Lights Out
The school nurse called me this morning at 10:18 a.m., to inform me that my son was in her office with a temperature of 100.8, a cough, and a headache and would I please pick him up?
You'd think I'd sent him to school with the Bubonic Plague. It was a just headache treated by ibuprofen when I sent him at 9 a.m.--and he wanted to go to school! He just didn't think he could handle recess, so he ended up being sent to the office where the nurse got him.
He's still ill with what seems to be a virus, though for five minutes this afternoon I was absolutely convinced it was probably meningitis, the only question being: viral or bacterial and would he lose his limbs?
I thought tonight for a second, "I just can't do this," and then I had this whole conversation in my head about how you don't really get a choice about continuing your current direction when you are in the midst of life. Not if you have kids, anyway, and common sense. And summer will eventually arrive, right? Summer means no more school lessons and the possibility that I will catch up on my laundry.
Why do all the light bulbs burn out at the same time? I have no overhead light in my family room, no light in my laundry room and no exterior lights in two of my light fixtures. And no bulbs because I am just not that good at being a homemaker.
Last week, someone from church called exactly at 6:00 p.m. and said, "Oh, wait, did I catch you at dinnertime?" and I said, without pause, "No, but you would have if I were a better mother." She laughed, but I was not joking.
You'd think I'd sent him to school with the Bubonic Plague. It was a just headache treated by ibuprofen when I sent him at 9 a.m.--and he wanted to go to school! He just didn't think he could handle recess, so he ended up being sent to the office where the nurse got him.
He's still ill with what seems to be a virus, though for five minutes this afternoon I was absolutely convinced it was probably meningitis, the only question being: viral or bacterial and would he lose his limbs?
I thought tonight for a second, "I just can't do this," and then I had this whole conversation in my head about how you don't really get a choice about continuing your current direction when you are in the midst of life. Not if you have kids, anyway, and common sense. And summer will eventually arrive, right? Summer means no more school lessons and the possibility that I will catch up on my laundry.
Why do all the light bulbs burn out at the same time? I have no overhead light in my family room, no light in my laundry room and no exterior lights in two of my light fixtures. And no bulbs because I am just not that good at being a homemaker.
Last week, someone from church called exactly at 6:00 p.m. and said, "Oh, wait, did I catch you at dinnertime?" and I said, without pause, "No, but you would have if I were a better mother." She laughed, but I was not joking.
posted by Melodee at Monday, March 06, 2006
8 Comments:
Awww, prayers for a better day today! :)
I feel this way too. Often.
If it makes a difference--I am right there with you! Bringing value to the adage, "misery loves company." But I don't say that in a victim's voice; I say that feeling stronger having just read your post this a.m. Yes, motherhood is demanding and some make it look easier than others. You have found a way to reveal the God's honest truth....keeping an amazing sense of humor...while reaching out to unknown mom's--blessing their day. That is worth a cupboard full of light fixtures!
While I do not understand why the light fixtures all go out at the same time, where the 2nd sock goes to in my drier, or how to get the motivation back to do spring cleaning (it's been lost since the turn of the century!); I am certain this morning that I will revisit your blog! So--go figure, while my neighbors are cleaning their spotless homes and arranging their children's lives...I will be stopping in for a daily dose of authenticity at its best. Thanks for being so real.
You are a good mom. I have no two doubts about it. We see you much more than that nurse at the school!
Did you see about Dana Reeves? Heartbreaking. We don't have any complaints, do we?
yeah, I can totally relate. and I really appreciate you putting in down in words so I can understand myself better. btw, 24 this season?? what do you think?
Mel, I've noticed before you liked Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper". I just saw a day or so ago she's got a new book out, "The Tenth Circle". I scooted right over to the library website and put it on hold right then! Hope it's as good as that one and several of her others have been!
Bah...what do school nurses know?! But you can't blame them because there are so, so many kids sent to school almost half-dead...I know from where I speak, having been a middle school lunch lady for years. And also, with kids, they can become sick SO FAST!! You can send them out and they're all sparkly-eyed and full of "wee-wee & vinegar" as my mom used to call it, only to have them spiking 103 temp an hour or two later. Being a mom is a no-win situation, my dear...and we're all there right along with you.
I have sent my son to school a couple of times when he says he doesn't feel well. I check his temperature and if he is ok there I ask him what he wants to do. Always it is that he wants to go to school, so out comes the tylenol and off he goes to school. I should have learned by now because he always ends up sick. The nurse has caught him once but usually during his home from school hug I notice the rise in temperature.
Kids really can get sick so quickly. They don't like to get stuck at home all day any more than we like it. (Altho if I were home alone alll day..that would be heaven)
Just today I made my mega-grocery trip in which I managed to remember everything...EXCEPT light bulbs. So we're sitting around in the relative dark too.
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