Observations from the Week

A few posts ago I wrote that I had been walloped with the mother of all colds.  Edit that.  I actually have been walloped with pneumonia.  The diagnosis was a relief since it legitimized why I felt so crummy.  I'm now five doses into a potent antibiotic, and am hoping to start feeling better soon.

My observations from the week:

1) Kids really have no clue that you're sick.  I carted all three girls to the doctor with me, so they physically saw me engage with a medical professional.  They've witnessed me carry a box of Kleenex from room to room.  They've heard my extended coughing jags.  Despite this, Brooke still tries to climb on my back and spur me to crawl on my hands and knees around the room as her horsey.

"Mommy's not feeling well," I say in response.  She merely looks at me and says, "Oh."  (pause)  "Can you get me a snack?"

2) Expect a degree of chaos.  As I was lying on the couch in a feverish haze, Brooke pushed a chair over to the kitchen counter, climbed onto the counter, and rummaged through the upper cupboard.

I was oblivious.

This is when she -- the child who has had so few accidents since being potty trained -- had an accident.  An accident while standing on the kitchen counter.  The exact area of kitchen counter where we keep our bowl of fresh fruit.  The kitchen counter directly above one slightly ajar drawer, a drawer open just wide enough to catch anything trickling off a counter.

It wasn't pretty. 

When I told my dad the story, he asked what she had been searching for in the cupboard.  I told him she wanted a toothpick.

"She's not even allowed to have a toothpick," he added.

Astute observation, yes.  But obviously my parental observation skills had been brought down a notch considering that I had a child standing and peeing on a kitchen counter, so the toothpick was the least of my concerns.

3) Rest, rest, rest.  My mother-in-law has been visiting the latter half of this week, and her help has been invaluable.  I've worn sweats all day.  I've napped.  I've finally slowed down, and this is such an important lesson to learn.

So, on this Saturday before Mother's Day, let me wish you good health, genuine rest, and above all, clean kitchen counters.