Category: health

health, kids, parenting

If They are Alive, All is Well

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The only thing worse than being sick, is having to take care of a sick kid while you don’t feel well yourself. I have contracted what T.Puzzle had and it has manifested as body aches, sore throat and a double ear-ache. I slept a ton yesterday and went to bed early. I was woke up at around eleven p.m. as I heard a desperate, screaming Full Speed. I was so out of it but connected the dots quickly as Mad Dog brought him stripped down to our room.

“Did he puke?” I ask.

“Yep,” is all Mad Dog says.

It takes a lot of effort but I get myself up to lend a hand. I’m heading to his room to start cleaning. Since I feel so gross myself, I am unable to begin. The smell is overwhelming and normally, as a Mom, I have a stomach of steel, but since I don’t feel well myself, my stomach is a quivering mess. I must give props to Mad Dog, he dealt with the clean-up and I dealt with Full Speed.

I showered him, changed his pjs and made a makeshift bed of a sleeping bag, towels and bowl right next to me. He was pretty shook up but drifted to sleep quickly.

I still feel awful and am barely functional. Mad Dog is in charge. As long as my kids are alive, all is well.

bad day, children, health, parenting

No Slime, Please

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Why is it that men lose all ability to function at the first sign of puke? Why is it that while I am comforting a spewing little three year old that I am also supposed to have the where-with-all to instruct Mad Dog in great detail?

T.Puzzle had a rough night. He was up fussing a couple times and was whiny and full of whimpers. We brought him in bed with us in the morning to offer him some solace from his obvious misery. He flailed about and when I got up with him, he let out a cry and vomit soon followed. He managed to get most of it in a bowl, but I did get a nice portion down the length of my arm and a healthy dose landed on the carpet.

“Some help, please!” I shout to Mad Dog who is still lying in bed.

“What do you want me to do?” he asks.

T.Puzzle is still heaving miserably, I have slime on me and I’m trying to remain calm. This is all happening so fast that it frustrates me to turn my energy and focus on to how Mad Dog can help.

“I don’t know…., get some wipes, get a towel, just get SOMETHING!”

In his defense (and it pains me to write this ladies), he thought that T.Puzzle was puking in the bowl we already had out and that I had everything under control. We were out of Mad Dog’s line of sight so he missed seeing the puke on the floor, on my arm and the gurgly mess seeping from T.Puzzle’s poor nose (yeah, for all you non-parents out there, it sometimes comes out their noses which of course is superfun).

I know that we all have our moments to shine and we each contribute different strengths and abilities to the whole of parenting. However, just once I’d love to be the parent who isn’t getting slimed.

health, marital blissishness

Parenting 101

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Full Speed has been feeling slightly under the weather. So when Mad Dog gave his little brother a sippy cup that Full Speed had been drinking from I kind of freaked. We were getting the boys ready for a bath when this happened.

“Don’t give it to him, Full Speed’s sick!” I exclaimed.

“Hey, it happens, T.Puzzle will be fine,” says Mad Dog.

“Well, let’s at least get a different towel for T.Puzzle.” Normally I use whatever towel is on hand to wipe the soap from their eyes and faces during the hair-washing process. Since Full Speed was displaying some rosy-cheeked misery with a drippy nose, I wanted separate, clean towels for this task.

“No, T.Puzzle doesn’t need a different towel. It’s a Mad Dog Parenting 101 rule that kids need to be exposed to as many germs as possible to build their immune systems.”

At that moment, Full Speed jerks his head back and lets rip a enormous, showering sneeze.

“I see your parenting rules for immunity building worked like a charm for Full Speed,” I say with a laugh (trust me laughing is the best way to handle these situations).

As for Mad Dog and his parenting 101, let’s just say I’d fail the semester.

