Most of my readers are family members or close friends that I also know in real life, so I don't feel quite as selfishly indulgent when I share children stories as I might if I merited a more diverse readership. (not that my friends and family aren't diverse. You are! You're diverse and wonderful!!!!) You are just unified in your acceptance of my selfish indulgences. And I love you for it!
All this is a lead-up to...... (guess. go ahead and guess.) a post about funny/cute/fantastic things my children do.
We were in Georgia the last several days for a visit to DH's parents. We got a few trips to the Master's golf tourney out of it, some good southern cooking, poker, etc. It was mostly a very good trip, sans the tornadoes that were barrelling down upon me and my family who were trapped in a mobile home that one night. I believe I offended my FIL when he tried to convince me that we would be safe if we got UNDERNEATH the mobile home. I didn't buy it. Not even almost. Sorry. I believe you are unsafe if you are anywhere withing a few MILES of a mobile home during a tornado. I survived by drinking wine and pretending it wasn't happening. Denial Rules at times.
Anyway. Then Q got sick last night. He started throwing up around 9 pm and kept it up hourly for the entire night. At one point (I forget which hour it was), I was blearily leaning against the bathroom door as I checked in on him for the umpteenth time. I got less sleep than he did because I needed to get the obligatory worrying out of the way between the vomiting episodes, you know. He was just pathetic. He was on the floor hugging the toilet, pale little face with dark circles under his eyes looking up at me. He asked in a weak voice "Mommy, is this a virus?"
I assumed this question was along the lines of "is this a virus, or do I have a horrible disease that will render me dead by sunrise?" Or "Is there an alien in my body that is fighting to emerge?"
I wet a washcloth with cool water and swabbed off his neck. "Yes, honey, it's just a virus." I was the June Cleaver of the night. I was sanity and calm and motherly protection.
"OK." he said in all sincerity. "Because that means I will most likely be immune for another year. Of course, it depends on if it's an RNA or a DNA virus. Because, see, smallpox is a DNA virus which is why there are immunizations for it, but the flu is an RNA virus which is why there is a new variant of vaccination every year. See it....." (at which point he launched into a diatribe about virus structures and immunity which I don't dare attempt to replicate because, um, I can't. OMG. Damned gifted students these days. I am out of my league.) I carefully put away the cool washcloth and kissed the top of his head. "You're going to be fine, sweetie."
10 comments:
Glad to hear that Q was able to discourse on the different types of viri while worshipping the porcelein god. I hope he is feeling better now.
I think I will come to you in a few years to ask about Ari. That is SO what he would do.
That's hysterical. Only a child of yours... It can't just be labeled a "tummy ache" in your household. lol
Oh, my nerdy little grandson! Be sure you somehow save all these posts. They are the memories I didn't write down, and are gone with the wind. He will enjoy them when he's a dad.
Love that child. Super smart even when retching:-)
I'm glad it all came out okay. One thing I most sincerely like about Oregon is that tornados are extremely rare. I've never heard of any actual damage.
"Most of my readers are family members or close friends that I also know in real life,"
I've wondered about this with other bloggers as I only have one person who I know who actually reads my blog, and she never comments.
I love Q.
I've always wondered how a whole slew of F4 tornadoes could wipe out entire towns in the wee hours of the morning while killing only one or two people. You've answered my question very scientifically (as I would have expected you to do, Jen):
"I survived by drinking wine and pretending it wasn't happening. Denial Rules at times."
Next hurricane, I'm going to try that.
Dear Terrene -
Well, I don't konw you at all, except via your blog. And, being a science teacher, I am completely charmed by your dear son's discussion of viral nucleic acids!
(I came to your blog via Wayfarer Scientista, although I notice you also read Snickollet, as I do, because of the mom-of-twins connection.)
I have been meaning to ask you more about the totally wonderful winter solstice party you attended. We have one here (in Michigan) every year, too, with a bonfire and songs and poems, but I was intrigued by the Yule log ritual you referred to - what do you guys do exactly?
I really enjoy your writing, by the way.
Aina
p.s. upon re-reading my own comment, I see that I implied that you have twins. I meant that I began to read Snickollet because I myself have twins (they're 8).
What a genius! Your son, that is.
Abernier,
Thanks for dropping by! The yule log? Hmmmm - it's been a while since that party. If I remember correctly, they had a fireplace-sized (maybe larger) log - oak I think - in the center of the labrynth. We had a basket of greenery next to it - pine boughs, holly, etc, that we attached to the log with our wishes for the new year. For the life of me, I can't remember how we actually attached them though. Could be we just laid them around it? We had to leave early, so I'm assuming they burned the log later that night, releasing the wishes.
Snickollet and Wayfarer Scientista are two of my favorite blogs. How funny that we both read both of them. It's a small blog world. :-)
Take care,
Jen
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