Why is it that every time a baby gets a runny nose, gets fussy, drools, chews on his toothbrush/a pen/his fingers, or cries we all decide that he must be teething? Possibly because it's true. Josh has been sick many times since September and I can't help but wonder how many of the illness were teething. What's worse, just when you decide that your baby is probably only teething, you find out he has a double ear infection (that happened in August).
So imagine my happiness when Joshua's mouth filled up with teeth and it seemed there was no room for any more teeth to squeeze in there! Oh, it was exciting. He could chew up carrots significantly more (before spitting them out- we still can't knock him of that habit). He stopped gnawing on his toothbrush and started actually brushing and his perpetually runny nose ceased to be runny!
Until recently... and that's when the fun started all over again. I first noticed that Joshua was trying to fit his entire hand into his mouth. I thought it was a little disconcerting but no big deal until I then noticed his nose was running. Now he doesn't want to eat anything hot or cold. Not even "go go" (yogurt) or "mo mo" (oatmeal).
This can only mean one thing... molars. Why does he need these silly molars anyway? Does he really need to go through all of this pain? Poor sweetie, but really I'm running out of ideas for what he might like to eat besides Cheerios and animal crackers! The other night he even turned down... dinosaur chicken nuggets!
Poor Joshua. I suppose someday you will appreciate having all of your teeth. You have a terrific smile, so I'm sure that will help you get ahead in life. And imagine all the great food you will be able to eat once these pesky teeth come in- from corn on the cob to bbq ribs! Maybe someday soon you'll even have enough teeth to pulverize those carrots enough so that you will actually even swallow them instead of spitting them out onto your shirt.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Alligators, Bats, Corn, Dinosaurs, Egg Salad and Frogs (Revised)
Revision of earlier post:
The first question I asked in search of a preschool was do you teach the alphabet? It may surprise you why I asked that question; it was because I wasn't really interested in Liam learning the alphabet... at least not as a formal, academic curriculum.
A few years ago my sister-in-law asked my advice about how she could teach her youngest daughter to read. I told her to read with her daughter. This turned out to be very convenient because they were already reading quite a lot. By the age of four, my (very adorable) niece had already read the chapter book Charlotte's Web along with countless other picture books (including Wide Mouthed Frog, which I bought for her). As a 7 year old, she still loves to read each and every day. To be fully clear, my sister-in-law did mix a bit of phonics into her daughter's program. I believe in addition to their steady diet of real books, she also did learn quite a bit from Hooked on Phonics and other toys & games. Still though, I think the reading part is the most important and the real reason why my niece loves reading so much.
Now that Liam is a 4 year old, I am constantly reminded about our alphabet. He loves to read and does so often- at home and at school. But everywhere I go, there's another reminder about the alphabet and it leaves me with the question... why? And why in that order? I'm quite sure that the alphabet is just a string of letters that fit into a song to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (did anyone else take 32 years of their life to finally notice that connection?).
We visited Liam's current preschool in the fall and I was very happy to see a bulletin board with X-Rays on the wall, a sensory table that was left open for kids to play in and a huge Lego table. There was a photocopy on one of the tables with the numbers 1-10 written in English, French, Spanish, Hebrew and Punjabi. Not to mention the children's garden outside of the classroom windows, a ginormous playground and certified preschool teachers. We happily started paying (in July... for a preschool class that didn't start until September).
Did we find the perfect preschool? Was Liam about to embark on a school year of discovery? Yes... but... it only took a couple of weeks of holidays and settling in before the first art projects started to appear in his mailbox- an Apple person, who was soon followed by a Bear with Buttons and, the following week, Caterpillars and Cats and Cars. But what about the X-Ray bulletin board? Well, it turns out that we just happened to visit during the week they learned about X.
It's been weeks since my realization. We tried to get into the spirit but it's a little hard when you have to bring in a picture of something that starts with the letter K (Liam, you can bring in a picture of a Knight [but that might be too confusing], a King, a Kite or a Key). We embraced the show-and-tell for items that begin with the letter J (Jelly Beans to share!).
