am a mean mom. I readily admit that I deny my children luxuries that other kids take for granted. Being that I am in the middle of day 3 home with a sick kid (or so she claimed this morning when she cried about the possibility of throwing up at school), I am climbing the walls! I feel that if I have been home with a sick kid for 3 days (and eluded the germs) I am entitled to a few luxuries like:

• pay per view movies.
• hot cocoa upon request.
• getting a pass on cleaning the bathrooms this week.
• not going to the grocery store.
• eating take out.
• reading my book all day.
• taking a nap.
• long , hot baths.
• warm just out of the oven Tastefully Simple Beer Bread with homemade strawberry jam.

• Dad picking up Jack from karate and bringing home a dinner that I didn't have to call in, request, or have to make a decision about. (Hey! a girl can dream can't she?)
• And a new red Kate Spade handbag. Wouldn't be so bad either! Kind of like a "push present", but a "vomit gift".

A New Discovery...

The School Nurse!

Update on how Jack is doing with his new teacher? Let's just say that on day 2 with "Mrs. New" He ended up in the nurse's office... not once... BUT TWICE! Good grief! This is bad... VERY BAD! Here is why:

1. Jack had perfect attendance last year (up until his mother pulled him out of school on the field trip to the zoo day to go to Reno to watch his father race- guilty much?)
2. He hadn't even been to the nurse. I speculate that he didn't know such a person existed at school.
3. Jack is not so much about change.
4. Jack doesn't really like to work very hard at "school stuff", it is either easy or impossible.
5. Jack will look for any excuse to get out of doing "school stuff" if he deems it too hard.

Do you understand now why this is bad? Super nice "Mrs. New" is eager to make sure that all of the children in her new class feels comfortable with their change of scenery and trusts them all (who can fault her? They are 2nd graders!... Trust me after working in the classroom today, I wouldn't trust any of them!).

After trying to get the reason for trips to the nurse's office, all Jack could tell me was a report of the other children's ailments while he was there, 2 for throwing up on the playground, 1 hurt his leg running, and another need a band aid for a blister on her foot.

Then came Monday...

At 10:55, in my mad dash trying to get my errands done before I had to pick up Abby from school at 11:30, I got the call... The nurse. Nurse- Mrs. K, we have Jack here in the office this morning. He has been here once already. He seems fine but his temperature is 99.4 and he is complaining of a stomach ache. Me- Really? Are you sure? Nurse- Yes, Mrs. K. He is asking to go home. Me- Oh! Okay... (really in my mind I am having thoughts of my day crashing in around me and

the swine flu! My friend's kids had it, my in laws had it, CRAP!!! Jack has it!!!) I will be there shortly.

Let's just say... the next time the nurse calls with Jack and a stomach ache. I will tell her to give him a book and make him go to the bathroom and call me back. By the time we got home from picking up Abby he had devoured his entire lunch in the car and his temp never made it over 97.8. Shoo! Shoo! Swine Flu!

I am a horrible mother aren't I?

The Princess Sleeps- A Day in the Life of a sick Abby

"Abby is sick" Steve tells me last night. I just stare at him, I think this is his way of saying her nose isn't running because she has allergies. The only thoughts in my head after that are- "Can she still go to swim lesson tomorrow? What about my pilates class on Tuesday? BUT wait forget about all of that- she has school Wednesday and I HAVE to get my hair cut!" AGHHH! A sick Abby means a miserable family. I expertly sedated my daughter and put her in bed at 6:45 PM yesterday, without protests from anyone, even Abby! Promptly at 6:58 this morning, we were woken up to the cheerful (and well?) voice of Abby, "Everybody wake up! The sun is open!" Maybe I have been spared a tiresome day of dealing with snot and Kleenex and a 3 year old who refuses to blow her nose (why would she her 6 year old brother won't either). I was wrong, by 7:15 we had our first meltdown and banishment to somewhere other then where I was at that moment. Jack cheerfully left for school at 7:58, I think he was laughing at me as he pulled away on the bus. At home with just the two of us, Abby and I settled into our morning routine, exercise and Ariel. For those of you who don't know, my daughter thinks that she is the Little Mermaid, Ariel. She swims in the pool diving down "like a mermaid", singing Ariel songs, and sometimes talks of her friends Sebastian and Flounder. Anyway, 2 weeks ago the latest of the Little Mermaid movies was released- "The Little Mermaid- Ariel's Beginning". Abby has watched it nearly everyday since it we got it. Now I take issue with Disney- Disney is the finest provider of family and children's entertainment, we love Disney! I have loved Disney since watching the Apple Dumpling Gang, Pollyanna, Bedknobs and Broomsticks as a kid, I remember going to see Disney movies with my mom and my sister and brother and laughing at my mom for crying, what was wrong with that woman??? I will tell you! Disney loves to kill off one of the (if not all of) the adult parental figure(s) in the lives of their young main characters. "The Beginning" is no different, but is by far the most horrifying. Ariel's mother loved to sing and would sing at the surface of the ocean to all the merpeople. One very unfortunate day, Ariel's mother was singing her heart out and the next think she knew all of her friends deserted her because a ship was coming to the cove haphazardly. The boat crashed and Ariel's mother was never seen again. Don't get it--- DISNEY had a BOAT RUN OVER ARIEL'S MOM!!! Abby loves this movie. After watching "The Beginning" Abby came to the office to find me to tell me that she wants me to buy the pancake puff pan. Have you seen the infomerical? Check it out- https://www.pancakepuff.com/flare/next They had Abby at "cover them with chocolate." At first I tried to tell her that they aren't pancake puffs they are actually ebelskivers and that Great Grandma Keith makes them every year between Christmas and New Years Eve and that our family doesn't eat them with chocolate but with powdered sugar or syrup. That bit of family history is lost on the girl who then tells me that you can put "chips" (as in chocolate chips) in them. This morning I told her to ask Santa for it, sick Abby tantrum #2 for the day. Then we had to go through the second part of our morning routine which is when Abby tells me that she misses Jack. Today I was lucky enough to get crying tears and kicking on the floor and not only does she miss Jack today but she also wants her dad- Tantrum #3. Because I can't reschedule her swim lesson and I remember her dad telling me when I swam "you just have a cold get in the water" I take Abby to her swim lesson. She did remarkably well considering the big yellow booger I could see hanging out of her nose through almost the entire class. After swimming I rewarded her with a trip to "the tiny cart store"- Vons. Home safely with our groceries and without a tantrum, Abby prepared her own lunch- bread, sting cheese, and melon. After lunch, a lunch of only the melon, I informed the little mermaid with the deep dark circles under her eyes that it was time for a nap... Tantrum #4, 5, and 6. 20 minutes later I find her sitting in her basket of stuffed animals reading. I tell her get in bed- tantrum #7,8, 9, and maybe even 10. I am not giving up though. 10 minutes later I check her room again- no Abby!!! Where is she? Sleeping on the floor in a corner of the dining room. Sweet dreams! Very soon I will get to awake the sleeping giant and then I get to figure out what my afternoon will be like. Cross your fingers for me!