Mono

Ol has mono, y'all. Mono. Poor guy. He feels like a giant pile of feverish ass and can't return to school this week. We are hoping for Monday. In and around finding this out, purchasing enormous quantities of ice cream, feeding said ice cream to him, sinking a small fortune into Magna-Tiles (admittedly a terrific toy) and attempting to keep medicine in him long enough before he puked so that it could take some effect, I made some bread and that is all. It's still rising. Because of this, I'm having leftover fruit salad for dinner and think that otherwise today is a wrap. My sister is due tomorrow. Send healthy birthing vibes her way!!

Day 6, delicious dinner

One of the first things I heard upon waking this morning was, "I frew up on my feet." Oh, Ol. At least he usually goes straight to the porcelain god when he feels he's about to puke. In any case, he is home, I am counting the minutes until the pediatrician's office opens, and I have canceled out yet another day. But in better news, I managed to get a delicious dinner on the table round about 9:00 last night. Better late than never, yes? There just really aren't any good delivery options around us, and cooking makes me feel happy.

I slow-cooked slivered shallots and Brussels sprouts -in a teaspoon of bacon fat and some olive oil- with salt and lots of pepper and later deglazed the pan with some sherry before adding some chopped speck. Meanwhile, I fried a a clove of garlic and a handful of Brussels sprouts leaves that I wanted to use for a garnish and cooked some mafaldine until al dente. I added the pasta to the veggie mix, tossed in some cream, a generous mound of Parm and some of the garlicky oil in which I'd fried the sprouts' leaves. I cooked it all on low heat until the pasta was perfectly done, topped the whole thing with more pepper, Parm and the bright green leaves and called it dinner.

Doesn't this look hearty, comforting and wonderful?

Day 5 of sick Ol

Last Thursday, the boys and I each received a Flu Mist. I have a hate-hate relationship with flu vaccines and had sworn off getting one this year, but while at the pediatrician with the boys, I felt guilty saying "No" when offered one. On the way home, the three of us took bets on who would stay the most well. Jack was certain he would "win" and win he most definitely has. He and Tom seem impervious to anti-flu treatments. Shot, Mist, whatever... Doesn't affect them. I, on the other hand, get sick every damn year from this attempt at responsibility, hence my swearing off of one this fall. Fortunately, I was not struck with the vicious fever and chills (that left me sore!) that plagued me last year, but I have felt low-grade cold-like since Thursday. I am not getting a flu vaccine next year. You heard it here first.

This has not been made better by the fact that on Friday, Oliver developed a fever and still has it. A high one. He feels like ass, missed a long-anticipated playdate on Sunday and has stayed home from school for the past two days. I suspect we'll be hanging out again here at home tomorrow. My poor guy has been riddled with spiky fevers in the middle of every night which, if you do the simple math, means neither of us have slept worth a damn.

In fact, round about 2am this morning, Ol toddled in to say, "I have something I weally need to ask you." "Oliver," I said, "are you sure it needs to be asked now?" "Yes! When can I have a playdate with that boy from my Lego camp class last summer? I fink his name was Caleb?" Ohmahgah.

Cat is still peeing red but is improving. Tom is an excellent dispenser of pills to cats, so I'm grateful. I am blowing my nose to beat sixty which is exceedingly ironic given that it also feels tightly packed with rolls of gauze and actually toted a box of Kleenex to both parent-teacher conferences T and I had today.

We did have a successful little Halloween party full of friends, cookies, a piñata and crafts. Ol was on a real up when he and Jack discovered my "cake decorations" box while I was walking a friend to the door. Eight pounds of black sugar later and I hustled them into a bath which immediately turned gray. Ah well. Happy kids.