Am I spoiling the fun of all of you preschool mommies out there who are proud of your child's Dogs, Elephants and Fish? I hope not. I really do value the art projects, show and tell (even with specific parameters), story reading, etc... I just can't help but wonder about our ABC's.
What if instead of teaching the ABC's in order, we started with the "easy" letters that only make one sound- like B, D, F, H, etc... and then moved on to those multi-sound hellions like C & G only to finish up with the vowels? Or how about if we ditch the ABC's altogether and go more whole language? Or subject-based? So maybe a unit on lizards where they also happen to discuss the fact that lizard starts with L? I was just talking to a friend who said at her daughter's preschool, they based the order of letter learning on shapes of letters. And that's the thing, the more preschools I called last year and the more friends I talk to, the more I realize there's no escaping this alphabet thing (unless maybe you go Montessori... but the visit the Montessori preschool may be fodder for an entirely different blog post someday...).
I am very happy with our decision to enroll Liam in this preschool. It was the best decision for our family. Liam loves his classroom and has learned so much about social development, appropriate behavior and more. They read two or more books every single day and I think that is where the real learning is taking place. On the way home from school Friday, Liam even recited all of the months in a row to me (I have barely tried to attempt that one at home) and I know I saw a bar graph on chart paper hiding behind the teachers' desk last week too. So for the time being, I'll help Liam look for his show and tell Lion or a Leopard. This being said; I'm really hoping that, on the second week of September, Liam doesn't come home from Kindergarten with colored in Alligator.
The first question I asked in search of a preschool was do you teach the alphabet? It may surprise you why I asked that question; it was because I wasn't really interested in Liam learning the alphabet... at least not as a formal, academic curriculum.
A few years ago my sister-in-law asked my advice about how she could teach her youngest daughter to read. I told her to read with her daughter. This turned out to be very convenient because they were already reading quite a lot. By the age of four, my (very adorable) niece had already read the chapter book Charlotte's Web along with countless other picture books (including Wide Mouthed Frog, which I bought for her). As a 7 year old, she still loves to read each and every day. To be fully clear, my sister-in-law did mix a bit of phonics into her daughter's program. I believe in addition to their steady diet of real books, she also did learn quite a bit from Hooked on Phonics and other toys & games. Still though, I think the reading part is the most important and the real reason why my niece loves reading so much.
Now that Liam is a 4 year old, I am constantly reminded about our alphabet. He loves to read and does so often- at home and at school. But everywhere I go, there's another reminder about the alphabet and it leaves me with the question... why? And why in that order? I'm quite sure that the alphabet is just a string of letters that fit into a song to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (did anyone else take 32 years of their life to finally notice that connection?).
We visited Liam's current preschool in the fall and I was very happy to see a bulletin board with X-Rays on the wall, a sensory table that was left open for kids to play in and a huge Lego table. There was a photocopy on one of the tables with the numbers 1-10 written in English, French, Spanish, Hebrew and Punjabi. Not to mention the children's garden outside of the classroom windows, a ginormous playground and certified preschool teachers. We happily started paying (in July... for a preschool class that didn't start until September).
Did we find the perfect preschool? Was Liam about to embark on a school year of discovery? Yes... but... it only took a couple of weeks of holidays and settling in before the first art projects started to appear in his mailbox- an Apple person, who was soon followed by a Bear with Buttons and, the following week, Caterpillars and Cats and Cars. But what about the X-Ray bulletin board? Well, it turns out that we just happened to visit during the week they learned about X.
It's been weeks since my realization. We tried to get into the spirit but it's a little hard when you have to bring in a picture of something that starts with the letter K (Liam, you can bring in a picture of a Knight [but that might be too confusing], a King, a Kite or a Key). We embraced the show-and-tell for items that begin with the letter J (Jelly Beans to share!).
Am I spoiling the fun of all of you preschool mommies out there who are proud of your child's Dogs, Elephants and Fish? I hope not. I really do value the art projects, show and tell (even with specific parameters), story reading, etc... I just can't help but wonder about our ABC's.
