Sick Day

No, not me. I am still well. But when you are mom and your kid is sick you might as well be sick too. This is why I don't like to rest when I am sick.

But damn. Does this phlegm have an end?

I have had the kids on a strict regime of Claritin since I first got sick. I ran out the other day so I guess all it took was a few missed days and phlegm made its move on Beau. Carmella is still in the clear. But really, she is the better patient.

Beau sick is like me sick. He pretty much has to be totally lethargic to recognize that he may not feeling so great. Therefore he is hard put to accept his fate as a sickie. There is no wanting to lay around and just chill and watch TV. So you see, really I am just keeping him home to spare myself the lecture from his teacher. Because neither me nor him want him to miss school.

See yesterday at school when I picked him up his teacher said he was coughing really bad but she thought part of it might be dramatics--which I know Beau loves to exaggerate his cough. Because, really? Why bother to cough if doesn't sound like you are trying to throw up your stomach? Or sound like you have been smoking for 60 years. No one would notice-- pay you any attention. And if that is the case, why cough. Why bother?

He did have a little cough on Sunday. It was the first time I heard it. It isn't a deep in the lungs I-pleurisy-sort of cough but more like quarters in throat--you know, post nasal drip, choking-on-the-snot-running-down-the-back-of-your-throat cough. I know it well as I finally got rid of mine last week after what felt like a month of living with it.

I asked Beau where he got this cough and he told me it was from Tarak--a friend at school. He explained it was from when Tarak was choking him last Wednesday. I told him you don't get a cough because someone chokes you--especially 5 days afterwards. I mean, if you are going to get a cough from someone choking you it is going to happen immediately. Duh!

But more importantly, I told him: What I want to know is why Tarak was choking you and why this is the first I am hearing about it? Did you tell your teacher?

No. We were playing a choking game!

Oh okay! That's great! Hey, Beau?

Yeah?

Let's not play the choke game anymore--you know, just like we don't play the pee on each other game anymore. Okay?

Okey dokey Mommy.

Sheesh. Boys. The surprises never end for me and the seemingly obvious things I have to tell him not to do boggle me daily.

So anyway, Beau last night had a little fever--barely hundred but he looked sick in the eyes--heavy lidded, red rimmed, tired. So no school today. But apparently some Motrin, Sudafed and Claritin has been the miracle cure for him that it wasn't for me as he is much better this morning. However I still kept him home in case the fever came back. It hasn't. And even though 100 hardly registers as a fever I can't risk sending Beau to school who when healthy canbe the problem child. I can only imagine the talk I would get.

Carmella and I tried to sneak around him this morning so he would sleep in. My plan was to wake him and throw clothes on him right before I had to take Carmella to school as I had to go in to help her carry her project.

Which okay, quick aside, my kids have way too much homework. They are 4 and 6 and they have more homework than I did in high school. Well, at least more homework than I actually remember doing. Did you see that? See what I wrote. No, not the part about me not doing homework. Who cares. The part about Beau. Beau? Who is 4. Has homework. Several times a week-- and projects too.

And did I mention all the reading they want us to do with them? I think reading is great! I mean seriously, who thinks literacy is a bad thing? But do you people have any idea what a pain Beau is to read to? Sitting still? Listening? Not beating the crap out of Mommy while she reads out loud? All very challenging for Beau.
And then there are his book choices. . .

Yesterday we went to the library to get books for Carmella's project (research, at 6!). And they both got to pick out books --Carmella to read to herself or with my help and Beau for me to read to.

Carmella picks normal story books, easy grade 1 and 2 readers etc. Books like Mouse Soup and Pish and Posh and Lulu and the Witch Baby

Beau though.

I try to steer him towards picture books about dinosaurs and trucks but no. Beau goes to the nonfiction juvenile section and picks fabulously technical books on insects, ecology, weather and dinosaurs. Books that have hypothesis and theory in the first paragraph. Books with giant pictures of the creepiest insects. Books with diagrams and charts. I mean it is great that he has an interest, you know, in ecology. But I just think it a little too high brow for a 4 year old and much too boring for mommy to want to read. Not to mention, I don't care so much about what the world's ugliest bugs look like. The ordinaray run of the mill bugs give me the heebie jeebies. I don't need to see the ugliest ones to get the creepy crawlies.

But Beau's reading choices and homework pale in comparison to Carmella's homework. Really, what I think is going on is retribution for me having not done my homework as a kid. I thought I had gotten away with it. But you know what? Now I definitely do not regret not doing homework because as parent? I get to do it again. So unlike some of you other suckers I only have to do it once-- or until they are old enough that they surpass my knowledge and will no longer require my help. Wait. Okay, seriously, who are we kidding? Like that is ever going happen. What, with my superior intelligence? I'll totally be writing and compling their PhD's.

But, yeah, in case you were wondering. Homework still sucks.

Oh, my point. Okay, really, my whine. Beau is home sick today. And after an hour and half of arguing, flailing on the floor and begging me to take him to school Beau finally agreed that he is sick. This was of course after I pulled out the play dough. See I never pull out the play dough. I hate it. I try to hide it but they always find it and beg to play with it. So I reserve it for when I am desperate for them to be compliant. I hate play dough because they make the biggest mess and it is too much of mess for them to handle cleaning up on their own. And I have to clean up enough messes around here that I am really not inclined to welcome any more.

But today play dough was the only thing that made him stop crying about having to stay home so I got it out. I tried to make it so he would be neat about it giving him paper plates and only gave him a few tools and a couple of colors. But the plates remained untouched and he went and found the other colors, tools and even dug out my cookie cutters. I don't care though.

Because for almost 2 hours this morning Beau happily married all the play dough colors and made "poopy" and scary bugs and monsters with it. And anything that occupies Beau for 2 hours and doesn't involve him getting hurt or doing permanent damage can only be a good thing.

The magic ended though when I told him I thought it was time to clean up. He asked me, "Why? Are we going Taco Mac?"

Huh? What? Why would you think that? You are sick. We have to stay home.

Immediately he abandoned play dough in optimism that we were going somewhere and upon finding out that we were definitely not going anywhere the whining commenced. And it has not stopped. For one single second. About all the places he wants to go: Lala's, Meme's, Chase's house, Monkey Joes, the pool, the bank, the accountant, grocery store, just anywhere, please, but here. . .

I should have just kept my mouth shut.

Anyway, I suppose-- if I must search for a silver lining-- a sick day is probably just as well. In the past I would get all frustrated when my workout plans got waylaid. But really today I should probably rest. I've been going at it everyday since last Wednesday when I finally started feeling better.

Today was suppose to be a bike day with Steph. I missed Monday because of a flat tire. Roswell Bikes fixed it and Lance right up. So I am bummed I haven't gotten to ride this week. But I guess if anything has to go or be skipped the bike or the swim would be it.

And now I am thinking-- since I am having a forced rest day-- that I might move my planned 24 miler up to tomorrow rather than wait until Friday. Just go ahead and get it done, you know. . .

Truthfully though? I am having long run anxiety. 24 solo miles is somewhat tortuous and quite lonely and it is hard to psyche myself up for it. I really don't want to do it and I waiver a bit; trying my hardest to ignore the voice in my head that says just do a few more 20 milers. But I know from experience doing 24 will mean I will have a better marathon. And I will gladly take sucky lonely runs in training if I can trade it for a triumphant race.