We Are Always Sick

We kept Ty home on Monday, February 6 to be on the safe side after his bout with RSV and pneumonia. This required some negotiation between me and Brian since we both had critical things going on at work. After the usual, “you think your job is more important than mine” conversation, we tagged teamed the day and got through it. I hate to say this but I can’t wait until Ty is Jack’s age when he won’t be hit so hard with all these illnesses. Jack’s nose seems to run all the time but he seems fine. I ran into an old friend and she has had two kids since I last saw her (and I’ve had two kids). She says her kids are always impeccably dressed in Ralph Lauren. I told her my kids look like street urchins. Which they do. Jack has taken to wiping his nose across his face with his sleeve. This leaves a gummy booger residue all over his face and it’s impossible to get off, like trying to get a price tag off an object. He screams when I try to get it off and it does seem to be chapped so I give up half the time. Ty doesn’t wear anything but sleepers. Never cute overalls or pants without snaps… I hate taking pants on and off when I change a diaper. My poor kids.

So back to this old friend. She was my neighbor the first 4 years I lived here. I will call her “Betty”. I would say we were friends but she was one of those “with friends like that, who needs enemies” friends. Betty would rip mutual friends to shreds when I was around and I was not too naïve to think that she wasn’t doing that to me when I wasn’t around. She told a friend of mine that both my boyfriend pre-Brian and Brian both hit on her. She did seem to have some magical powers over a lot of guys but I happen to know that Brian wasn’t fond of her. Over time, I found myself being very guarded around her to the point where I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want her to turn it around on me later. Despite all of this, we had some really fun times together. More so in the beginning than the end. When Brian and I got married and moved into this house in 2000, I stopped calling and emailing Betty. Then, at a homeowner’s association meeting, a neighbor came up to me and said we had a mutual friend in common. It was Betty. She said she would let me know the next time Betty came over to her house. She did and out of morbid curiosity, I went over there to see her. Betty did most of the talking, as usual, and she would tell stories of stuff that the two of us did that were really funny. We had a lot in common at the time (both single, same age, working, owning houses right next to each other, having guy problems, etc) and now we still have a lot in common (both married, 2 kids, like to work). But can a leopard change her spots? What makes people talk so viciously about someone who is their friend? And if someone is like that, will they always be like that? I’d like people’s opinions.

Sarah came by to visit one evening. It’s hard to socialize too much when I come home from work and have to eat and feed the boys and get them to bed but Sarah colored with Jack and they made strawberry shortcake together. It’s nice to have extra hands around the house in the evening when things are so hectic.

On Friday I left work a little early to meet Heather, Janine and their babies for lunch and a trip to the zoo. I took Ty with me and he seemed to enjoy the fresh air and staring at me, which is sometimes a little disconcerting but since it works for him, I go with it. Ty and I met Brian and Jack at Abeulo’s for dinner and we had a nice meal. Jack is still really into eating which makes restaurants a fairly painless experience as long as there is a variety of food. I gave Jack some grapefruit over the weekend and he thought that was pretty good. I’m amazed at the food he likes that I wouldn’t think a toddler would like: fish, olives, green and red peppers, grapefruit, lemons… I keep wondering when he is only going to want to eat Chicken Nuggets. I like to think I’m not one to brag about Jack other than his exquisite taste in food but tonight I was helping him with his Valentines for school tomorrow. I had him put a sticker on each of the valentines after I put his classmates’ names on the valentine. Jack then proceeded to “read” the name that was written on each of the valentines. I thought the first one was a fluke so I had him “read” a few more and he got about 80% of them right. I have to say that I was impressed. Now I have to believe he is just doing some pattern recognition here… I really don’t think he can read. But still, I was very impressed. I am his mom and I am impressed easily of course.

On Saturday I woke up feeling like I drank a bottle of tequila the night before. Splitting headache and nauseated. That lasted all day and into the night. I woke up Sunday and I was fine. Heather, who spent the afternoon at the zoo with me, sent me a note today and said she was throwing up all day Sunday and today. Guess hers is lasting a little bit longer. And Ty… well, he puked all over himself at day care around 3 PM. Nice. I can’t wait until it’s 115 degrees outside so the germs go into hibernation.

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