What if instead of teaching the ABC's in order, we started with the "easy" letters that only make one sound- like B, D, F, H, etc... and then moved on to those multi-sound hellions like C & G only to finish up with the vowels? Or how about if we ditch the ABC's altogether and go more whole language? Or subject-based? So maybe a unit on lizards where they also happen to discuss the fact that lizard starts with L? I was just talking to a friend who said at her daughter's preschool, they based the order of letter learning on shapes of letters. And that's the thing, the more preschools I called last year and the more friends I talk to, the more I realize there's no escaping this alphabet thing (unless maybe you go Montessori... but the visit the Montessori preschool may be fodder for an entirely different blog post someday...).
I am very happy with our decision to enroll Liam in this preschool. It was the best decision for our family. Liam loves his classroom and has learned so much about social development, appropriate behavior and more. They read two or more books every single day and I think that is where the real learning is taking place. On the way home from school Friday, Liam even recited all of the months in a row to me (I have barely tried to attempt that one at home) and I know I saw a bar graph on chart paper hiding behind the teachers' desk last week too. So for the time being, I'll help Liam look for his show and tell Lion or a Leopard. This being said; I'm really hoping that, on the second week of September, Liam doesn't come home from Kindergarten with colored in Alligator.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Re: Toys That Break Easily
It's official, I would like to add to my list of most annoying toys... Transformers. And here's why: Liam went shopping for his best friend's birthday present and got him a Transformer (if you're reading this Mary Anne, sorry I gave away the surprise). It became immediately clear that Liam wanted a Transformer too so he spent his own money to buy a matching one. In the past 20 hours since its purchase I have transformed it about 4 times, my husband about 6 times, Liam 2 1/2 and my brother who is visiting from out of town can't count how many times he's transformed it (partly because he's obsessed with fiddling with it... even when Liam is not around). We have been asked (or told) to transform it about 58 times.
Did you know modern Transformers have little hairpin clips that need to be perfectly aligned for clicking back together? And that they have ball bearing joints that easily pop off and need to be snapped back into place?
Perhaps the Transformer would be less annoying if it didn't also speak. That's not to say that this Transformer has a voice option. No, it only speaks to Liam. It tells Liam that it wants to be transformed. Roughly translated, this means we need to transform it. No matter what we are doing- showering, making dinner, driving, sleeping...
Depending on how this next 24 hours goes, I may be forced to do something drastic. Like packing the Transformer into my brother's bag for him to take back home when he leaves next week.
Did you know modern Transformers have little hairpin clips that need to be perfectly aligned for clicking back together? And that they have ball bearing joints that easily pop off and need to be snapped back into place?
Perhaps the Transformer would be less annoying if it didn't also speak. That's not to say that this Transformer has a voice option. No, it only speaks to Liam. It tells Liam that it wants to be transformed. Roughly translated, this means we need to transform it. No matter what we are doing- showering, making dinner, driving, sleeping...
Depending on how this next 24 hours goes, I may be forced to do something drastic. Like packing the Transformer into my brother's bag for him to take back home when he leaves next week.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ode to Tiny Screwdrivers
There was a time not so long ago when Bill & I moved in with each other and realized we had two of those little tiny screwdriver sets. And we thought that was a little bit silly. Maybe we should keep one in the closet and one near the entertainment center? But what could we possibly do with two of those little screwdriver sets?
Then we had children. Soon tiny screwdriver sets became necessary quite often. Batteries for toys, bouncy seats, Nerf guns, you name it. While on this topic- you wouldn't believe the amount of batteries we go through in this house. And no matter how many batteries we keep in the house (we buy them in bulk... with coupons), we're always missing the size we need. There's nothing like keeping a kid in suspense on Christmas morning when he wants to use his new remote control car. Sorry kiddo, we need 5 AA's for the remote and 3 C's for the car. We only have 2 of each. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Bummer.
Not to mention fixing your glasses (the originally intended purpose for tiny screwdrivers) when your baby snatches your glasses/sunglasses off of your face and contorts them unnaturally.