***No marriages were harmed during the course of these past two posts. And, he’s Mad Dog…, and he approved these messages.

children, gratitude, health, mommyhood

Reason for the Season

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Despite all the holiday commotion, I managed to squeeze in T.Puzzle’s three year wellness check-up. It went exactly as I thought it would…., horrible. First of all he’s in good health so that wasn’t the problem, it was his behavior. Going in I figured I had a 50/50 shot of him being compliant and the odds didn’t fall in my favor. He was so defiant when the nurse tried to evaluate his vision and hearing she decided to ‘pass until his four year check-up’. So as of right now the pediatrician has no quantifiable evidence that T.Puzzle has the ability to see or hear.

After a few level 8 meltdowns and much cajoling on my part, T.Puzzle successfully completed the rest of the exam. Praise the Lord there were no booster shots this time around! I don’t think we would have made it through unless one of the shots included some form of sedation (for him not me…., well, beggars can’t be choosers, really).

So, my T.Puzzle is healthy and my Full Speed is growing up fast. He had the opportunity to go to ‘work’ with Mad Dog. He took it very seriously. He was dressed to the nines and had his work bag packed with books, games and some cars. He knew the weight of his father’s job rested on his shoulders (apparently he had to take several breaks when he was at the office obviously feeling the pressure). He was very proud to ‘help’ his Dad.

On the way home from work they stopped at the mall where you can ride the train (you all know it’s my favorite) and they picked out some ornaments for me and T.Puzzle. Mine was personalized and said I was the ‘Best Mom’. Even though most days I don’t feel anywhere near my best, it helps when you have someone like your own child who believes in you. No matter the season, reason or temperament, I am loved.

children, health, life in pictures, marital blissishness, parenting

Sit Back

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I decided T.Puzzle needed to be seen by the pediatrician. He sounded terrible and still was a walking, dripping science experiment. His fever was gone, I just wanted to make sure whatever he had wasn’t in his lungs or ears.

Mad Dog picked up Full Speed from school, took him to lunch and than met me and T.Puzzle at the doctor’s. As they pulled up I noticed that Mad Dog had a freshly shaved head. That could only mean one thing. So did Full Speed.

Mad Dog and I don’t see eye to eye when it comes to the length of our boys’ hair. Since we have moved to Florida and our boys are incredibly active, I understand that it makes sense to have little hair in the summer months. However, during the winter here, I want to let their hair grow. As a peace offering, they handed me a gift card to Burger King that said Team Edward with a pic of my favorite Twilight character. At least Full Speed wasn’t completely shaved; he still had a little hair on top. I had to let it go.

Full Speed realizes that T.Puzzle is still under the weather. He turns up the protective empathy and is downright directive and adorable. First, he offers T.Puzzle his toy from his Burger King lunch (which T.Puzzle takes ownership of with glee) and then he grabs T.Puzzle’s hand and leads him into the office.

Once we are back in a room waiting for the doctor, Full Speed orders T.Puzzle to sit on the cushioned bench and tells him what to expect when the nurse or doctor comes in. T.Puzzle  is mostly game for all this instruction until it is time for the removal of his Lightning McQueen shoes (he’s very attached).

While we wait, I attempt to read the boys a story about Ernie and Cookie Monster. It sort of holds their interest but honestly, I feel like I’m in the middle of a wrestling ring being pummeled into oblivion. Sitting still and quietly is not their style. Soon, T.Puzzle thinks he is cute and starts punching and kicking the book. He is warned, admonished and then punished. He screams ‘sorry!’ at the top of his lungs. In a small exam room, his voice really carries.

When the doctor arrives (she’s unusually pleasant and helpful in Mad Dog’s presence, hmmm…) Full Speed is right in her face ‘helping’ her examine T.Puzzle. We have to keep holding him back and redirecting because he is certain it is his job to assist. At one point the doctor asks if T.Puzzle can cough for her. She asks Full Speed to demonstrate what she needs T.Puzzle to do and Full Speed proceeds to fake cough all over her (lovely!). T.Puzzle just watches in dazed amusement, he doesn’t cough but he does get the all clear. His lungs are good and his ears are clear. All we can do is sit back and patiently wait for the rest of his cold symptoms to run their course. If only all aspects of parenting were that easy.