Category: Sick
Thursday, Aug 6, 2009 | Sick, Writing |
This little fellow is sick. No wonder he was so grumpy around suppertime last night (though he was THIS happy earlier in the day, when he insisted I clip this into his hair). We spent large portions of last night nursing, and just holding him in bed. It’s a reminder of those early infant days, when night-time does not equal sleep-time. He’s napping right now and I’m watching the monitor for rustlings. There he is.
Albus is playing with a transformer, pretending to blow things up. The girls are reading quietly (Apple-Apple is trying out Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, one of my all-time favourites).
I want to thank everyone who expressed support and interest in the Nicaragua writing project. I’ve had encouraging comments, public and private, from a variety of friends, family, and even my former editor.
Uh oh, there he is again (baby, that is). Better run.
Back again. Thinking about time management … that could be my biggest stumbling-block in writing anything (she says, typing one-handed, feverish babe on hip).
Wednesday, Apr 15, 2009 | Chores, Laundry, Sick |
Chores. Daily. Update. Albus and Fooey set the table together … but that was as far as it got tonight. Albus straightaway started throwing-up after dinner, Apple-Apple was too engrossed in her book (an odd little story called A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote that involved a seven-year-old boy drinking whiskey with a senile distant cousin … from the school library, and I only skimmed it afterwards with curiosity when I noticed who the author was, and then wondered hmm, what did she get out of this?). Anyway, what with the sickness and the husband trying to get out the door for his hockey pool, I did the rest of the chores in our lovely new red chore box. With the exception of the laundry which I’m leaving for Kevin, assuming he notices the basket when he comes home later. Just realized it must have been exactly five weeks ago that he smashed his kneecap.
I’m feeling a little queasy. Who will be the next family member throwing up? These things never seem to stop at one. Well, we’re already at two, now. Only four more to go!
This post does not fit in with my new daily theme mandate. I’ll have to add a category called Should-Be-In-Bed-Ramblings.
But I wanted to post those photos. Apple-Apple lost her first tooth today–at school, no less. It awaits beneath her pillow in a yellow box from the school office, with an accompanying letter describing how it fell out: “This is the first tooth I lost, I hope you like it!” She’s been restlessly rolling around, waiting for the fairy’s arrival.
CJ climbed onto the stool in front of the bathroom sink tonight and insisted on brushing his own tooth. He even knew to swish the brush under the water to rinse it off, except he couldn’t quite reach. It’s a good thing they make one-year-olds insanely cute because right after this photo was taken he dashed off to the living-room and unloaded the clean laundry basket in less time than it takes to tell the story.
Fooey kept trying to get into CJ’s photo, so I took one of her: “Put CJ in it too,” she instructed, but he was moving too fast. I’m pretty sure that’s a clean sock he’s holding as he rushes off.
Saturday, Apr 11, 2009 | Sick, Sleep |
There are a bunch of good pics on my camera which I haven’t downloaded because they include a couple that aren’t so good–of some baby animals the kids found in the woodpile that looked a whole lot like newborn rats. I’m too squeamish to look at them.
So today’s post will be unillustrated. Next time.
I’m deep in the throes of sleep deprivation, and it feels so prolonged, so never-ending, that I’m feeling semi-defeated by it. Last night, I was cleaning up puke (another story, not so long; it wasn’t mine, it was a child’s), off and on till 1am, every hour or so till the source was declared completely empty, when finally I slept. Then was woken every hour till sometime after 3 when I managed to string two full hours of sleep together, then it was back to the broken stuff–in and out of bed, answering multiple calls. I’m a firm believer that to feel really well-rested, you need three consecutive uninterrupted hours of sleep. This has become so rare as to feel like a meaningless prescriptive. CJ still nurses twice a night, or more, and Fooey is often up once to use the bathroom, and last night … well, when the puking started I really thought I might suffer a nervous breakdown. This is the fourth time since December that someone (usually a solid family majority) has gotten “the barfing thing.” Look, I know that life with six people in one house is complicated. I accept this. Life generally is complicated. Bodies are vulnerable and imperfect. I get all of that. But I feel suddenly sapped of my ability to appreciate the fun. There is fun, right? Everything feels so damn serious. I’d like to appreciate, for example, getting dressed up and dancing. I’d like to rest, to let my mind slow down, to read a book all the way through, to stand still in the sunshine, to sit down.