This evening I was using the tiny screwdriver for an alternate purpose. Joshua had stuck a Mega Block into a shape box and it was stuck (or "guck" depending on who you spoke to about the problem). I had already tried to use ice tongs, a butter knife and a potato peeler to get the block out but it just wasn't budging. So I tried to pry it out with a tiny screwdriver. That didn't work either. Then I realized there was a tiny screw in the box so I could just take the box apart and push the block out of the tube it was stuck in. So with little fanfare I did just that. Okay, there was more drama than just that- I lost the screw (found by Liam) and it took more time to actually put it back together than it did to take it apart. But in the end, all was well and the block was retrieved... thanks to our mini screwdriver. Gee, thanks mini screwdriver for saving another one of our toys, we needed that one!
If you are about to have a baby and you only have one tiny screwdriver set; do yourself a favor. Go and get another set. Actually, get two more sets because you just never know when you are going to need one and you wouldn't want to have to go searching for the original one in a desperate time of need. While you're at the store, you should also buy as many packages of batteries as your cart will hold. You will need them soon enough, I assure you.
Then we had children. Soon tiny screwdriver sets became necessary quite often. Batteries for toys, bouncy seats, Nerf guns, you name it. While on this topic- you wouldn't believe the amount of batteries we go through in this house. And no matter how many batteries we keep in the house (we buy them in bulk... with coupons), we're always missing the size we need. There's nothing like keeping a kid in suspense on Christmas morning when he wants to use his new remote control car. Sorry kiddo, we need 5 AA's for the remote and 3 C's for the car. We only have 2 of each. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Bummer.
Not to mention fixing your glasses (the originally intended purpose for tiny screwdrivers) when your baby snatches your glasses/sunglasses off of your face and contorts them unnaturally.
This evening I was using the tiny screwdriver for an alternate purpose. Joshua had stuck a Mega Block into a shape box and it was stuck (or "guck" depending on who you spoke to about the problem). I had already tried to use ice tongs, a butter knife and a potato peeler to get the block out but it just wasn't budging. So I tried to pry it out with a tiny screwdriver. That didn't work either. Then I realized there was a tiny screw in the box so I could just take the box apart and push the block out of the tube it was stuck in. So with little fanfare I did just that. Okay, there was more drama than just that- I lost the screw (found by Liam) and it took more time to actually put it back together than it did to take it apart. But in the end, all was well and the block was retrieved... thanks to our mini screwdriver. Gee, thanks mini screwdriver for saving another one of our toys, we needed that one!
If you are about to have a baby and you only have one tiny screwdriver set; do yourself a favor. Go and get another set. Actually, get two more sets because you just never know when you are going to need one and you wouldn't want to have to go searching for the original one in a desperate time of need. While you're at the store, you should also buy as many packages of batteries as your cart will hold. You will need them soon enough, I assure you.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Eco-Irony From a Mom's Perspective
Let's talk about irony. The irony of being a mom in the 21st Century eco-friendly culture. We have disposable diapers and reusable grocery bags. I looked it up online and, as most people who depend on the Internet for research do, read the first article I came across and decided it was true. It was an article on eHow by Deb Barracato titled Environmental Impact of Disposable Diapers. The article stated that the average child will soil 5,000 diapers before he/she is potty trained. It's illustrated by a picture of a diapered cutey with the caption, "Parents will change up to 10,000 soiled diapers before their child potty trains." Excuse me, I'll take the baby who only soils 5,000 diapers please! Okay, so clearly his diaper argument could go on forever and (someone else) could write their own blog about it, but what I'm getting at is this: Most of us use these disposable diapers and yet we consider ourselves to be eco-friendly when we go to the store with those reusable shopping bags. Or in my case, hope they remember to give you that 6 cent credit per bag when you reuse the store's own grocery bags from a previous trip. Meanwhile, our kids are pooping and peeing up a storm in these diapers which we are dumping into landfills across the nation. But this is only the beginning of our ironic quest for eco-friendly options in a world where our neighbors put their Christmas tree out on the curb in a plastic bag (I kid you not, a perfectly good, natural tree... in a garbage bag).
