I’m sick. The mom cold has hit. I brought home a nasty cold from school. I’ve been saying to the coughing, sniffling, sneezing kiddos at school, “Cover, Cover,” in my sweet sing-song music teacher voice all week. They don’t listen just like my own kids. I remind them where the tissues and the sink are but they assure me they are all set. And then those sweet little germ-heads tell me they love music day and give me a hug. Dammit!
I can’t sleep from the coughing and the sinus pressure feels like something is going to burst. But the only thing that has burst so far is my patience. It’s a three-day weekend here and I have been so edgy with my own kids. Why on Earth do they have so much energy when I have none? And where have their inside voices gone? It’s like that thing hides as soon as I start sniffling. I apologized to my husband for being so short with the kids this weekend and he pled the Fifth. Yup. He knows better.
But I’m the mom, so I allow myself a short nap and then get to work. Meal prep includes extra-spicy salsa chicken this week to clear some of this junk up. Laundry is just about done. I’m sure I forgot something when I went shopping- but as long as it’s not coffee filters, I think we’ll survive. The house is clean-ish. Just take a quick peek for Hot Wheels or crayons before you step. (Real moms know Legos may hurt the most, but tiny cars and crayons can land you on your behind).
Who’s next
But here’s the worst part of the mom cold – Sweet Boy has been sneezing today. Hubby has been too. I’m sure Girlie will be soon. But Sweet Boy is the worst. We’ve been dealing with some 4 1/2-year-old rebellion lately and I really don’t want to add asthma meds into that mix. Will we need the Angry Bull medicine or the Drunk Squirrel medicine? Will he sleep? Will he need antibiotics or prednisone? Will he need a trip to the pediatrician or a trip to the ER? You see, when you have a kid with asthma, a cold is never just a cold. And I gave it to him. It wasn’t some kid at daycare. It was me.
We’ve been on this bus before, and we’ll be on it again. But it really bothers me when the boy has been tolerating his sick and moody mom all week and now will get his own week or two of misery. I guess that’s all part of being a mom – as miserable as I feel, I know that if I get my family sick, I’ll feel even worse.
Photo by Ambrose Little 