To go and whine no more.
Friday, Mar 20, 2009 | Chores, Kevin, Kids, Sick |
Images from our March Break week …
Fooey has sadly picked up a virus (CJ too), and this is how she has spent most of today, wrapped in blankets, though I’m pleased to report she is eating (cookies) right now. Good news, though: she quickly got over her fear of her dad’s crutches and knee, and was a good-hearted little nurse-helper for much of the week.
CJ enjoyed his first complimentary grocery store cookie earlier this week!
Apple-Apple was in need of entertainment this morning and leapt at the opportunity to wash the dishes. She very patiently washed and rinsed the whole pile.
And here is Kevin headed off to work earlier today. He got good news yesterday from his doctor: the new xrays show that there is no displacement and the fracture is healing. Next checkup and more xrays in four weeks.
Monday, Jan 12, 2009 | Local Food, Sick |
Yup. I got sick too. So did Fooey.
So yesterday I wasn’t thinking much about meal planning for the week. Frankly, I wasn’t thinking much about food, period. But here’s my plan …
Meat item thawing in fridge: a five-pound whole chicken. I plan to cut it up, marinate it, and bake it. Serve it with baked rice and a sauce made with one of my cans of tomatoes. If it turns out well, I’ll post the recipe. Discovered when digging out the chicken that there are no roasts left in the freezer. Also, I think I’m giving up on the frozen homemade ketchup. I’m going to chuck it all. Must face reality: the kids don’t like it. Silver lining: having it around has cut down on our ketchup consumption.
My base meal for the week is black beans and rice. Must remember to get beans soaking after this blip of a writing morning expires. I’m writing right now (no really, I am; I should get a clone or two to live out some parallel lives beside me). Kev’s home this morning. But no extra babysitting because Fooey’s sick. Maybe by Wednesday we’ll get back to some kind of regular schedule.
Question: Is there such a thing as a regular schedule?
Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 | Kids, Sick |
This was not part of the plan …
It’s funny how suddenly we can be thrown off track by unexpected events, even not particularly serious ones. Like, for example, a violent stomach bug. That strikes one’s husband at 3 in the morning. This is a man who rarely gets sick, and even when sick seems to soldier on relentlessly. Not so today. The dad’s in bed, and he’s joined by his sick daughter (Apple-Apple). The rest of us have spent the day quietly if not contemplatively. CJ is currently wiping the cupboards and back door window with mashed homemade dairy-free/wheat-free/egg-free teething biscuit. Mix that stuff with saliva and you could use it to grout tile. The baby monitor is on so I can keep an ear on my patients upstairs; they are chatting companionably and looked very cozy tucked in together. The remaining two household participants are seated at the counter. Albus is reading and eating popcorn, and Fooey is playing with matchbox cars and eating popcorn. She’s made the cars into characters.
Earlier in the afternoon, we went outside and played heartily in the snow in our front yard. There are pictures posted from that event on the parallel photo blog; link at right.
I am boiling water for pasta to go with (or not) the turkey broth that’s been brewing all day, laced with loads of garlic, pepper, and lime. CJ’s cookie has disappeared. I’m feeling vaguely nauseous myself and hoping for the best.
If all goes well, I’ll stick with my Sunday local food round-up; if not, you’ll know why.
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This little fellow is sick. No wonder he was so grumpy around suppertime last night (though he was THIS happy earlier in the day, when he insisted I clip this into his hair). We spent large portions of last night nursing, and just holding him in bed. It’s a reminder of those early infant days, when night-time does not equal sleep-time. He’s napping right now and I’m watching the monitor for rustlings. There he is.