Each year I revel in the joy that is garage sales (not sure if that worked grammatically). There's a special place in my heart for the bi-annual kids sale that fills up a local sports arena with consignment kids clothes, toys, books and gear. Oh joy is the only mood as I scoop up previously loved Baby GAP clothes ($2-10), Leapster Games (they cost $20 at the store yet at this kids sale, you can get a bag with games and a whole used game system for $12) and Matchbox Pop Up boxes for $3! It's environmentally friendly too; reusing other peoples' kids' stuff. I mean, kids wear and play with things for such a short time, they so rarely get used up, might as well let strangers reuse them for a small fee! This would all be well and good, the quest for used cheap stuff (saving packaging & waste) if it weren't for the fact that it doesn't curtail us buying new stuff very much at all. No, we continue to buy new toys for birthdays and holidays. Toys in packages designed to catch a young-person's eye in a toy aisle. Packages that trap the toys inside for a full 10 minutes after they have been opened by the kid, while the parent feverishly tries to rip off cardboard, unravel plastic coated metal twisties, even sometimes unscrewing from their death-like grasp to.. the box! And after all that wasted packaging a few years later (maybe months) the toy is spent, broken and/or outgrown. Maybe we'll pass it on but often it is just more plastic in a garbage can.
There's the walking to offer fresh air at a local park. But how do you get there? By car. And how do you get to the ice cream place afterwards? By car.
... The purchasing of organic produce, but forgetting that there's pesticides in your wheat so that the bread you just bought might not be in your family's best interest.
... The urge to get a shiny new hybrid followed by the reality of getting a larger used sedan because it's cheaper and may have better safety ratings.
... And a little known fact as you pack your child's lunch bag with his/her reusable Hello Kitty/Iron Man insulated tote: those plastic yogurt containers you're sending with your kid each day? They're getting thrown out. Probably the juice bottles too. No one is washing them out and recycling them. If your child buys a lunch, it's probably served on a Styrofoam tray.
We live in constant irony here. Sometimes to me it seems we take a small step forward and a few steps back (I know, I didn't make that up). I want to be better- to use the reusable shopping bags AND the reusable diapers. I'd love to buy a certified used Hybrid. I haven't yet, but I recognize my faults here. While I may not be saving the planet, perhaps I can console myself in knowing that at least I'm not deluding myself to think that being an eco-friendly mom is easy.
Each year I revel in the joy that is garage sales (not sure if that worked grammatically). There's a special place in my heart for the bi-annual kids sale that fills up a local sports arena with consignment kids clothes, toys, books and gear. Oh joy is the only mood as I scoop up previously loved Baby GAP clothes ($2-10), Leapster Games (they cost $20 at the store yet at this kids sale, you can get a bag with games and a whole used game system for $12) and Matchbox Pop Up boxes for $3! It's environmentally friendly too; reusing other peoples' kids' stuff. I mean, kids wear and play with things for such a short time, they so rarely get used up, might as well let strangers reuse them for a small fee! This would all be well and good, the quest for used cheap stuff (saving packaging & waste) if it weren't for the fact that it doesn't curtail us buying new stuff very much at all. No, we continue to buy new toys for birthdays and holidays. Toys in packages designed to catch a young-person's eye in a toy aisle. Packages that trap the toys inside for a full 10 minutes after they have been opened by the kid, while the parent feverishly tries to rip off cardboard, unravel plastic coated metal twisties, even sometimes unscrewing from their death-like grasp to.. the box! And after all that wasted packaging a few years later (maybe months) the toy is spent, broken and/or outgrown. Maybe we'll pass it on but often it is just more plastic in a garbage can.
There's the walking to offer fresh air at a local park. But how do you get there? By car. And how do you get to the ice cream place afterwards? By car.
... The purchasing of organic produce, but forgetting that there's pesticides in your wheat so that the bread you just bought might not be in your family's best interest.
... The urge to get a shiny new hybrid followed by the reality of getting a larger used sedan because it's cheaper and may have better safety ratings.
... And a little known fact as you pack your child's lunch bag with his/her reusable Hello Kitty/Iron Man insulated tote: those plastic yogurt containers you're sending with your kid each day? They're getting thrown out. Probably the juice bottles too. No one is washing them out and recycling them. If your child buys a lunch, it's probably served on a Styrofoam tray.
We live in constant irony here. Sometimes to me it seems we take a small step forward and a few steps back (I know, I didn't make that up). I want to be better- to use the reusable shopping bags AND the reusable diapers. I'd love to buy a certified used Hybrid. I haven't yet, but I recognize my faults here. While I may not be saving the planet, perhaps I can console myself in knowing that at least I'm not deluding myself to think that being an eco-friendly mom is easy.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
In Sickness and In Health (but preferably the health part)
I'm happy to say that after a week of being sick, Bill seems to be feeling much better. But it was a rough go while it lasted... for me. Because while my poor sweet hubbie was reduced to a napping mess of blechy I had to hold down the fort- during my vacation.
It all started Christmas day. The day is usually a blur of excitement and work. I try to focus on the joyousness but we're on such a timed schedule throughout the day that it's a challenge- from opening presents to eating breakfast to putting together gifts followed by making, serving, eating & cleaning up after a big dinner! So when Bill started to wilt at about 4 pm I gave him a pitiful face and said I hoped he felt better. And at 5 he told me he was starting to think he actually caught whatever it was that Joshy was sick from, I started to get a bit more concerned. And at 6 pm when there was a flurry of setting the table, finishing up the dinner and rounding up the family I barked the most sympathetic thing I could come up with... "Power through it!" Because if he had fallen down at that moment, I'm just not sure what I would have done. I might have just given up too, I think. So maybe it wasn't exactly in the spirit of the holiday. The spirit of the holiday would have meant I would tell him to go put his feet up by the fire while the children brought him cups of tea (wait, that's not right either). Seriously though, who else was going to carve the turkey?
Isn't that what teamwork is? Not deserting your teammate in her holiday time of need? Okay, so many would argue that teamwork is actually being able to compensate for your teammate if he gets very sick just minutes prior to serving a big family its holiday dinner. Whatever.
During dinner I was quite certain Bill was actually sick because he barely touched his meal. Bill lives for turkey, mashpo and cranberry sauce (only if it's fresh out of the can... with the ridges). I knew it and I felt quite bad about it... so bad that I ate an extra piece of that fine apple hickory smoked turkey he had spent so long grilling all day. Mmmm.... And after the meal I was very supportive of his need to nap. While my mother-in-law cleared the table and father-in-law loaded the first of many loads of dishes I started to clean up the downstairs. I'm glad I did too because I found pepperoni under a couch cushion and what must have been 6 crackers stepped on in the family room.
I maintained my supportive wife role for quite some time, in the holiday spirit. It was a full 12 hours before I cracked again. While Bill was hanging with sick Josh the next morning, I may have barked, "I JUST NEED YOUR HELP OR I'M GOING TO CRY." And considering the state of my house, this was almost expected of me. I visualized myself doing dishes for my entire Christmas vacation. I think we seriously dirtied every dish in the house- plastic and Pfaltzgraph. So I was a little beside myself.
And throughout the week it continued with no signs of getting better. Day after day Bill had no appetite and symptoms of ickiness. Let's not forget that Joshua was showing no signs of getting better either. So I was constantly changing heinous diapers. Each one was worse than the one before it. And to make matters worse, with so many bad diapers he had a horrible rash too so he was writhing in pain. Writhing... with a horribly poopy diaper (gloppy actually). As you can imagine, I did quite a bit of laundry during this bout of illness. Of course, there was also all of the cooking. It probably would have been a little ridiculous of me to expect a sick Bill to cook for Liam and I while he ate only toast. So instead I cooked and had to argue with Liam about my meal choices, "You DO like Beefaroni!"
By Thursday I was really looking forward to a break. Both boys were set up for the day at daycare. My plan was to tackle schoolwork. It didn't go as planned. First of all, I ended up bringing Liam to daycare which took time out of my day-for-myself-schedule. Meanwhile, Bill took Josh to the doctor- after which we decided that it would be best to keep him home. Argh. There went my day to myself, even if it was just a day slated for work.
So naturally I vented to the only person available. The person who was still pitifully sick himself. The person who I was mad at- but not really mad "at". I threw a temper tantrum like a little baby. And soon after, my actual little baby took his three and a half hour nap; and I worked on my schoolwork.
Just like that, all of that "good wife capital" I had earned throughout the week caring for a sick husband and son was spent and gone. Gone. Just for the record, I told Bill that if I am ever again in labor and he tells me to "Power through it", I do reserve the right for my future self to kick him out of the room.
It all started Christmas day. The day is usually a blur of excitement and work. I try to focus on the joyousness but we're on such a timed schedule throughout the day that it's a challenge- from opening presents to eating breakfast to putting together gifts followed by making, serving, eating & cleaning up after a big dinner! So when Bill started to wilt at about 4 pm I gave him a pitiful face and said I hoped he felt better. And at 5 he told me he was starting to think he actually caught whatever it was that Joshy was sick from, I started to get a bit more concerned. And at 6 pm when there was a flurry of setting the table, finishing up the dinner and rounding up the family I barked the most sympathetic thing I could come up with... "Power through it!" Because if he had fallen down at that moment, I'm just not sure what I would have done. I might have just given up too, I think. So maybe it wasn't exactly in the spirit of the holiday. The spirit of the holiday would have meant I would tell him to go put his feet up by the fire while the children brought him cups of tea (wait, that's not right either). Seriously though, who else was going to carve the turkey?
Isn't that what teamwork is? Not deserting your teammate in her holiday time of need? Okay, so many would argue that teamwork is actually being able to compensate for your teammate if he gets very sick just minutes prior to serving a big family its holiday dinner. Whatever.
During dinner I was quite certain Bill was actually sick because he barely touched his meal. Bill lives for turkey, mashpo and cranberry sauce (only if it's fresh out of the can... with the ridges). I knew it and I felt quite bad about it... so bad that I ate an extra piece of that fine apple hickory smoked turkey he had spent so long grilling all day. Mmmm.... And after the meal I was very supportive of his need to nap. While my mother-in-law cleared the table and father-in-law loaded the first of many loads of dishes I started to clean up the downstairs. I'm glad I did too because I found pepperoni under a couch cushion and what must have been 6 crackers stepped on in the family room.
I maintained my supportive wife role for quite some time, in the holiday spirit. It was a full 12 hours before I cracked again. While Bill was hanging with sick Josh the next morning, I may have barked, "I JUST NEED YOUR HELP OR I'M GOING TO CRY." And considering the state of my house, this was almost expected of me. I visualized myself doing dishes for my entire Christmas vacation. I think we seriously dirtied every dish in the house- plastic and Pfaltzgraph. So I was a little beside myself.
And throughout the week it continued with no signs of getting better. Day after day Bill had no appetite and symptoms of ickiness. Let's not forget that Joshua was showing no signs of getting better either. So I was constantly changing heinous diapers. Each one was worse than the one before it. And to make matters worse, with so many bad diapers he had a horrible rash too so he was writhing in pain. Writhing... with a horribly poopy diaper (gloppy actually). As you can imagine, I did quite a bit of laundry during this bout of illness. Of course, there was also all of the cooking. It probably would have been a little ridiculous of me to expect a sick Bill to cook for Liam and I while he ate only toast. So instead I cooked and had to argue with Liam about my meal choices, "You DO like Beefaroni!"
By Thursday I was really looking forward to a break. Both boys were set up for the day at daycare. My plan was to tackle schoolwork. It didn't go as planned. First of all, I ended up bringing Liam to daycare which took time out of my day-for-myself-schedule. Meanwhile, Bill took Josh to the doctor- after which we decided that it would be best to keep him home. Argh. There went my day to myself, even if it was just a day slated for work.
So naturally I vented to the only person available. The person who was still pitifully sick himself. The person who I was mad at- but not really mad "at". I threw a temper tantrum like a little baby. And soon after, my actual little baby took his three and a half hour nap; and I worked on my schoolwork.
Just like that, all of that "good wife capital" I had earned throughout the week caring for a sick husband and son was spent and gone. Gone. Just for the record, I told Bill that if I am ever again in labor and he tells me to "Power through it", I do reserve the right for my future self to kick him out of the room.
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